Tip Talk Thursdays: Tips for Sleep

So now that we know why sleep is important, how do we actually get some sleep? Well after some extensive research we were able to find the following, baring in mind that what works for some will not work for everyone!

• Increase your bright light exposure during the day: like we talked about, your body's natural alarm clock is your circadian rhythm. Natural sunlight or bright light during the day helps keep your rhythm healthy and improves your daytime energy. Studies have found that it can increase your amount of sleep by 2 hours and sleep efficiency by 80%. 
• Reduce blue light exposure in the evening: I'm sure we have all heard of this one, but studies find it is really important to consider! Blue light has been found to trick your circadian rhythm into thinking it is still daytime and will reduce your secretion of hormones like melatonin. Still need your phone at night? Apps like f.lux will block the blue light on your laptop or computer and many phones now have an adjustable feature in their settings. Try to avoid any bright lights two hours before bed. 
• Don't consume caffeine late in the day: A study found that consuming caffeine up to 6 hours before bed time significantly worsened sleep quality. Caffeine can stay elevated in your body for 6-8 hours, which is why drinking it after 4pm isn't recommended. Try decaffeinated beverages and watch out for sneaky caffeine found in chocolates, pop, and teas. 
• Reduce irregular or long daytime naps: short power naps (under 30 mins) can be beneficial, but long naps can confuse our internal clock. Studies have found that people who are used to taking naps during the day did not experience poor sleep quality, so it is something to keep in mind!
• Be consistent: be consistent in the times you wake up and go to bed. Studies have found that irregular sleep patterns can alter your circadian rhythm and levels of melatonin
• Take a melatonin supplement: an extremely popular sleeping aide. Very few people have withdrawal effects as well and is useful when travelling and adjusting to new time zones. Talk to your healthcare provider to see if this is an appropriate option for you. 
• Consider other supplements: Ginkgo biloba is a natural herb that may aide in sleep and relaxation, but evidence is limited. 3 grams of glycine has been shown to improve sleep quality, valerian root has also been found to be useful in 500 mg. Magnesium is responsible for over 600 reactions within your body and has been found to help with relaxation and enhancing your sleep. L-theanine is an amino acid that can improve relaxation, and finally lavender! Lavender is a powerful herb with many health benefits and can induce a calming sedentary effects to improve sleep. When trying any supplements also seek advice from a professional when you are on any other medication and make sure to only try out one at a time!
• Don't drink alcohol: studies found that alcohol consumption at night decreased people's natural nighttime elevations in human growth hormone (HGH), which plays a role in our circadian rhythm. It also has been found to alter our melatonin levels. Which may seem odd, as many people may feel drowsy after drinking alcohol, however their quality of sleep is usually reduced (restless, waking up, not staying in deep sleep for long periods of time).
• Make your bedroom environment better: your bedroom environment could be a key factor to your lack of sleep/ Look at the temperature, noise, external lights, and furniture arrangements. 
• Look at the quality of your late night snack: some late night snacks have often been found to reduce your natural release of HGH and melatonin. It has been found that high-carb meals four hours before bed helped people fall asleep faster. Try half a turkey sandwich, a banana, milk, yogurt, or a small bowl of whole grain, low sugar cereal. 
• Relax and clear your mind: meditation and other relaxation techniques can greatly impact your sleep quality. 
• Take a relaxing bath or shower: a hot bath or shower 90 minutes before bed has been shown to improve your quality of sleep.
• Rule out sleep disorders: ensure you don't struggle with conditions such as sleep apnea, sleep movements disorders, circadian sleep/wake disorder, and so forth. If you've always struggled with sleep, this is something to consider talking to a professional with. 
• Exercise regularly, but not before bed: studies have found that exercise has nearly halved the time it took to fall asleep and has given 41 extra minutes of sleep to those who were in the study. However, performing it too late can cause sleep problems. Exercise does have a stimulatory effect and increases the release of hormone like adrenaline and epinephrine. 
• If you can't sleep, go into another room to do something relaxing until you feel tired. Try to keep your bedroom for sleep and sex in order to help strengthen the assuocition of bed and sleep.
• Cut back on the nicotine: smoking is a stimulant that can disrupt your bedtime, especially if you smoke close to the time you go to bed. 
• Create a bedtime ritual: like we mentioned above, consistency is key. Help your body understand its bedtime with rituals. They can include things like: read a book by a soft light, take a warm bath, listen to soft music, do some easy stretches, listen to audiobooks, dim the light hours before leading up to bed.
• Make relaxation your goal, not sleep: anxiety can be a huge trigger for not sleeping, especially when we are constantly looking at the clock. Focus on relaxing and sleep will follow suit.

Some apps that can help you sleep include:

• Sleepio: a companion app for the Sleepio course, which uses an evidence based program to help address insomnia. 
• Relax melodies: has over 100 relaxation sounds, binaural beats, white noise, and soothing melodies. There are also sleep enhancing guided meditations
• Sleep Genius: designed to originally help NASA astronauts fall asleep! Designed to use sounds that help guide your brain through a complete sleep cycle so you can fall asleep faster, sleep better, and wake up at an optimal time. It is available for a cost. 
• Pzizz: Uses sound sequences that help optimize your sleep. Has a sleep, nap, and focus mode. 
• Inscape: a guided meditation app that uses progressive relaxation, soothing sounds, and music to help you fall asleep. 
• Sleep Time: personalized sleep analysis helps you track your sleep cycles and has soundscapes to help you fall asleep as well as a gentle alarm clock to help you wake up and feel refreshed. 
• Sleep Cycle: monitors your sleep patterns and offers detailed statistics and daily sleep graphs to better understand the problem. It also has an alarm clock designed to gentle wake you up during the lightest phase of your sleep schedule

Is there anything you are doing that has helped with sleep? Comment below and let us know!

Sources: 

Health line

Sleep Foundation

Help Guide

Bustle