How To Improve Your Sleep

December 10, 2018

As mentioned last week, sleep is of the utmost importance. Sleep is when we heal, restore and detoxify; hence that foggy-headed feeling when you don’t get enough deep sleep. Unfortunately, most of us are sleep deprived; if you need to use an alarm clock, you probably are too. Here are some ways to help you fall asleep faster and improve your sleep quality:

1. Avoid screens (smart phones, tablets, Kindle readers) in the hour or two before bed or, if you can’t avoid them, be sure to at least turn on the blue-light blocking option on your Apple or android phone or device. And download the f.lux app onto your laptop or desktop computer to block the blue light on those.

2. Watch TV at night? Use orange glasses (available on Amazon) to block the blue light emitting from your television – they may be dorky, but they'’re very affordable and can make a huge difference! There are much more stylish ones than these -- they just cost a little more.

3. Eliminate the WiFi in your bedroom. There's not a ton of research on this, but I believe that EMFs (electromagnetic fields) from WiFi and cell phones can disrupt your sleep in a big way. Your bedroom should have no WiFi routers or receivers and a minimum of electronics, period. Put your smart phone in airplane mode or keep it in the next room. Consider switching to a battery-operated alarm clock. If you must have some electronics in your bedroom, keep them away from the head of your bed.

4. Avoid exposure to any bright light at nighttime. Light exposure can block melatonin and make it much more difficult for you to fall asleep or to get back to sleep if you wake up in the middle of the night. Dim the lights in your house (or use lamps with orange lightbulbs) starting around dinnertime and keep them dim for the rest of the evening. Use a very dim (ideally low blue light) nightlight if needed for late night trips to the bathroom.

5. Keep your bedroom cool -- between 62 and 68 degrees is optimal for good sleep, but I believe that the lower end of that range is the best. Wear socks if needed (don't knock it 'til ya try it!).

6. Look out a window (or, even better, go outside) as soon as you wake up. This sets your Circadian rhythm for the day which is VERY important -- especially with all of the blue light we are exposed to later in the day which messes with that very cycle. If you can't do this because you leave for work when it's still dark out, a light machine can be very effective.

7. Try a cup of reishi mushroom tea in the evening. I haven't tried this myself, but I have heard people rave about it.

8. Get a nice, calming bedtime ritual and stick to it. Use your bed only for sleeping (OK, and one other thing...) -- a bed should not be used as a place to eat, watch TV, work on your laptop, etc.

Pleasant dreams!