We often overlook the importance of sleep until it becomes a struggle. However, improving your rest doesn’t always require drastic changes—sometimes, it’s the smallest adjustments that make the biggest difference. The secret to better sleep may not lie solely in your nighttime routine but in how you approach your entire day.
Table of Contents:
Stick to a Consistent Sleep Schedule
Cool Down for Better Sleep
Be Mindful of What You Consume
Boost Relaxation with Magnesium and Tart Cherry Juice
Mental Fatigue vs. Physical Fatigue
About me
I am Adriano dos Santos, BSc, AFMCP, MBOG, NWP, RSM, ESIM, a Functional Registered Nutritionist, who focuses on nutritional therapy for patients with metabolic syndrome, particularly those suffering from digestive issues and sleep disturbances.
Introduction
Sleep is essential for our health and well-being, yet it often feels difficult to get right. People turn to all sorts of approaches—from science-backed strategies to personal habits—in search of better rest.
As a Functional Registered Nutritionist specializing in sleep issues, I’ve explored a wide range of techniques to improve sleep quality. In this post, we’ll focus on practical methods and surprising insights to help you wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day.
Key Strategies for Better Sleep
I recently came across an online discussion on Reddit about sleep problems, and it was interesting to see how people approached solving their issues. They raised many intriguing topics, several of which align with evidence-based strategies for improving sleep. Each of these methods addresses a different aspect of sleep, and I will explain a few of them in depth.
1. Stick to a Consistent Sleep Schedule
Simple as that. The idea behind this strategy is that a consistent schedule helps synchronize the body's natural circadian rhythm, leading to better sleep quality and overall energy levels.
Here is the scientific explanation.
Sleep efficiency, the percentage of time spent asleep compared to total time in bed, is a key measure of sleep quality. Disruptions to circadian rhythms, such as inconsistent schedules or prolonged wakefulness in bed, lower sleep efficiency and increase the risk of chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease (Zhang D. et al., 2021). Circadian rhythms, governed by an internal clock, regulate the timing and quality of sleep and are tightly linked to melatonin production (Borbély A., 2022).
Circadian misalignment, caused by irregular sleep patterns or artificial evening light, suppresses melatonin and delays sleep onset, further reducing sleep efficiency (Martinez-Calderon J. et al., 2024).
Behavioral strategies can counteract these effects, including:
Consistent Sleep Schedules: Keeping regular bed and wake times strengthens circadian stability and reduces the time spent awake in bed (Martinez-Calderon J. et al., 2024).
Restricting Time in Bed: Limiting time in bed to actual sleep consolidates rest into deeper, more restorative phases (Borbély A., 2022).
Minimizing Light Exposure at Night: Artificial light delays circadian rhythms and suppresses melatonin, impairing sleep efficiency (Zhang D. et al., 2021).
2. Cool Down for Better Sleep
Temperature regulation plays a critical role in achieving quality sleep, as the body’s core temperature naturally drops at night to facilitate deeper sleep stages. Disruptions in the cooling process, such as high room temperatures or impaired thermoregulation, can fragment sleep and reduce its quality (Borbély A., 2022; Martinez-Calderon J. et al., 2024).
Cooling devices or pre-sleep rituals like warm showers promote heat dissipation, supporting the body’s natural thermoregulation and enhancing sleep onset and maintenance (Zhang D. et al., 2021). Warm showers increase peripheral blood flow, encouraging the body to release heat and prepare for sleep more effectively (Martinez-Calderon J. et al., 2024).
Practical strategies to support thermoregulation include:
Cooling the Bedroom: Maintaining an optimal room temperature of 16–19°C (60–67°F) supports the body’s cooling processes (Borbély A., 2022).
Pre-Sleep Cooling Rituals: Warm showers or baths 1–2 hours before bed promote heat release and prepare the body for restful sleep (Martinez-Calderon J. et al., 2024).
Avoiding Overheating: Excessive blankets or high room temperatures counteract natural thermoregulation, leading to more frequent awakenings (Zhang D. et al., 2021).
