Today may be April Fool’s Day, but it’s no joke: healthy sleep habits can affect your entire well being. To set your internal clock to “healthy,” follow these five tips for a good night’s rest.
Healthy Sleep Habits and Daylight Savings
Now that much of the world is on Daylight Savings Time, the clock has been pushed forward an hour so darkness begins later in the day. But our bodies don’t necessarily experience the quick and painless time shift that all our electronic devices do.
Research shows that even a one hour difference can affect our circadian rhythms, our bodies’ internal clocks. With more darkness in the early part of the day, the body’s cue to “wake up” may be delayed. This can cause you to feel groggy in the morning and more alert later in the evening. Luckily, you can combat this time change in five simple steps.
1. Manage Your Stress for Better Sleep
Like with the rest of your physical and mental health, managing your stress can greatly affect your healthy sleep habits. Do you have difficulty falling asleep because of racing thoughts or a never ending to do list? It’s time to tackle those stressors during the day time so you can allow your body and brain to rest properly at night.
If you need help getting organized or understanding the nature of your stress, talking to a therapist is a great place to start. (Reach out to me for your free consultation!)
2. Create a Healthy Sleep Schedule
If you think you can skip sleep during the week and catch up during the weekend, think again. Sleep isn’t like a gas tank you can fill up over the weekend and drain during the week. It’s more like a fish tank–you need to maintain a certain level of rest at all times to function.
Most adults need at least seven hours of rest to feel refreshed, but whatever your number is, be sure to stay consistent. That will help your body overcome the changes in light exposure.
3. Avoid Long Naps
To build a healthy sleep habit, it’s best to avoid long naps during the day. Folks who have trouble falling asleep often catch up by napping during the day, creating a sleep habit they don’t want.
If you need to nap, keep it to around 15 to 30 minutes. And remember — a consistent bed time and wake up can help eliminate the need for naps in the first place.
4. Get Enough Daylight
Knock out two healthy habits with one stone — exercise daily outside. Your goal isn’t to get a tan, but it is to expose yourself to vitamin D, which created in your body by exposure to sunlight.
In addition to vitamin D, sunlight can slow the production of melatonin. The more melatonin, the sleepier you feel. With more sunlight, you can feel more awake during the day and more rested at night.
5. Set up a Sleep Sanctuary
Because light plays such an important role in better sleep habits, keeping your room dark at night is essential. The darker it is, the easier it is to sleep.
For bonus points, removing personal electronic devices from your bedroom can also help build healthy sleep habits. The blue light in particular from your devices can disrupt the circadian rhythms you’re working so hard to sync with the light outside. Plus, a no-phones-in-the-bedroom rule helps eliminate stress from emails or feelings of FOMO from social media.
What are the ways you maintain healthy sleep habits? Hit me up in the comments to let me know.
