Your daytime habits can impact your ability to sleep well. Everything from food, alcohol, caffeine, and screen usage can have an effect.
What you eat, and when you eat, can have an affect on your sleep quality. Research suggests that inadequate intake of important nutrients can lead to sleep issues. And high-carbohydrate (and sugary) meals have been shown to disrupt sleep. Eating foods high in fat, protein, and calories before bed can make it difficult to reach REM sleep because your body will need to work harder to digest the food during the night.
Although somewhat indirectly related to sleep, a healthy diet will also help prevent weight gain. Obesity is a risk factor related to obstructive sleep apnea.
Stick to nutrient-dense, healthy foods for the best sleep. A good diet is important for just about every area of your life, too! I notice a dramatic difference in my sleep quality when I eat lighter and earlier in the evening.
Exercise can help you fall asleep faster and improve your quality of sleep. You don’t have to do extreme workouts or exercise for hours to see the benefits either. Just 30 minutes of moderate exercise can improve your sleep that night.
I like to work in short bursts of exercise throughout the day - taking stairs, parking farther away from the door, taking walks at lunch, etc. Every little bit adds up.
Although alcohol might make you fall asleep faster, your overall quality of sleep is worsened. Once the alcohol wears off, you’ll wake up during important restorative parts of the sleep cycle. In fact, even just a moderate intake of alcohol decreases sleep quality by 24%.
I personally love to have a strong cup of coffee in the morning. Caffeine is a stimulant that can improve concentration and energy levels. The downside is, it can disrupt your sleep if you have it too late in the day. One study found that consuming caffeine 6 hours before bed reduced sleep time by 1 hour. Even if you have a high tolerance for caffeine, it can still affect your brain and your ability to sleep deeply. I cut off caffeine at about 2pm every day. This small change has made a big difference for me in my ability to fall asleep quickly.
Blue light is emitted by the sun and also our digital devices. This type of light boosts alertness in our minds and suppresses the release of melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone that makes us feel drowsy. When melatonin is suppressed, we have a harder time falling asleep. Try to avoid screens and fluorescent lights a couple of hours before bed, or use blue light blocking glasses.
Stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues can affect sleep in many ways. If you think you might have a mental health disorder, please talk to your doctor. I can only share my personal experience with mental health. I’ve dealt with anxiety for most of my life. At times it has made it very difficult to fall asleep. With the help of medication and coping strategies I only rarely have this issue any more.
Daily stress can have a negative impact as well. Everyone deals with stress at least occasionally. Learn to recognize when stress is taking a toll, so you can handle it in healthy ways. Try a warm bath, meditation, a walk in nature, or any soothing activity that can help you calm down before bedtime. One of my favorite de-stressing activities is float tank therapy.
Naps can be a great way to recharge during the day. But don’t over sleep or you’ll have a hard time falling asleep at night. Click here for some tips from Mayo Clinic on how to nap effectively. Short cat naps, earlier in the afternoon, are ideal.
