Habits And Hacks For Better Sleep

This lesson we will uncover many practical steps we can take to improve our sleep by looking at our surroundings and behaviors that need to be practiced daily. Your daily routine has an impact on the quality of your sleep. I suggest you write down anything you know that may be having a negative impact on your sleep right now. This track is full of useful tips to achieve better sleep right away.

Transcript

Lesson 5,

Manage Your Environment.

In this lesson,

We will uncover practical steps we can take to improve our sleep by looking at our surroundings and our daily behaviors.

As we begin this section of the course,

I suggest you write down anything you know already about the following things that are affecting your sleep now.

Keeping a score card will give you an overview of what you are doing right or wrong for yourself.

One thing will work for one person,

Yet have no effect on someone else.

It is up to you to give it all a chance to discover what your personal needs are and what will work for you.

Let's begin with Caffeine Use.

This may seem to be an obvious habit,

But worth having a closer look at as it is the most used stimulant in society.

The effects from a caffeine intake can last up to 8 hours and will influence people differently.

Some have a high tolerance and others have a very low tolerance.

Wherever you are in the range,

It is recommended to limit your intake to 2 cups max before 12 noon,

So it has a chance to wear off before bedtime.

Be aware that any more than that is considered an addiction and you may be suffering from withdrawals at night that also affect your sleep quality and quantity.

Remember that it isn't just coffee that contains caffeine.

It is found in soft drinks,

Tea,

Cocoa,

Cocoa beans,

Cacao,

Chocolate,

Yerba mate,

Energy drinks,

Even foods like power bars,

Desserts like tiramisu with coffee or mocha ice cream,

And some pain medications.

Manufacturers add caffeine to food to increase alertness and mood,

So be mindful about reading labels and learning more about what you ingest while you are awake.

Let's look at Alcohol now.

So many insomniacs tell me that they could not go without their nightly one glass of wine in the evening,

Yet here they are in my class unable to achieve a good night's sleep.

Alcohol is your deceptive friend here.

Yes,

It is a muscle relaxant and a depressive,

So will relax you at the end of a busy day and make you sleepy,

But it also dehydrates your body and brain and blocks the needed REM sleep and deeper levels in the sleep cycle,

Which is why you always wake up feeling depleted,

Dehydrated,

And tired instead of refreshed.

Your body is going through a process of withdrawal of the alcohol which takes four hours.

If you absolutely have to have a drink,

It is recommended to not go to sleep until after that four hour period so the alcohol leaves your system before you go to bed.

I personally recommend that if you are desperate for a good quality sleep that can improve all areas of your life,

Abstain abstain from alcohol for two to six weeks until you have a chance for these changes to integrate into a new healthy routine.

Something has to change and sorry to say but maybe it's time to choose healthy sleep over an evening wine habit.

Just try it and see for yourself.

I have heard of improvements immediately for most.

Now nicotine is next on the list as it is a stimulant and has strong withdrawal effects that disturb your sleep.

Because it is so addictive,

Your body will crave it and will wake you before your sleep cycle is complete to replenish your nicotine intake.

Quitting smoking is the best decision when it comes to your overall health,

Longevity,

And sleep.

Now it's time to discuss foods and supplements that help us with our sleep.

To begin,

Make sure you finish your meal four hours before bed to avoid heartburn and so your body isn't spending too much time digesting instead of repairing.

Try to eat foods high in tryptophan which is an amino acid needed to produce serotonin and melatonin.

Turkey is the most abundant source which kind of explains all the napping at Thanksgiving in the USA.

I have witnessed a major impact that eating a couple of slices of deli turkey an hour before bed had on someone that assured me she was cured by this nightly snack.

For vegetarians,

There is unsweetened yogurt,

Cheese,

Milk,

Cottage cheese,

Cherries,

Walnuts,

Almonds,

Pumpkin seeds,

And sesame seeds.

Carbs like bread and pasta make us drowsy for the same reason.

Combining a carb with a protein like peanut butter works to create tryptophan too.

Herbal tea is a great unwinding tradition an hour before bed.

I recommend any of the Celestial Seasonings Sleepy Time range of teas,

Especially Sleepy Time Extra with Valerian Root.

If this brand is not available,

Go for chamomile.

