How to Sleep Better

Are you feeling exhausted or having trouble sleeping lately?

According to the CDC, one in three Americans don't get enough sleep.  

Sleep is a tough issue to address, because there are so many factors associated with it, according to recent research by McKinsey & Company.  

In the digital age, we can always feel "on."  We need downtime and even to reconnect with the natural world to sleep better, and impact our overall well-being.

Sleep deprivation can affect your cognitive functioning and emotional resilience (Caroline Webb/McKinsey)  If you need to do well at work, having enough downtime in addition to deep, quality sleep can make the difference in executive functioning. 

Take yourself offline when you know you need to reboot and renew (Caroline Webb paraphrase), both during the day and earlier at night.  Think of "offline" in terms of letting your brain rest too, not just in being offline.  

The name of the game is deep sleep. This is where your energy comes from, in addition to good nutrition.   In addition to calming your nervous system by going "offline" when you need to rest, try not to have caffeine past 1 or 2 pm, because it tricks your body into thinking it's been awake less than it really has.  Since caffeine takes a while to fully leave your system, your body doesn't sleep as deeply. 

On the other hand, if you have missed some sleep, your body will try to be more efficient that night, and sleep deeper (Manish Chopra/McKinsey).  We all know this feeling.  Try to help your body along by not overstimulating it with stress or caffeine during the day, when you're already sleep deprived.  

If you have chronic fatigue, try to minimize your stress during the day, and don't push your energy envelope. See Edie's book on chronic fatigue for many more tips on energy: bit.ly/bookonwellness

Sleep Well with Seasonal Changes

Daylight Savings Time just occurred. Even a 1 hour change in our schedule can affect some people's ability to sleep well or get enough sleep.  Here are some tips you can try to ease your way into the new time change:

• Get early morning sunlight as much as you can every day, and especially leading up to the time change.  Our body's internal clocks are deeply tied to light and dark, and especially natural sunlight.  

• Try to go to bed a bit earlier each day, leading up to a change in time.

• Try to exercise or get movement in each day to help you sleep deeper. This can increase what is known as "sleep pressure" and can help you sleep deeper.

• Learn and practice good sleep hygiene tips. Some sleep hygiene includes limiting tech exposure at night and sleeping in a dark, cooler room.

5 Foods/Supplements to Help You Sleep Better Tonight

1. Try yogurt at night to help produce tryptophan. Tryptophan creates serotonin, which is converted to natural melatonin to help you sleep.

2. 5HTP also helps your body create more serotonin.  Check with your practitioner about dosage, as too much can create serotonin sickness. 

3. Bananas have potassium, magnesium, B6, and also help produce serotonin and melatonin. 

4. Have a mineral-rich meal at night like sushi.  The minerals in seaweed may help you sleep better.

5. Alfalfa pulls minerals from the earth and may help you relax and sleep. Talk to your practitioner about dosages/precautions (i.e. autoimmunity).  

More Tips & Reminders

Go offline when you are able in order to reboot.  More downtime (especially toward the evening) means more productive uptime.

If you think you can't afford to have downtime, try to think of it as "investing in downtime" for more quality uptime (Caroline Webb/McKinsey).

Manage stress and caffeine intake during the day.  The calmer you are during the day, the better chance you have of sleeping at night.  

Try to reduce habits that overstress your nervous system, and practice new habits that support your sleep health.

Factor your own well-being into your life.  The more you prioritize your overall well-being, the better you will sleep.  

If you have a lot on your mind or a lot to do, go to bed early.  Then, wake up early to have fresh energy and a fresh perspective on your to-do list.

Focus on good memories as drifting off; thinking is what keeps the brain active when you need to rest.  This is a form of mindfulness, and one of my favorite ways to fall asleep these days.  

Try to get exposure to early morning sunlight.  This can help you sleep at night.

Try walking outdoors when it's nice.  Reconnect with nature.  Try forest bathing or mindful walking.

Solid nutrition can help you sleep better. Minerals can relax your nervous system.

Try having yogurt at night for tryptophan.

Make sure you don't sleep hungry, but that you're not too full either.

Try GABA to calm down your mind and brain. I love Pharma GABA.

Try just a microdose of melatonin to stimulate your own melatonin production.  Larger doses of melatonin can cause drowsiness, and other side effects. 

Check with your practitioner, as too much melatonin may not be good for kids, and the amount is not regulated in supplements.

Keep your room dark and more on the cooler side.

Try white noise, green noise, or a mellow, consistent noise buffer.

Try a bed like a Tempurpedic that limits the experience of your partner moving while you are asleep. Do your best to find a bed that supports deep rest and sleep.

Wear earplugs - this really can minimize noises that may disturb your sleep.

Edie Summers is an author, speaker, and coach with close to 30 years of experience in holistic well-being.  She is a business owner and consultant in the health, wellness, and business sectors.  Her book “The Memory of Health” offers research and insight on finding more energy and resilience, addressing chronic fatigue, and improving overall well-being. 

Find her book here on how to improve your energy and well-being: bit.ly/bookonwellness