Ways To Get Better Sleep
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Introduction
Are you having difficulty sleeping well? Even just one night of broken sleep can significantly impact our functioning at home and at work for a day or even longer. Research shows there’s a variety of external and internal factors that can impact how well we sleep. Some in positive ways and other in negative ways. It is possible to get consistent sleep. Here’s some things that can help: |
Things to do so you fall asleep quickly and sleep through the night
Improve your sleep environment: Ideally, have the temperature about 68 degrees, and have your room dark and quiet with a comfortable bed. If you generally get up in the morning after it’s already light out, consider having “blackout” shades or curtains.
Maintain a consistent sleep schedule. It can be difficult for all of us to get consistent sleep. On the weekend maybe we’re tempted to sleep in, stay up late or both. Then it’s back to getting up early Monday morning and dragging. The better we can do with waking up and going to bed at around the same time, the better and more restful sleep we’ll achieve.
Create a bedtime routine. Doing similar things at similar times trains your brain that it’s time for bed. For example, reading a book in the half hour before bed in the same location each night is an activity that can help make you tired and will create a connection in your mind that it’s time for bed.
Go to sleep when your body is ready. Trying to force yourself to go to bed earlier than your normal time can backfire. It can result in difficulty falling asleep that night and possibly future nights as well. Lying in bed trying to force yourself to fall asleep and not falling asleep is potentially training your brain that lying in bed is for something other than sleeping.
Get sunlight first thing when you wake and throughout the day. To be more fully awake when you get up, and ultimately to be able to better fall asleep later that night, get some sunlight when you first wake up and throughout the day. This morning light will stop the production of chemicals in your brain like melatonin and tell your brain it’s time to fully wake up.
Exercise earlier in the day. We may think it’s good to exercise right before bed because exercise tires us out, which it does. But it also releases various chemicals in our brains and gets our heart rate up which can actually result in difficulty calming our body down and falling asleep. Try instead to finish exercising at least a few hours before bedtime.
Deep breathing, meditation, gratitude and positive mantras. When you close your eyes to go to sleep, take several deep breaths. This infusion of extra oxygen can have a calming effect. Consider trying to meditate for a minute or more to clear your mind as much as possible. You can also spend time expressing gratitude for the day you had and the positive things in your life. Maybe say some positive mantras help get into a positive and restful state of mind.
Things to avoid so you fall asleep quickly and sleep through the night
Take a break from screens. Before bed, are you watching an intense show or film? “Doom-scrolling” on social media? The light and content from looking at our phones, tablets, TV, computer and other electronic devices can stimulate our minds in a way that keeps us awake. Ideally, at least 30 minutes prior to bedtime, avoid looking at screens. And if you happen to wake up in the middle of the night, don’t reach for your phone and look at email or other content.
Avoid alcohol, caffeine, nicotine and other substances. What we eat and drink during the course of the day and especially closer to bedtime can impact our sleep. Avoid stimulating substances like caffeine, nicotine and of course certain other drugs. Alcohol can also impact sleep. Although initially making us drowsy, as our body metabolizes the alcohol while we sleep, it can cause us to wake up and have difficulty falling back asleep.
Avoid eating difficult to digest food and high-sugar content food. Having that cheeseburger and fries right before bed may taste good, but your body could have some challenges digesting it, causing disruption in your sleep. A big bowl of ice cream at night could also keep you up.
Naps. Although it may be tempting to take a nap in the middle of the day when you didn’t sleep well the night before, this could lead to another difficult night. Try instead to get back on a regular schedule and get through the day and go to sleep at a normal time.
Don’t watch the clock. If we wake up in the middle of the night, it’s temping to look at the clock and check the time. Try to avoid this urge. It could lead to your mind racing about the sleep you’re not getting, and if you use your phone as your alarm, looking at messages, email or other content and getting further stimulated.
Don’t drink excessive fluids before bed. Try to stop drinking any liquids at least a couple of hours before bed. This will help you avoid waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.
Don’t toss and turn for hours in bed. If you wake up in the middle of the night, don’t stay in bed for hours struggling to fall back asleep. Instead try to use some of the tips to fall back asleep, such as deep breathing, meditation, gratitude and positive mantras. If after a half our or so you’re still awake, get up for a short while and try reading something (non-digital). Once you feel your eyes getting heavy, go back to bed.
In Summary
It is possible to consistently get restful sleep. Try these techniques and develop a healthy sleep routine and see how it can improve your mental health and the quality of your life.
