Daily Rituals for Self-Care VI: Essential Tips for Restful Sleep
Essential tips for restful sleep
While we all know how much better we feel when we sleep well, getting restful sleep can be a difficult thing when we are living stressful times such as these. Yet, sleep is truly essential for longevity and for maintaining a good immune system function (1). Doing what we can to get good sleep should be one of our priorities in times of pandemic.
Not only that, but sleep also helps manage our appetite (2), improve our memory (3), and reduce the risk of contracting major diseases such as diabetes, heart conditions, obesity and obstructive sleep apnea (4).
Adults should aim at 7-8 hours of sleep every night and try to stick to a regular routine (5). That being said, rather than stressing about the amount of sleep hours we are getting, according to the Sleep Foundation, the most important thing to strive for is sleep satisfaction (6):
“ Unlike sleep quantity, which reflects number of hours slept, or sleep quality, which describes the condition of sleep, sleep satisfaction represents a more holistic view of sleep. It considers such factors as bedroom environment, exposure to light and noise, and room temperature, among others. Sleep satisfaction is correlated with positive experiences in other areas of life (for example, physical activity during the day is associated with higher sleep satisfaction” The Sleep Foundation. ‘What is Sleep Satisfaction?’
If sleep is difficult for you, here are a few tips to help you get restful sleep:
Eat light in the evening avoiding having food at least 2 hours before bedtime. This way you prevent your body using energy for digestion when you are asleep. Choose a meal with plenty of healthy carbohydrates, like sweet potato, or rice, which aren’t difficult to digest.
Make sure you don’t do cardio exercise at least 2-3 hours
Set a time to relax before sleep: Listen to your favourite playlist, light on your favourite scented candle, meditate, do alternate nostril or deep breathing, or have a hot bath. Make this a ritual.
Include in your ritual a lavender pillow mist or diffuse a calming essential oil to create a more relaxing environment.
Have a cup of calming herbal tea, like camomile, peppermint or lemon balm.
Make sure you allow some fresh air in the room, open the window for 10-15 minutes.
Sources
Aho, Vilma, et al. "Partial sleep restriction activates immune response-related gene expression pathways: experimental and epidemiological studies in humans." PloS one 8.10 (2013).
Taveras, Elsie M., et al. "Chronic sleep curtailment and adiposity." Pediatrics 133.6 (2014): 1013-1022.
Rasch, Björn, and Jan Born. "About sleep's role in memory." Physiological reviews 93.2 (2013): 681-766.
Healthline.com:”Sleep, shy you need 7-8 hours a night”/ read at: https://www.healthline.com/health/science-sleep-why-you-need-7-8-hours-night#risks-of-no-sleep
Cappuccio, Francesco P., et al. "Sleep duration and all-cause mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies." Sleep 33.5 (2010): 585-592.
The Sleep Foundation: What is sleep satisfaction? Read at: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/what-sleep-satisfaction