Enjoying your summer starts with a good night’s rest. Feeling refreshed helps you savor the moments of pleasure in each day. It gives you the energy to have adventures and have fun with the people you love.
When you are short on sleep, it is difficult to enjoy the special moments. You may feel irritable with the people around you for "no reason." This can leave you wondering what is wrong with you. But, maybe it doesn't have anything to do with you; maybe it is your sleep habits.
Let's look at some tips to get you quality sleep that will leave you feeling refreshed.
Tips for a Good Night
Making the most of the time you sleep will help you feel more rested. Having good sleep hygiene will make a big difference. Here are some ideas to get you started…
- Morning Light - get bright light in the morning. It is the most important habit for getting a good night’s sleep. The morning light helps reset your circadian rhythm setting you up for quality sleep.
- Bedroom Environment - sleep in a cool, dark room with black-out curtains. Cover electronics that emit light. Keep it quiet or consider a sound machine. Only use your bedroom for sleep and sex.
- Light Exposure - minimize screen time for three hours before bed, use blue light glasses, or consider a program like F.lux. Dim the lights to prepare your body for sleep as bedtime gets closer.
- Daytime Movement - take the stairs, use a standing desk, take time to stretch, or exercise to keep from being sedentary during the day.
- Nutrition - You may sleep better with a lighter dinner or a bedtime snack. Generally, you will benefit from not being overly full or hungry. Be sure your diet isn’t too low carb or low fat.
- Caffeine & alcohol - these interfere with your circadian rhythm. Limiting them, especially later in the day, will help you sleep better at night.
- Stress - deep breathing, meditation, yoga, or even getting together with friends may help you deal with stress.
- Comfortable Bed - invest in a quality bed. Lack of sleep can harm your body, so don’t feel bad spending more to get something nice if you can.
- Waking During the Night - Dr. Kristen Allott recommends keeping a “lizard brain treat” by your bed if you wake up at night. Look at her website for more information.
Sleep hygiene is important, but no amount of sleep hygiene will help if you don’t allow enough time for sleep! Author and professor Mathew Walker says, “You have more of a chance of being struck by lightning than you do of being in that tiny, tiny minority of people that can thrive with fewer than 7 ½ to eight hours of sleep.”
Check out "Are You Getting Enough Sleep" to see if you are giving yourself enough rest each night.
Enjoy your summer activities by getting enough quality sleep. When you feel refreshed, everything is better.
Dr. Jamie