10 “Hacks” For A Great Sleep
One of the questions I am asked most frequently is what are my “hacks” for a great restful and peaceful sleep. Most people I talk with seem to have some trouble sleeping whether it is a problem falling asleep or waking up during the night.
Sleep is the time when our body recovers, cells regenerate, our body detoxifies from the day and is so important for overall health. We all know how great we feel when we have a great sleep and how lousy and “ off” we feel when we have a poor nights sleep.
I am always learning, reading and experimenting on what works for me in order to have a great nights sleep. I find that when I do the “ hacks” outlined below, I generally have a great sleep. When I deviate from doing these things, I tend to not have a good sleep and wake up feeling lousy in the morning
Here are my 10 Hacks for a great peaceful and deep sleep:
1.No Computer or Screens within 1 hour of bed.
If you are like me, you have some sort of screen with you most hours of the day. I typically have my phone with me all day while working and then hop on my MacBook Air at night to catch up on emails, do banking or simply surf the net. Ideally I try to make a point of getting “unplugged” and turn off my computer and put it and my phone away one hour before bed.
2.Put on Screen Filtering
When I do stay on my laptop or phone a few hours prior to bed, I have my devices set up to filter out the “blue light” which is the light that keeps us awake at night. I have my phone and computer set up so that they automatically go on “night mode” and automatically block out the harmful rays after 8:00 at night.
3.No TV While In Bed
One of the things Barb and I used to do was watch TV or watch the news while we were in bed. We very rarely do this now and I find that reading for 30 mins prior to going to sleep takes my mind off of whatever is on that day and allows me to then have a great sleep. In addition, that is the time that I typically learn things from all the reading I do at night.
4.Limit Alcohol
I never realized the effect that alcohol had on my sleep prior to getting my recent device that measures my sleep, heart rate, and heart rate variability during sleep. Previously when we overindulged generally on a weekend, I actually woke up and thought I had a great sleep as I slept all night and did not wake up. However since getting my sleep measuring device, although I feel like I have had a great sleep, all my metrics show me that that I actually had a really poor sleep. Every time I have some drinks at night, the next day my device shows that I had a very light sleep, low HRV(Heart Rate Variabilty) and elevated heart rate. This has been a great learning for me as I previously thought that I slept great after a night of indulging however this is clearly not the case.
5.Nightly Supplement Routine
I find that the best way to have a great sleep is to stick to my nightly routine. The supplements I take prior to going up to bed are Magnesium based supplements. I typically mix up my types of Magnesium however my favourite is ZMA which is a mix of Zinc and Magnesium. In addition I have a “Nighty Night” tea and take that to my room and sip on it as I read in bed.
6.Teaspoon Of Honey
One of the things that I have learned is one of the reasons we wake at night is that our glycogen stores are depleted while we sleep and this is the reason we often wake up in the middle of the night. I have experimented by taking a teaspoon of honey either with my Nighty Night tea or simply having a full teaspoon straight up. I have also learned about all the health benefits of Manuca honey so when able I try to have Manuca and failing that I ensure it is non processed honey(pure) and organic.
7.Dark room
As much as I can, I try to block out all light prior to shutting down for the night. I close the blinds, drapes and even throw a few pillows on the ground at the base of the drapes to ensure no light comes in. I also ensure that there are no “blinking” lights in the room such as from the satalite or the T.V. We also ensure that we keep our phones downstairs and as per previous blog on EMF emissions, we put our devices on Airplane mode. For those that missed my blog on reducing EMF emissions, you can access it here:http://kevinbradyhealth.ca/6-things-i-do-to…exposure-to-emfs/
8. 3 Great Things That Happend That Day
One of the things I have done for at least a few years now is just prior to going to sleep I think of 3 positive things that happened that day. It could be a great meeting, a really good workout, time spent with Barb or the kids, or many other things. I think we often think of the things that are worrying us and as a result if those thoughts are with us when we are trying to go to sleep, it makes sense that we would have trouble getting to sleep. I find that by focusing on 3 positive things it puts me in a great state of mind which allows me to drift off into a peaceful happy sleep.
9.Light When You Wake
One of the things I do when I wake is to open the drapes or go downstairs and try to look at natural light as soon as I am able or as soon as the sun comes up(easier done in the spring and summer). The reason this is important is it resets the system and lets our body know that it is daytime. This in turn leads to Melatonin production when it gets dark in the evening which helps us sleep better at night. Therefore it is a good idea to try to see or feel natural light as soon as you can in the morning.
10.Exercise
We all know how good exercise is for our bodies. Exercise helps us oxygenate our blood, forms new living cells, detoxifies our system, extends the length of telomeres(a sign of healthy aging) and overall makes us feel great. I find that when I exercise(which is pretty well every day) I sleep like a baby at night. I also find that the days I take off from having a workout, I don’t have a great sleep. We all know it is good for us and as the Nike saying goes “Just Do It”
So In Summary, Here are the 10 Hacks for a Great Nights Sleep:
1.Shut Down Screens and Computers At Least One Hour Before Bed
2.Set Up Your Devices for Night Mode
3.Don’t Watch TV In Bed
4.Limit Alcohol
5.Take Magnesium Before Bed
6.Take Teaspoon Of Honey
7.Darken the Bedroom
8.Think Positive Thoughts
9.See the Light when wake
10.Exercise – “Just Do It”
Wishing you a healthy happy day and a great sleep tonight!
Kev
1 comment
Hi Kev,
Thanks for the great blog. I think everyone experiences sleepless nights sometimes. I am sure your advice will be well received by many of your readers.
Thanks load. Marge