Tips for Better Sleep

I, too pass from the night,

I stay a while away O night, but I return to you again and love you. Walt Whitman

Few people are satisfied with their quality and quantity of sleep. For midlife women, hormones and other life stressors impact sleep more during this life stage than at any other time outside of young parenthood. 

We all want to feel well rested and alert after a night’s sleep to face a day with joy and optimism, but few people realize that a poor night’s sleep is detrimental to our long-term mental and physical health. 

As the research on the impact of sleep on overall health and disease prevention increases, it’s becoming widely recognized as important as eating well and exercising. There is a reason evolution has designed humans to spend one-third of their 24-hour day sleeping. 

Lack of sleep is linked to obesity, the risk of developing metabolic diseases like diabetes, overall inflammation, and, more recently, depression, suicide, anxiety, ADHD, and immune dysregulation. Even newer evidence links poor or inconsistent sleep patterns to an increased risk of breast, prostate, colon, and endometrial cancers.  

While it was previously thought that not much happens during sleep, this is a time for tremendous activity in the body. During sleep, our bodies sort new information and experiences, store new memories, produce red blood cells, repair tissue damage, reinforce the circadian system, contribute to energy balance, and repair tissue. 

There is also newer evidence that the long list of things occurring during sleep impacts health more than previously believed. For example, circadian system dysregulation caused by poor sleep affects every cell in your body. 

The circadian system controls cellular energy production, which controls functions like releasing hormones, digestion, and immune defenses – all of which require a steady supply of energy. If this gets disrupted due to lack of sleep, it’s like your body is not functioning in sync, and that’s unhealthy. The circadian system governs all body functioning, and sleeping helps support its function. 

If you’re getting the sense that sleep is essential to life itself – it is!

Quality matters as much as quantity in sleep. We can do things without too much effort to improve both! Similar to other health habits, our habits of prioritizing our sleep can have a tremendous impact on improving the quality of our sleep patterns. 

Try these ideas to get your sleeping habits on the right track. 

• It starts with waking. What we do when we first wake up in the morning primes us for successful sleeping. A consistent routine helps you feel more in control of your day and enables you to cope with everyday stressors and anxiety. 

You can start your waking routine before rising with light stretching or meditation before putting your feet on the floor. 

One newer recommendation is to expose your eyes to bright light as soon as possible in the morning for 15 - 30 minutes to activate cortisol which will release energizing neurotransmitters and help with your circadian system. Natural, early morning sunlight is best, but you can also use a light box if early daylight is in short supply.

• Spend the day preparing for sleep. Finding what works for you may be a series of trials and errors, but the key is to keep trying to see what works best for you. Some guidelines from sleep experts include:

  • Start the day with water, and if you are a caffeine drinker, hold off for 90 minutes after waking. Adding lemon to your water may be stimulating. Water helps rehydration after sleep. New research shows warm liquids after waking are what contribute to wakefulness. 

  • Avoid hitting snooze may help prevent daytime grogginess

  • Doing something you love in the morning helps motivate you to get out of bed – a coffee meditation ritual, an early morning walk, journal, yoga, or a morning run may work for you.

  • An early morning walk provides additional benefits of physical activity and time in nature and lowers stress levels while boosting your mood and cognition in preparation for your day. Starting your day with movement helps with motivation to keep moving throughout the day. 

  • Be physically active  – this is one of the most important things you can do to help you sleep better. A research study found that healthy adults who did strength training fell asleep faster and woke up less frequently throughout the night. Avoid more strenuous exercise within 3-4 hours of sleep, although this is highly personalized. 

  • Switch to noncaffeinated beverages and food after 2 pm, and be mindful of hidden caffeine sources in chocolate, teas, and sodas. There are even food additives that can contain caffeine. 

  • Be consistent in sleep and rising times, even on the weekends. On those occasions where you just don’t get enough sleep, be extra mindful of your sunlight exposure in the morning or twilight hours.

  • According to the National Sleep Foundation, a 10 to 30-minute nap is good for restoring alertness and boosting performance. However, a nap after 3 pm makes it harder to fall asleep at night, and you want to avoid napping longer than 30-minutes to prevent entering deep sleep. After 3 pm, it’s better to power through tiredness (without caffeine) and turn in a little earlier. 