Optimizing temperature through these strategies helps maintain natural cooling, supports stable sleep stages, and improves overall rest quality (Borbély A., 2022; Martinez-Calderon J. et al., 2024).
3. Be Mindful of What You Consume
Alcohol and Late-Night Eating: Many users agreed that reducing alcohol consumption and avoiding heavy meals before bed results in deeper and more restorative sleep.
This is because alcohol, though often thought to aid in falling asleep, disrupts the sleep cycle by interfering with the deep and REM sleep stages. It also suppresses melatonin production, causing a misalignment of circadian rhythms and reducing overall sleep efficiency (Zhang et al., 2021).
Similarly, eating late at night—particularly large or high-fat meals—delays the body’s natural cooling process and disrupts circadian-regulated digestion, both of which negatively affect sleep quality (Borbély, 2022).
4. Boost Relaxation with Magnesium and Tart Cherry Juice
Magnesium and Tart Cherry Juice: A surprising favorite on the thread was the combination of 400mg of magnesium with tart cherry juice. This duo was praised for its relaxing properties and ability to boost natural melatonin levels, helping users fall asleep faster.
Magnesium plays a role in regulating neurotransmitters like GABA, which promote relaxation and calm the nervous system. A deficiency in magnesium has been linked to sleep difficulties, including longer sleep onset latency and reduced sleep efficiency, as highlighted by studies exploring the role of micronutrients in circadian health (Zhang D. et al., 2021).
Tart cherry juice is a natural source of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles and supports circadian rhythm alignment. Consuming tart cherry juice may enhance melatonin production, promoting sleep onset and maintenance. The relationship between melatonin and sleep efficiency is thoroughly examined in circadian rhythm studies, which emphasize its role in preparing the body for deep, restorative sleep (Martinez-Calderon J. et al., 2024).
5. Mental Fatigue vs. Physical Fatigue
While physical tiredness is often seen as crucial for better sleep, mental fatigue is equally important. Studies show that engaging in light, relaxing activities—such as reading or puzzles—before bed helps reduce mental arousal and prepares the brain for rest (Zhang D. et al., 2021). Overstimulating activities, like work emails or video games, trigger the brain’s stress response, increasing cortisol levels and delaying sleep onset by keeping the mind overly alert (Martinez-Calderon J. et al., 2024).
Physical exertion earlier in the day supports the body’s natural cooling processes, essential for sleep, while mental fatigue depends on reducing cognitive stimulation before bedtime. If mental fatigue is not addressed, it can lead to increased sleep onset latency and reduced deep sleep stages, even if the body feels physically tired (Zhang D. et al., 2021).
Timing is also key. Cognitive tasks late at night are more likely to disrupt circadian rhythms, delaying melatonin production and affecting sleep quality. Properly balancing both physical and mental fatigue with circadian alignment ensures better rest (Borbély A., 2022).
Conclusion
Improving sleep is about experimenting and finding what works best for you. Whether it’s sticking to a consistent schedule, exercising regularly, or ditching rigid sleep hygiene rules, small changes can make a big difference.
Choose one strategy from this list, try it for a week, and evaluate how it influences your rest. Adjust your routine as needed to find your optimal approach to better sleep.
References
1. Borbély Alexander, (2022) The two-process model of sleep regulation: Beginnings and outlook. PubMed, 31(4):e13598.doi: 10.1111/jsr.13598
2. Martinez-Calderon J, Villar-Alises Olga, García-Muñoz C, Pineda-Escobar S, Matias-Soto J, (2024) Multimodal exercise programs may improve posttraumatic stress disorders symptoms and quality of life in adults with PTSD: An overview of systematic reviews with meta-analysis. PubMed, 38(5):573-588.doi: 10.1177/02692155231225466
3. Zhang D, Lee E, Mak E, Ho C, Wong S, (2021) Mindfulness-based interventions: an overall review. PubMed 10;138(1):41-57. doi: 10.1093/bmb/ldab005
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