Healthy Sleep - Why we need it and how to get it

Despite the significant benefits of healthy sleep, many of us struggle to get enough rest. We often sacrifice sleep to work late, spend time with friends and loved ones, or binge watch our favourite TV show. Stress, lifestyle changes, managing multiple responsibilities, and greater time on our phones can also disrupt sleep. The good news is that simple changes can lead to better sleep, and therefore a more energized, happier and healthier you. Let’s discuss the amazing benefits of sleep and tips for how to best support a good night’s sleep.

Why sleep is important

Sleep boosts mental health

Sleep helps us manage overwhelming emotions by helping us process emotional memories while we sleep. This helps us better manage stress, and makes us more resilient to future emotional challenges. Sleeping well is also linked to lower levels of anxiety and depression. 

Have you noticed a link between sleep and your mood?

Supports immune functioning and reduces risk of disease. 

Sleep strengthens our natural killer cells in the body which reduces our chances of falling sick, and speeds up recovery from illness. Better sleep is linked with lower rates of heart disease, cancer and dementia.

Enhances learning and memory

Sleep strengthens our memories and also increases our capacity for learning. So, remember to prioritise sleep when learning something new. 

Improves decision-making

Sleeping well is linked to making more accurate judgments and greater ability and motivation to solve difficult tasks. Have you noticed a tendency to persevere on challenging tasks when you’re better rested?

Improves reaction times

Sleep is important for making quick decisions. When we sleep our brain strengthens neural connections and pathways involved in motor function and reaction times. Thus, a restful night sleep better prepares us to process and respond to our environment. Faster reaction times may be important at work, when driving, or in sports, or gaming. 

Aids physical recovery

A good night’s sleep is linked to quicker recovery after a workout or injury. While you sleep, growth hormone is released, which is responsible for the repair and growth of our muscles. 

Reduced risk of obesity

Ever wondered why you experience stronger food cravings after a night of poor sleep? It’s no coincidence! Sleep deprivation increases cravings for high calorie foods. This is because a lack of sleep increases your levels of the hunger stimulating hormone, ghrelin and lowers your levels of the appetite suppressing hormone, leptin.

A lack of sleep activates parts of the brain involved in pleasure-seeking, making us vulnerable to indulging in more delicious foods, particularly those high in fat and sugar. So, to reduce food cravings prioritise sleep.

Healthy sleep habits

Here are 10 evidence-backed ways to support healthy sleep.

1. Maintain a regular sleep schedule

Consistency is key!

Going to sleep and waking up at the same time each day, even on weekends, is one of the most important things you can do to support optimal sleep. 

Working with our circadian rhythm (an internal biological clock responsible for our internal sleep-wake cycle) by maintaining a regular sleep and wake time will help your body feel sleepy about the same time every night. A regular sleep time will help your mind and body get better at anticipating sleep.

2. Morning light exposure

A good night’s sleep starts in the morning! Did you know that light in the morning helps regulate the circadian rhythm? It is best to get some sunlight within the first two hours of waking. Even on cloudy days, sunlight is present and its rays helps regulate our circadian rhythm - which is also why you should always wear sunscreen during the day. You could incorporate morning light into your routine by going for an early morning walk, or eating breakfast and drinking your morning coffee outside.

3. Associate your bed with sleep 

Use your bedroom for sleeping and intimacy. Associate your bed with being relaxed and sleepy, so as soon as you hit the pillow you’re ready for bed. This means avoiding activities that keep you alert such as doing work, chatting on the phone, watching television or playing video games. If you’re not feeling sleepy, you can do something calming such as reading, writing, gentle stretching and return to bed when you’re feeling tired again.

4. Create sleep rituals

A calming bedtime ritual can act as a cue that bedtime is approaching. It can help us wind down and prepare for sleep. Some examples of calming activities are gentle stretching, a skin care routine, drinking herbal teas such as chamomile, journaling or meditation. You may also choose to reduce your exposure to light by dimming bright lights or by setting a cut off time for electronic devices before bed.

5. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, nicotine close to bedtime. 

Avoid alcohol and coffee at night. Although alcohol may reduce the time required to get to sleep, it reduces sleep quality and contributes to fragmented sleep during the night. In particular, alcohol reduces the amount of REM sleep, which we know is important for memory consolidation, processing emotional memories, and managing stress. Alcohol is also associated with circadian rhythm disruptions.

Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants which can keep you awake for longer. It's best to avoid these substances for at least 4-6 hours before bedtime as they can impact sleep quality and quantity. Some people might be more or less sensitive to the effects of these substances than others.

6. A hot shower

Did you know that a hot shower before bed can help you feel sleepy? 

Having a hot shower aids our natural cooling process. Sleepiness is associated with a drop in core body temperature. Having a hot shower (between 40 and 42.5 degrees Celsius) 1-2 hours before bedtime makes us feel sleepy as our core body temperature lowers again.

7. Exercise

Moving more helps us sleep better. Exercise is linked to lower stress and greater levels of deep sleep. 

8. Dim lights close to bed

Light can make you feel more alert and keep you awake for longer. This is why it's often recommended you dim lights and avoid screens that emit light an hour or so in preparation for bedtime. 

9. Practicing stress management

Often we experience trouble sleeping because we feel stressed or anxious. Therefore, it is often helpful to practice stress management strategies in combination with good sleep habits. This may include building a routine of healthy habits such as eating well, regular exercise, quality connection with loved one’s, time in nature, mindfulness and rest. 

10. Journal or write a to-do list before bed

When something is troubling you, writing about the experience can create distance, and help you work through your thoughts and emotions. Journaling can also provide you a different perspective, reveal patterns in your thinking and behaviour, come up with ideas on how to resolve what you’re worried about, or provide you an opportunity to challenge unhelpful thoughts.

Writing a to-do list before bedtime has been shown to help people fall asleep about 7 minutes faster. This was compared to a group of people who were asked to write a list of what they achieved that day. Those who wrote more specific to-do lists seemed to fall asleep even faster!

My Sleep Journal

“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.” — Irish Proverb

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