Are you constantly feeling tired and not getting enough sleep? Have you noticed that the lack of good-quality sleep impacts your everyday performance? You are not feeling as productive, you have difficulties staying concentrated, and the quality of your work is not at the top level. If you answered yes to these questions, then it might be time to take some action to improve your sleep quality.
Sleep is one of the most underrated performance hacks -so let’s dive into how to improve your sleep.
Sleep is one of the foundations of your mental and physical health, but sleep is often what we compromise to be able to do more within our days. While we sleep, the body is recovering and taking care of many important health-related functions such as reorganising neurons in your brain, getting rid of toxins, repairing muscles and regulating hormones. So getting better sleep, you improve your performance, focus, and energy levels. Next, I will share three hacks on how you can improve your sleep.
1. HAVE AN EARLY DINNER
Do you have a habit of having a late-night dinner? Or do you like to have a snack before going to sleep? If yes, and you are having difficulties falling asleep, you may want to reconsider your eating habits. And here is why. Whatever you eat or drink a few hours before you get to sleep is likely to affect your sleep or ability to fall asleep.
When you eat dinner late in the evening, your body is probably still digesting it when you go to bed and try to fall asleep. If you find yourself tossing and turning and not being able to fall asleep, you may consider changing your dinner time to earlier.
If you have a tendency to drink liquids later in the evening, let’s say, a cup of tea, kombucha, a glass of wine or beer, you might find yourself waking up in the middle of the night having to pee. Alcohol and caffeinated drinks are also very likely to affect the quality of your sleep, and you may end up getting less restorative sleep.
I usually have my last meal around 5- 6 pm, which has been a big game-changer. I fall asleep usually within 15 minutes, my head hits the pillow, and I tend to sleep solid 7,5h – 8h without waking up in the middle of the night. I also take magnesium glycinate before going to bed, which helps the body to relax and fall asleep faster.
2. SLEEP IN A COOL TEMPERATURE
It’s very tempting to feel warm and cosy when you go to bed. But sleeping in a warm room above 22 degrees may not do any favours for the quality of your sleep. So what to do? Air out the room where you sleep before going to bed, and ideally have the room set around 18 degrees. The cooler air usually helps you to sleep better.
Even though I don’t like the cold New Zealand houses, they are great for sleeping in cool air. And now I struggle to sleep if the air temperature is warm in the bedroom. So need to look at the silver lining in everything.
3. TURN OFF DEVICES AND AVOID BLUE LIGHT
Do you have a habit of working late at night on your computer? Watching TV? Scrolling through your phone just before going to sleep? And charging your phone on the bedside table overnight? Sounds familiar? I think most of us are guilty of this at times. Unfortunately, these habits are not great for your sleep. So here’s what to do instead.
First, turn off Wi-Fi and set your phone to aeroplane mode or switch it off completely before you go to bed. This way, you’ll reduce your exposure to electromagnetic radiation, which can have a negative impact on the quality of your sleep. For the same reason, it’s also recommended not to charge your phone in the same room where you sleep.
If you work late at night, consider ways to block the blue light from your devices to prevent it from disrupting your circadian rhythm. The blue light can make your body think it’s still a day, not an evening and time to sleep. You can block the blue light, for example, using blue light-blocking glasses.
I’m trying to avoid screen time in the evenings, but that doesn’t always work as planned. So, if I’m using my phone in the evening, I have set a speed command that switches the blue light off. I also charge my phone during the day and make sure it’s in aeroplane mode while I’m sleeping.
Hope these sleep hacks will get you started on your journey towards better sleep. If you are looking for ways to improve your overall wellbeing, book a free coaching consultation below.
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