• Create a bedroom sanctuary. Because of the amount of time spent sleeping, a mattress may be one of the most essential pieces of furniture or health care products in your home. And, your bedroom is one of the most important rooms. A few minor changes can create a space that is a sanctuary and will set the foundation for a restful night of sleep. 

  • Temperature is key. The ideal temperature for most people is between 65-67 degrees, and dropping your body's core temperature helps you fall and stay asleep. A smart thermostat can help you raise the temperature during the last 15 minutes of your sleep, which will help you wake easier. 

  • Any ambient light from night lights or electronics can inhibit melatonin production. Even if you have room darkening shades, it may be helpful to wear a sleep mask to block any light seeping through your eyelids. Even a reflective mirror can impact light in a room.

  • Keep your room free from clutter. If possible, have your home office outside of your bedroom. Soothing, softer paint, and fabric colors can be calming and help set up your environment for a good night's sleep.

  • Invest in cool, comfortable bedding that creates a feeling of being in a cocoon. Don’t forget to include pillows.

  • Limit electronics, including televisions, cell phones, and smartwatches, and the temptation to use them in bed.

• Train your brain to unwind. A routine of winding down between 60 and 90 minutes before bedtime can help you relax and create a foundation for preparing your body for sleep. It assists your brain switch from active to rest mode.

  • Be intentional with your use of electronics. If you get plenty of bright light exposure during the day, it’s OK to use screens in the evening, but turn them off 30-60 minutes before bedtime. 

  • Dim the lights in the house to help your body know it’s evening and not daytime. 

  • Take a warm/hot bath or shower. Not only will this relax you, but it also lowers your core temperature, which will also help you fall asleep and stay asleep. 

  • Focus on your senses. Journal or read to help redirect your thoughts and prevent anxiety-producing self-talk.

  • Incorporate meditation or light stretching as part of your pre-bed routine. It can help quiet the mind, and stretching can help avoid aches and pains that make you toss and turn at night. Stretching may also help you wake up less stiff and achy in the morning. 

  • Avoid alcohol, food, and heavy exercise close to bedtime that can disrupt your ability to sleep. The impact of these things varies among individuals, so journaling what activities precipitated both restful and disrupted sleep can help pinpoint what activities to avoid immediately before bed.

  • Use an app that plays ambient noise and peaceful music or tells soothing stories to help promote sleep. 

• Understand Sleep Disorders. The CDC defines short sleep duration as less than seven hours in 24 hours; almost one-third of Americans get fewer hours of sleep than the recommended amount. Several sleep disorders go beyond a lack of sleep. Common conditions include insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, and REM sleep behavior disorder. Of these, sleep apnea is one that often gets misdiagnosed and mistaken for insomnia. 

When is it time to seek treatment? After you’ve tried all the sleep hygiene habits listed for some time and are still struggling to get quality sleep, feel unrested after awakening, and struggle to make it through the day, it is time to talk to a professional about participating in a sleep study. 

Most sleep studies are conducted overnight at a sleep center or will require you to wear sensors at home. Sleep studies can also examine the stages of sleep and your sleep cycles, essential to ensuring quality, restful sleep. During the deepest sleep stages is when information transfer occurs in the brain. A disruption in these deep sleep cycles - during high alcohol consumption, for example - impacts the quality and quantity of sleep.

Newer technology and apps can help pinpoint possible sleep disorders before a sleep study. Sleep tracking through an app is not scientifically exact, but it can help identify sleep trends. For example, knowing if you snore after consuming alcohol or eating that late-night snack can help you adjust your behaviors. 

Midlife women tell us they believe their hormones impact their sleep. While symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats during menopause can cause wakefulness at night, there isn’t good scientific evidence of a causal relationship between hormonal changes and sleep quality. Some of these tips, particularly room temperature and bedtime routine, may significantly affect sleep during menopause.

It is known that deep, restful sleep is more active than previously thought, and it impacts every part of life. It deserves attention and exploration to find the right balance of techniques to ease you into dreamland and keep you there until it’s time to awaken. Pleasant dreams!