I’ve already talked a bit about a good nights sleep and why it’s so important in terms of nutrition, weight gain and obesity. What I didn’t emphasize is how research proves that getting adequate amounts of natural sleep each night actually makes you live longer. So many of us have a hard time sleeping that over the counter sleep medications fly off the shelves and many of us are familiar with prescription sleeping pills too. Medical or drug induced sleep, if and when the medications actually work, does not offer the same quality of sleep nor the same life extending benefits as natural sleep. Sleep aids, just about all sleep aids, whether prescription, natural or over the counter, are sedatives. They work by sedating your brain. You are not sedated when you sleep naturally, in fact, being sedated diminishes the overall quality of sleep.

A year or so back I went to my MD with the complaint that I didn’t think the high dose Zopiclone I’d been taking for more than 5 years was working anymore. I still couldn’t sleep and was staying up for hours after taking my pill – often shopping online or making plans with friends over social media that I wouldn’t remember in the morning because the pills caused amnesia. Receiving surprise goods in the mail or email confirmations of things that I had purchased (one time even enrolling myself in university according to the emailed receipts I found the next day), or having unexpected guests became somewhat of a joke around here because of it. I’m not even kidding!

When I did finally sleep after taking my meds, I’d wake up a few hours later in the dead of the night or early morning hours and be wide-awake but still somehow exhausted. I’d turn on the TV, or grab my phone and browse social media for entertainment waiting for the hours to pass, hoping sleep would grip my mind and body again. After a short discussion with my doctor on whether or not I should consider taking another Zopiclone pill when I woke up in those midnight hours, we decided against it and instead he referred me to a sleep specialist. The sleep specialist is where I first heard mention of sleep hygiene.

Sleep hygiene is a variety of different practices and habits that are necessary to have a good night of quality sleep and a full day of alertness upon waking. As the doctor explained the necessary sleep hygiene habits to me that so many of us fail to adhere to these days, he emphasized that at 30-something-years-old most of my poor habits were probably well ingrained and so change is not likely going to be easy, and even if it is, it may not be as helpful as one would hope. I’m pleased to share he was wrong. I mean he was right about the change not being easy. It took time, dedication, consistency and persistence and sometimes still results in me passing out on the couch instead of making it to my bed. But I have created new habits. He was wrong about them not being as helpful. For the most part, I sleep better these days than I have in years. And I am no longer medicated for sleep – at all. I am confident that you can make the same changes, and get the same quality of improvements in sleep too.

These are the good sleep hygiene habits you want to grow in order to do so:

Use Your Bed for Sleep and Sex and Nothing Else

Train your brain and body to recognize your bed as an environment for rest only. Eating, drinking, checking email, watching TV and working are all things that I once thoroughly enjoyed doing while in my pajamas in bed. As the specialist explained to me, if you habitually use your bed as a place of entertainment and work or other things, your brain gets excited instead of switching to relax-mode when you find yourself tucked in. An excited brain is not a brain primed for quality sleep.

Go to bed only when you’re tired and with the intent and purpose of sleeping, only.

Practicing this is how I end up passing out on the couch from time to time now. I was habitually going to bed each night immediately after dinner. I’d stay in bed and piss around on the Internet, check emails, watch TV and maybe even have a bedtime snack – all before actually intending to sleep. My brain and body recognized my bed as a comfortable living space not a sleep space. Most nights now I try to stay up and do other things in the living room, bringing myself to bed only when I’m truly ready to sleep.

Reduce LED/Blue Light at Least 2 Hours Before Going to Bed

In our world of technology this is probably the hardest for most of us. But have you ever noticed yourself or heard from others how after a week camping in the wilderness without technology, sleep patterns seem to correct and restore themselves? There is a reason for that and you don’t have to go camping to reap the benefits! Getting adequate exposure to natural light and darkness has profound biological effects on us.

Biochemically, as the sun sets and the light hitting the cornea of your eye diminishes, it triggers hormonal changes within your body. Melatonin and other sleep-inducing hormones are secreted into your blood stream. These hormones build up as the evening gets darker. This is the theory behind melatonin supplementation. Melatonin that is ingested (eaten) and digested (broken down) in the intestines before entering the blood stream does not have the same biochemical reactions in the body as the melatonin released consistently and naturally within the body over the span of an evening. This is one of the reasons why many people report melatonin doesn’t actually help them sleep.

The increased use of LED and blue lights in our modern lives disrupt this natural process. Turning our eyes away from screens, tucking the phone away, and dimming the lights in your home to a soft, yellow mood lighting at least 2 hours before heading to bed will help restore this natural sleep hormone release and as such the entire process.

Reduce or Avoid Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol is a sedative and just like most sleep aids, it disrupts the quality of sleep. It’s not uncommon for people to have a drink or two to help them fall asleep at night. While alcohol may cause initial drowsiness, it also contributes to poor quality sleep overall. Drinking alcohol before bed disrupts the natural pattern of sleep waves in ways that inhibit restorative sleep for memory and learning. Alcohol blocks REM sleep, which is often referred to as the most restorative type of sleep. This is why people often wake up feeling groggy and unfocused after an evening of drinking. While drinking, production of adenosine, a sleep-inducing chemical in the brain is increased, making it easier to fall asleep initially. Once falling into an alcohol-induced sleep however, the adenosine is depleted as quickly as it was produced causing one to wake up before being truly rested. By disrupting hormone productions it is common for people to wake up in the middle of the night after drinking.

Limit Stimulants Such as Caffeine Close to Bedtime

I feel like this one is a no-brainer but so many people think they are immune to the effects of caffeine it’s worth mentioning. Even if you can fall asleep after drinking a double-shot of espresso – it doesn’t mean you should. Much like alcohol, caffeine will disrupt the quality of sleep if you are one of those seemingly lucky people who can manage to fall asleep after consuming it. And most of us cannot. In fact, most of us should avoid caffeine after 12noon in order to be sure that the caffeine has made its way out of our system before bedtime – it has a long, long half-life.

Establish a Regular Bedtime Routine

Building consistent sleep habits is the key to quality sleeping. Going to bed at the same time each night, preferably early enough to wake naturally and without the use of an alarm is ideal, while waking at the same time each morning, whether it is a weekday or a weekend, helps reinforce strong sleep habits. If you must use an alarm in order to wake at the same time each day, don’t repeatedly hit the snooze button. An alarm sounding to wake you is a shocking event for your brain, heart and entire system. The more times you fall into a slumber between snooze button taps, the more times you are startling your entire system awake. It’s simply not good for you, in very profound ways.

Keep Your Room Temperature Cool

Falling asleep actually requires that your core body temperature drop a few degrees. Research has shown that people get higher quality of sleep in cooler environments. The most ideal room temperature for sleep is 18.3°C. It might be a stretch to maintain this exact temperature in most homes, so sleep experts recommend washing the face with warm water, or taking a hot bath before bed. The hot water opens pores in your skin, which allow excess heat to dissipate quickly assisting in reducing your core temperature. Ever notice how a hot bubble bath before bed helps you sleep? You’re not imagining it. Science backs it up.

For more information on the importance of sleep I highly recommend the book “Why We Sleep” by Dr. Matthey Walker PhD. Another great resource on sleep, in general, is the website https://www.sleepfoundation.org/.