According to the Center for Disease Control, about one in three adults in the U.S. reports struggling to get enough sleep. Millions of Americans struggle with sleep disorders, with about a third of adults reporting experiencing insomnia.
And yet, we know that sleep is so important for our minds and bodies. Getting a good night’s sleep over time can positively impact our mood and cognitive functioning and can lower our risk for getting sick and for developing significant health concerns, such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, dementia, and more. Additionally, quality sleep can improve heart health and metabolism and help regulate blood sugar. From a mental health perspective, getting a good night’s sleep is one of the major components of emotion regulation.
So how we can improve our sleep? While many are familiar with sleep hygiene tips (e.g., try to keep a consistent sleep-wake cycle; avoid caffeine, screens, and stimulating content close to bed; etc.), here are a few lessor known habits to consider that can facilitate better quality sleep.
Temperature: While there are individual differences here, most people sleep best when the room temperature is about 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Most people set the thermostat somewhat higher than this, but cooler temperatures promote thermoregulation and comfort and can help us fall asleep, stay sleep, and access deeper sleep. In addition to lowering the thermostat, using fans, or sleeping with an open window, folks might experiment with sleeping on a cooling mattress, wearing lighter clothing to bed, or even cuddling up on a cold towel or with a cold pack. Additionally, taking a warm bath or shower before bed can similarly increase somnolence, as our bodies experience the cooling transition from the warm water to the colder ambient temperature.
Clock access: Many sleep experts will advise that people move their clocks out of the room so they aren’t able to see the time when they’re trying to sleep. We’ve all had the experience of continuing to peek at the clock as we toss and turn, getting more anxious as time ticks on and we realize we’re that much closer to our wake-up time. So the intervention here is to remove visual access to any clocks so that if you’re struggling to fall asleep or if you wake up during the night, you don’t add insult to injury by worrying about the time.
Worry journal: In many cases, what keeps folks up at night is worries about specific stressors. The intervention here involves taking a few minutes during the day or evening to jot down your concerns. The idea is that getting them down on paper can actually decrease the amount of worry that happens at bedtime. It’s as if your brain is secure, knowing that you’ve already acknowledged and accounted for these concerns.
Balance meals:Â Not too much, not too little. . . Eat something that doesn’t leave you completely full or uncomfortable but does satisfy your hunger. Being hungry can delay sleep, and hunger can even wake us up in the middle of the night, as our minds and bodies attempt to find nourishment. So while a lot of content advises against eating after a certain time or before bed, it’s important to stay nourished and to address any nighttime hunger before trying to fall asleep.
Sleep restriction: A common intervention in CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia) involves restricting or compressing sleep into shorter periods of time. So let’s say you’re ideal sleep time is 11pm-7am, but you find yourself only sleep about six of those eight hours because you toss and turn for a couple of hours or awake during the night. Working toward maximizing sleep during that window might involve compressing it to start, so you might experiment with being in bed from 12am-6am, the six hours you’re already sleeping. Typically, in about a week or so, you might start to experience better quality, more efficient sleep. You might fall asleep more quickly and wake less during the night. When this happens, you can experiment with gradually adding time back in bed (about 15-30 minutes) every week or so, eventually reaching your desired sleep window. It’s admittedly a challenging intervention, but it does seem to work, with people increasing their sleep efficiency and going on to function better during the day.
We hope that one or more of these tips are helpful for you. As a reminder, being mindful of daytime and evening activities (e.g., exercise, caffeine and alcohol consumption, screen time) and keeping a consistent sleep routine are also important aspects of sleep hygiene. Hopefully, attending to some of these recommendations can improve your quality of rest, leading to more optimal functioning over time. To a good night’s sleep!