And the IDEAL ways to remedy them.
They say that ‘sleep is the cousin of death’, but if you’re not regularly getting quality amounts of the former, then the latter looms large.
Hmmm, perhaps that was a little too morbid. But hear us out; there have been countless studies linking the two, with a study, published October 2, 2019, in the Journal of the American Heart Association suggesting that lack of sleep may lead to an early death.
Indeed, the importance of regular, quality sleep can’t be overstated. Regular sleep deprivation can lead to an increased risk of accidents, heart attacks and obesity, amongst many other issues.
Yet still, so many of us seem to undervalue our Zzzeds, committing sleep self sabotage on a regular basis for no better reason than bad habits or boredom. If you’re wondering how to change your ways to ensure you’re giving yourself the best chance of sleep possible, then read on; here are 5 ways you might be harming the quality of your sleep.
SMART PHONE USE
If you’re wondering which lifestyle choices are most adversely affecting your sleep, then first, take a look at your devices. Actually wait; don’t look at them. That’s the root of the problem here.
The nation’s screen time has risen hugely since the beginning to the global pandemic, with solace sought in our devices, from our sofas, as a way to fill the monotony of the current situation in the UK. Indeed, following the first lockdown, it was reported that our screentime had soared, with Brits spending half their day staring at their phones, laptops or the TV.
This can have a catastrophic effect on the quality of your sleep, particularly if you’re scrolling before bed. This is largely down to blue light. We’re sure you’ve already heard of blue light, which screens emit strongly, disrupting your brain and body’s ability to prepare for sleep by blocking the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin.
Because of this detrimental impact on rest, it’s generally advised that you should put down all devices for at least an hour before bed, enabling you to instead focus on a healthy, hygienic bedtime routine.
If a work emergency means you do need to look at your phone or laptop just before bed, then a recent invention has entered the market, designed to reduce the sleep-harming effects of late night reading. These are known as blue light blocking glasses. The professionals behind Block Blue Light explain that this technology removes light frequencies that cause sleep disruption, allowing you to peruse your screen without messing up your melatonin production.
HAVING THE ROOM TOO WARM OR LIGHT
Your bedroom environment also plays a major role in how well you sleep, yet the nuances of this area are so often ignored. Fortunately, it’s also an area easily remedied.
Experts believe that a cool room is ideal for sleep, with the Sleep Charity recommending that a consistent temperature of between 16-18°C is optimum. They explain that ‘’Your body heat peaks late afternoon and then starts to drop in the evening to prepare your body for sleep, kickstarting melatonin production.’’
They continue, ‘’Hot, cold or draughty rooms can seriously impact on your sleep, in particular REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Temperatures over 24°C (71°F) are likely to cause restlessness, while a cold room of about 12°C (53°F) will make it difficult to drop off.’’
That said, the elderly and children may need their room to be a couple of degrees higher, so experts advise investing in a thermometer to regularly assess the exact temperature of your sleep environment. Should you find it too warm, gently crack a window if you need to, use a fan during Summer, and make sure your duvet is at the appropriate thickness for the season.
A really dark room can also help, as lightness stimulates wakefulness, whilst darkness encourages production of that oh-so useful melatonin we mentioned. Blackout blinds and an eye mask can certainly help, too.
GOING TO BED TENSE
Going to bed stressed and tense can also have a major impact on the quality of your sleep, and many use yoga or meditation as a way to unwind after a tough day and prepare the mind for rest.
Doing yoga has been shown to lead to longer REM sleep in its practitioners, and this is particularly true for yoga disciplines that involve deep breathing exercises. Perhaps avoid a more intense Vinyasa flow in the hours leading up to sleep, however.
There are plenty of people who swear by late night yoga done about an hour before you go to bed. Releasing the tension that has built up in your muscles all through the day definitely helps with sleep.
Meditation can help, too, particularly in developing deep breathing techniques which have been shown to benefit quality sleep.
NAPPING
Hey, we all love a nap, and sometimes, it’s necessary. But everything in moderation, as they say, and this certainly applies to catching a few minutes of sleep in the middle of the day. A longer siesta on the sofa can have detrimental effects on your sleep at night, make no mistake.
Indeed, it’s all about the length of your nap, here. According to the Sleep Foundation, a nap of between ten to twenty minutes shouldn’t pose any problems. But they caution that any more than that could cause problems with your sleep cycle. This is particularly true for naps taken after 2 pm, which ‘’may affect your ability to fall asleep at a reasonable time later that night, potentially disrupting your nocturnal sleep cycle’’.
If you are going to nap, follow the expert’s advice; keep it short and do it early.
DIETARY MISTAKES
We love a cup of freshly brewed coffee to start the day and a glass of Beaujolais to finish it as much as the next person, but the science regarding both beloved tipples’ effect on our Zzzeds can’t be ignored. If you’re walking into 2021 determined to sleep better, then it’s a prudent move to cut back on both. Or at least, enjoy them responsibly and with particular attention to what time you’re imbibing.
Though you may think alcohol makes you sleepy and coffee wakes you up, they actually harm the quality of your rest when consumed close to bedtime. If you’re going to have a class of wine, do so before or with dinner and not later in the evening. Alcohol works as a diuretic, dehydrating you and increasing your need to go to the loo; two things which are certainly not conducive to a good night’s sleep.
And though you may feel like you can’t get going without a coffee, nutritionists now recommend that you shouldn’t have your first cup of Joe until at least mid-morning. Drinking it too early messes with the regulation of your body’s cortisol production, and ultimately, your circadian rhythm. Hold off for a couple of hours after waking to mitigate this effect.