Good morning! Hopefully you had a good night of sleep. If not, don't stress – most people have a bad night now and then. I'd like to support you to optimise "The quality of your sleep" and not only the amount or perception. Today I'm going to share 5 steps to increase the quality of your sleep. Here you go:
1. Schedule times for going to bed and waking up
Consistency is important for healthy sleep, so tonight I'm asking you to plan specific times for going to bed at night and waking up in the morning. This applies to not only weekdays, but also weekends and when you're on vacation. Be realistic about when you can fall asleep and wake up, and make sure to allot enough time for the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep.
Tonight's Sleep Routine Challenge
Consider your daily routine and set a bedtime and wake time you can keep even on the weekends.
2. Set your bedroom thermostat to a comfortable sleeping temperature
Room temperature is one of the most important factors for quality sleep. Your bedroom should be on the cooler side, so sleep scientist recommend a temperature between 15 and 19 degrees Celsius. It's okay if your ideal sleeping temperature falls outside this range – as long as you're comfortable and able to sleep soundly, use whichever temperature works best.
Tonight's Sleep Environment Challenge:
Make sure your room’s temperature is in a comfortable range for you. Take steps to make it cooler, if needed. Consider even getting one of those mattress cooling system such as Chillipad or Eight Sleep Pod system.
3. Learn about the relationship between diet and sleep
What and when you eat can have a major effect on your overall sleep. For tonight's challenge, I'd like you to read up on how your diet influences sleep quality and duration. Listening to this podcast is a good starting point. After you've done some research, take a trip to the grocery store and pick out some foods and beverages that are conducive to restful sleep.
Tonight's Wellness Challenge:
After reading about foods that can help you sleep, take a trip to the store and load up on some groceries with your newfound knowledge.
4. Cut off your alcohol consumption
A lot of people believe alcohol is a sleep aid. It's true that drinking can help you fall asleep, but it disrupts your sleep architecture (sleep phases) during the night as your body breaks down the alcohol. For tonight's challenge, I'm asking you to cut off alcoholic beverage tonight. If you're thirsty, try drinking water or non-caffeinated tea instead. But remember, don't drink too much after dinner. All the hydration for the day should be done throughout the day or not in the evening. If you usually get too thirsty in the evening, it might be because of too much salt in your dinner or because your body is dehydrated.
Tonight's Alcohol Challenge:
Try to swap out one alcoholic beverage you’d normally drink with water or herbal tea.
5. Fill out this week a sleep diary entry
Fill out your sleep diary entries for this morning and tonight. If you haven't already, fill out the interactive PDF below.
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