If you or someone you know are looking for help with improving sleep or other mental health concerns in Wilmington Delaware, West Chester Pennsylvania or by teletherapy anywhere in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York or Florida, please contact me today for a free consultation.
Take care and be well,
Rich Lombino, Esq., LCSW
Therapist & Lawyer
Improve your sleep environment: Ideally, have the temperature about 68 degrees, and have your room dark and quiet with a comfortable bed. If you generally get up in the morning after it’s already light out, consider having “blackout” shades or curtains.
Maintain a consistent sleep schedule. It can be difficult for all of us to get consistent sleep. On the weekend maybe we’re tempted to sleep in, stay up late or both. Then it’s back to getting up early Monday morning and dragging. The better we can do with waking up and going to bed at around the same time, the better and more restful sleep we’ll achieve.
Create a bedtime routine. Doing similar things at similar times trains your brain that it’s time for bed. For example, reading a book in the half hour before bed in the same location each night is an activity that can help make you tired and will create a connection in your mind that it’s time for bed.
Go to sleep when your body is ready. Trying to force yourself to go to bed earlier than your normal time can backfire. It can result in difficulty falling asleep that night and possibly future nights as well. Lying in bed trying to force yourself to fall asleep and not falling asleep is potentially training your brain that lying in bed is for something other than sleeping.
Get sunlight first thing when you wake and throughout the day. To be more fully awake when you get up, and ultimately to be able to better fall asleep later that night, get some sunlight when you first wake up and throughout the day. This morning light will stop the production of chemicals in your brain like melatonin and tell your brain it’s time to fully wake up.
Exercise earlier in the day. We may think it’s good to exercise right before bed because exercise tires us out, which it does. But it also releases various chemicals in our brains and gets our heart rate up which can actually result in difficulty calming our body down and falling asleep. Try instead to finish exercising at least a few hours before bedtime.
Deep breathing, meditation, gratitude and positive mantras. When you close your eyes to go to sleep, take several deep breaths. This infusion of extra oxygen can have a calming effect. Consider trying to meditate for a minute or more to clear your mind as much as possible. You can also spend time expressing gratitude for the day you had and the positive things in your life. Maybe say some positive mantras help get into a positive and restful state of mind.
Things to avoid so you fall asleep quickly and sleep through the night
Take a break from screens. Before bed, are you watching an intense show or film? “Doom-scrolling” on social media? The light and content from looking at our phones, tablets, TV, computer and other electronic devices can stimulate our minds in a way that keeps us awake. Ideally, at least 30 minutes prior to bedtime, avoid looking at screens. And if you happen to wake up in the middle of the night, don’t reach for your phone and look at email or other content.
Avoid alcohol, caffeine, nicotine and other substances. What we eat and drink during the course of the day and especially closer to bedtime can impact our sleep. Avoid stimulating substances like caffeine, nicotine and of course certain other drugs. Alcohol can also impact sleep. Although initially making us drowsy, as our body metabolizes the alcohol while we sleep, it can cause us to wake up and have difficulty falling back asleep.
Avoid eating difficult to digest food and high-sugar content food. Having that cheeseburger and fries right before bed may taste good, but your body could have some challenges digesting it, causing disruption in your sleep. A big bowl of ice cream at night could also keep you up.
Naps. Although it may be tempting to take a nap in the middle of the day when you didn’t sleep well the night before, this could lead to another difficult night. Try instead to get back on a regular schedule and get through the day and go to sleep at a normal time.
Don’t watch the clock. If we wake up in the middle of the night, it’s temping to look at the clock and check the time. Try to avoid this urge. It could lead to your mind racing about the sleep you’re not getting, and if you use your phone as your alarm, looking at messages, email or other content and getting further stimulated.
Don’t drink excessive fluids before bed. Try to stop drinking any liquids at least a couple of hours before bed. This will help you avoid waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.
Don’t toss and turn for hours in bed. If you wake up in the middle of the night, don’t stay in bed for hours struggling to fall back asleep. Instead try to use some of the tips to fall back asleep, such as deep breathing, meditation, gratitude and positive mantras. If after a half our or so you’re still awake, get up for a short while and try reading something (non-digital). Once you feel your eyes getting heavy, go back to bed.
In Summary
It is possible to consistently get restful sleep. Try these techniques and develop a healthy sleep routine and see how it can improve your mental health and the quality of your life.
If you or someone you know are looking for help with improving sleep or other mental health concerns in Wilmington Delaware, West Chester Pennsylvania or by teletherapy anywhere in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York or Florida, please contact me today for a free consultation.
Take care and be well,
Rich Lombino, Esq., LCSW
Therapist & Lawyer
