How many times have you said, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” in favor of partying, working, or choosing anything else over a healthy night’s sleep? Sleep may seem trivial, especially when you’re young, but it’s an important bodily function. While you’re sleeping, your body has the opportunity to repair itself, produce important hormones that support bodily functions and development, and even help your brain work better. And if you think sleep is for the weak, you have it backward.
Sleep deprivation can have both a physical and mental effect on you. When you don’t get enough sleep, you have less energy and become, in fact, weaker. Your brain doesn’t work as actively and you can develop memory issues. Long-term lack of sleep has even been linked to heart failure and strokes. Issues like insomnia and sleep apnea, when left untreated, can actually be life threatening.
You probably already know all of this on some level. After all, who hasn’t felt the effects of sleep deprivation after a week of staying late at the office or a particularly party-heavy vacation. But building a healthy sleep routine and making sure your body has enough time to sleep is one of the most important parts of any self-care regimen. In truth, many of the tenets of self-care are meant to facilitate relaxation and, by extension, sleep. Sleeping when you’re stressed is difficult, and self-care is one of the best ways to alleviate that stress. The first step is to change the way you think about sleep from something you have to do to something your body needs, and maybe eventually to something you want to do.
The human sleep cycle has four stages ranging from light sleep to deep sleep. Stage four is the deepest sleep where all the magic happens. Your body relaxes, your breathing slows, and your heart rate and body temperature lower. This is when your body does the most to heal itself—tissues are repaired, important hormones are made and released, and your brain is able to produce memories and process learning.
Studies have shown that as much as 23 percent of your sleep every night should be deep sleep (about 90 minutes a night). However, since you have to go through three stages of sleep to get there, it requires hours of quality sleep leading up to it. If you have sleep issues like insomnia or sleep apnea, it may not be possible to reach that phase at all. Without deep sleep, your body does not have the time it needs to rebuild, and the physical manifestations of this are sleep-deprivation symptoms like a foggy mind and fatigue.
For many people (maybe even you) sleep doesn’t come easy. There are always so many other things we’d rather do; how many times have you said, “just one more episode?” But whether you’re a good sleeper or a problem sleeper, building a constructive bedtime routine can make all the difference. It’s called “sleep hygiene,” and you should think about it the same way you do your daily shower.
It sounds obvious, but when there is too much light in your bedroom, it’s harder to reach deep sleep. Make sure the light in the room is low and relaxing. If you get a lot of natural light during the day or live in a city where there is a lot of light pollution, you may want heavy blackout curtains to help block disruptive light. Some people find it easier to wake up in the morning with natural light, so if you’re one of them, choose curtains or blinds that filter light instead of completely blocking it out.
Make sure your room is cool, some studies have suggested as cool as 60ºF. When you reach deep sleep, your body temperature actually lowers, and it’s thought that a cooler room will help make it easier for your body to get there.
It’s hard in today’s world where you have a computer in your hand and TVs in every room in the house. The blue light from these screens, however, overstimulates your eyes and brain and makes relaxing harder. Experts say to turn off all screens at least an hour before bedtime. This could mean charging your phone in another room of the house or removing your TV from your bedroom.
Caffeine has such a stimulating effect that it can be felt even hours after your last cup of coffee. How sensitive you are to caffeine is personal, but most experts say to stop drinking caffeinated beverages like coffee, tea, or soda in the afternoon to make sure it’s left your body by bedtime.
To help signal to your body and brain that it’s time to sleep, develop a bedtime routine that you can start early. This may mean brushing your teeth or washing your face earlier or taking a relaxing bath with essential oils. It could also mean starting a meditation practice or doing some stretching. Whatever you choose to do, start it at least an hour before you get into bed and don’t rush through it.
Some experts say to not eat dinner after 8 p.m. because it hinders digestion. There is some truth there when it comes to sleep too, since active digestion takes energy. Eating too close to bedtime has also been said to lead to acid reflux and GI tract issues. Eating before 8 p.m. is a good benchmark, but it really depends on what time you’re going to bed. Choose a time that works for your lifestyle, and make sure it’s at least 2 hours before bedtime.
Studies have shown that the type of sheets you sleep on matters to how quickly your body is able to reach deep sleep. It’s important that your sheets help your body temperature stay low and don’t trap heat. Some studies have shown that linen sheets actually help keep your body several degrees cooler than other materials like cotton. Cotton is a good standard for most people however. If you have sensitive skin, wash your sheets in an unscented detergent to prevent irritation that could keep you up at night.
Noise pollution, particularly if you live in a city, can be one of the biggest obstacles to getting enough sleep. If your bedroom is particularly noisy, you can use earplugs at night to block out noise or purchase a white noise machine to cover them up.