Why can't I sleep?
What helps you fall asleep?
How can I improve my sleep at night?
The recommended sleep duration for most adults is between 7 and 8 hours each night. Insufficient sleep exposes us to heightened risks of chronic health issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity, heart disease, and depression. Sleep deprivation adversely affects our cognitive functions, leading to a diminished attention span, slower reaction times, impaired memory, heightened error rates, and reduced concentration.
I'll be honest: some days are better than others when it comes to going to bed at an hour that's good for me, having a healthy nighttime routine, and turning off my electronics. But I will say I sleep way better when I follow the 10 3 2 1 0 Rule for Sleep.
What is the 10 3 2 1 0 Rule for Sleep?
- 10 hours before bed: No more caffeine.
- 3 hours before bed: No more food or alcohol.
- 2 hours before bed: No more work.
- 1 hour before bed: No more screen time (shut off all phones, TVs and computers).
I rarely drink caffeine; if I do, it's a bit of Dr. Pepper. Coffee and tea aren't a part of my diet, so this is probably easier for me than many of you. However, caffeine can be found in sports drinks, certain soft drinks (i.e., Dr. Pepper), and various food items. (Chocolate is another one for me.) There are even prescription and over-the-counter medications that contain caffeine.
I don't drink alcohol, so no problem there. But I often eat a snack before bed, and in the past, I ate dinner late at night. After taking a sleep course from Dr. Michael Breus, the Sleep Doctor, and learning the effect eating so late could have on me, I decided to eat dinner before seven each night. Healthhub.hif.com says that consuming food and alcohol before bedtime can adversely affect your ability to initiate sleep. Late-night eating can disrupt the circadian rhythm as digestive muscles remain active, hindering the body from entering a restful state. This increased physiological activity may make it harder to fall asleep and impede the transition into deep sleep stages. A study observed that eating before bed has a higher impact on women's sleep patterns than men's, particularly with higher fat intake. Women experienced prolonged sleep onset, delayed entry into REM sleep, and an increased likelihood of waking up after initially falling asleep.
In addition, consuming late-night meals results in additional calories stored as fat during sleep. During the night, the body exhibits higher insulin resistance than in the morning, when it replenishes energy after an overnight fast.
All of these are struggles I've faced over the years.
With caffeine and food out of the way, let's focus on work. As a writer, I often write until my eyes stop working and my brain turns to mush, but I've also done much better here.
Providing your body and mind with a period to unwind and prepare for sleep is crucial. The temptation to check emails or engage in work-related tasks before bedtime potentially disrupts sleep. Working from bed further complicates matters since it can hinder your brain's ability to associate the bed with sleep rather than work. Engaging in activities that signal to your brain that it's time for sleep in the next couple of hours is beneficial. This could include showering, tidying the living space, or reading a book.
What happens when your brain won't shut down and work-related or family-related things swirl around wanting attention? Keeping a notebook by your bedside to jot down those thoughts can be helpful. This practice helps alleviate the worry of forgetting essential ideas. Once written down, you can let go of these thoughts until you review your notes the following morning.
Now that we've stopped the caffeine ten hours before bed, quit eating (and drinking alcohol for those who do) three hours before bed, and are taking time to relax and let work go two hours before bed, let's jump to my big challenge. Turning off the screen time. I'm not a social media junkie so much, well, except YouTube, but I do play games on my phone and watch The Incredible Dr. Pol at night.
Why is turning off our screens necessary?
The blue light emitted by screens has been shown to suppress melatonin production, a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle (circadian rhythm). This suppression makes it challenging to fall asleep and wake up the following day. Furthermore, exposure to blue light reduces rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep duration, which is crucial for cognitive functioning.
For those of you like me, some glasses help us stay on our devices longer if wanted. I have blue-light-canceling reading glasses for when I'm on my phone and some clear ones for watching television since I don't need glasses for that. But I will admit that I sleep better when I turn everything off. That's my next focus, actually, to turn it all off.
What are some of your challenges with sleep?
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