Need More Rest? Easy Ways to Improve Your Sleep
Recent sleep studies have shown that seven hours (and not eight) is the optimal amount of sleep for your health and cognitive performance. Whether the magic number is seven or eight, I know of few entrepreneurs and small business owners who enjoy nearly that much sleep on a consistent basis.
In fact, sleep deficiencies cut across all professions: a National Sleep Foundation poll found that 60 percent of Americans say they experience sleep problems every night or almost every night.
Lack of sleep can negatively impact your memory, cognitive performance, productivity, and health. That’s because your brain isn’t just resting during sleep; it also performs important maintenance and restoration tasks. Simply put, brains with too little sleep don’t perform as well as those that do. And if you needed yet more incentive to improve your night’s sleep, a new Wall Street Journal article discusses the link between sleep and income: for those getting too little sleep, a one-hour increase in average sleep raises wages by 16 percent!
You probably already know you need a better night’s rest; I know I do. As the mother of four and the CEO of a business, I don’t always sleep as much as I should, but here are some tips from sleep experts to help us all improve our sleep behavior:
1. Stick to a Schedule
Experts at the Mayo Clinic advise us to go to bed and get up at the same time every day; that includes weekends and holidays. The consistency reinforces the body’s sleep-wake cycle. If you have had a tough week, try not to oversleep on your off days. Rather, wake up at roughly the same time and take a nap if needed.
2. Don’t Push It
When you have trouble falling asleep (or falling back asleep), you don’t need to force the issue. Lying in bed agonizing over your inability to fall asleep will just add to your stress and make things worse. If you don’t fall asleep within 15 minutes, get up and do something relaxing, like reading, light stretching, eating a light snack, etc.
3. Watch What You Eat
The hormone serotonin, along with Vitamin B6, B12, and folic acid all help promote better sleep. The Cleveland Clinic recommends eating complex carbohydrates like whole-grain bread, lean protein like low-fat cheese or chicken, unsaturated fats like nuts, and fresh herbs like sage and basil. Drinking a glass of milk along with whole wheat bread before bed can help promote sleep. Experts all advise against eating rich foods within two hours of your bedtime, since high-fat foods take longer to digest.
4. Exercise Regularly
You already know that regular exercise is good for your health and waistline, but it also has a positive impact on your sleep. One study found that postmenopausal women who exercised for about three-and-a-half hours a week had an easier time falling asleep than those who exercised less often. The optimal times for exercising are morning and afternoon; exercising right before bed will have the opposite effect.
5. Reduce Your Stress
Whether you are trying to build a business, work in an office, or raise your children, there are countless stresses and worries during the day that can rise to the surface at night. It’s hard to sleep when you’re thinking about which emails you forgot to respond to or what you’ve got to do tomorrow.
To combat this stress, experts advise creating a peaceful bedtime ritual, like deep breathing, meditating, or reading. If you find yourself obsessing over certain things in the middle of the night, write them down and then put it aside.
6. Grab Some Sunlight During the Day
Daylight plays an important role in regulating our sleep patterns. Experts advise to get outside in the natural sunlight for at least 30 minutes per day, or buy a light box to supplement your exposure to light if needed. One study found that workers with window offices slept an average of 46 minutes more per night than workers in windowless offices.
7. Make the Bedroom a Tech-Free Zone
Just as daylight is important for our Circadian rhythm, so is darkness at night. All those smartphones, computers, and tablets in our bedroom emit a glow that can throw off the sleep cycle. If you’re not ready to banish them from the bedroom, at least turn them over so there are no LEDs or standby lights glowing. Likewise, put some tape over any LEDs on TVs and cable boxes. And as tempting as it is to reach for your smartphone when you can’t sleep, staring at the bright display even for a second is one of the worst things you can do if you want to get back to sleep.
8. Get Professional Help
If you are having sleep troubles for an extended period of time or never feel rested during the day, it could be time to talk to your doctor. Doctors have described more than 70 sleep disorders. The good news is that all can be effectively treated or managed once diagnosed.