It is important to drink anything an hour before bed so you empty your bladder and it won't wake you up later.

A research study discovered that some insomniacs are deficient in magnesium.

I take a CalMag Zinc pill which is a calcium,

Magnesium,

And zinc supplement all in one every night with great success as it also boosts my immune system and keeps me regular in the morning.

Melatonin is another supplement that works for some but not for others.

Just start with a small dose and note the effect in your sleep log.

It's a good idea to keep track of all these dietary changes in your sleep log.

Supplements can be helpful to break the insomnia cycle and then might not be necessary long term.

Exercise is a major factor to consider because the more you exercise during the day,

The more pressure to shut down and sleep at night.

This is because you are more tired from the physical activity and your body is your friend in this case because it wants to rest and repair after all that activity and movement.

Sunday nights are peak insomnia time due to a day on the couch binging on TV series that causes a flat temperature rhythm.

Temperature rhythms of the body that are always flat and never elevated have been shown to increase insomnia.

So taking the stairs,

Parking further away,

And fitting in a daily walk can raise your temperature temporarily and that's a good thing.

One man in my class was cured after he realized that he stopped walking the dog and was only letting it out to roam around in the backyard.

As soon as he restarted his daily walks with the leash,

His sleep got back to normal and his mood improved.

For some it really can be as simple as that.

Temperature was mentioned in the exercise section but must be elaborated on.

A drop in body temperature is a signal for sleep.

That is why a hot bath or long shower an hour before bed improves your sleep because when you get out the body temperature will begin to go down.

To help you sleep the room temperature must be on the cool side.

If it's too cold for your partner give them an extra blanket because this lowering of the temperature might make a big improvement for your sleep.

Light influences our sleep and it is highly recommended to expose yourself to sunlight and keep lights bright.

It is also important for our biorhythms to expose your eyes to sunlight at different times of the day.

Morning light activates that wakefulness cycle we previously mentioned.

When daylight hits our eyeballs it sends a signal to the brain to stop melatonin production.

And blockout window blinds are great to help us fall asleep and stay asleep.

After sunset we must limit blue light an hour before bed too.

The online world we live in never sleeps and is also depriving us of sleep.

The blue light from all the screens we use right up to bedtime and even in our bed is prohibiting our natural production of melatonin.

I suggest a blue light blocker screen for your phone or wear those blocking glasses because a phone and screen side down next to the bed with a guided meditation for insomnia is very effective.

Now it's time to ask you how do you feel when you walk by and peek into your bedroom?

Are you filled with dread and associated with stress and agony of not being able to sleep?

Well it's time for some physical changes to your bedroom so you can have a fresh new space for implementing this program.

Firstly decluttering is a great way to clear away remnants of the past physically and mentally whether it involves filing organizing or donating.

It is time to clean up.

Take out the tv and if you use your room to work remotely from home find a way to separate the desk with a room divider.

Your bedroom is not for eating,

Working,

Or serious conversations.

Create a welcoming comfy area for what your bedroom is really for.

The bedroom is only for two things and they both begin with an s.

Turn the room into a sensuous sleep sanctuary with living plants that give you fresh oxygen and help you connect to nature.

Add some safe battery-operated candles and a Himalayan salt lamp for relaxed dim lighting.

Change up the blanket and the sheets.

Choose something with colors or prints that are soothing to you.

Relaxing music,

Aromatherapy like lavender or your favorite incense,

And a meditation altar in the room or a chair in the corner with a teddy bear.

Teddy bears are a cute reminder that this is your happy place to sleep like a baby.

Make it as cozy and inviting as possible.

Please add anything that you have experienced that did not work for you or did work for you in the comments.

Reviews

Thank you very much for all the suggestions. I have struggled with insomnia for quite some time. I was put on medication in case I woke up at night. I don’t want to live like that. I also don’t want to take melatonin as that reduces melatonin in the body by not making as much. I love the idea of re-creating the room and I struggle how to do that. I’m not sure right now if my insomnia has been affected by gut issues or my gut has been affected by my sleep issues. Either way I need to figure this out. I want to feel more joy in the morning and I don’t want to go to bed with thread. So thank you for this meditation talk they gave me a few ideas of things I can do. I know it’s about creating the habits and habits take time. Many blessings to you.