Sleep well—or?
Are you disturbed by thoughts that don't stop spinning when you turn off the light, or by noises during the night? Do you find it difficult to establish evening routines that allow you to unwind in time? The reasons why we do not sleep as well as we wish can be many. How can we help ourselves to a better night’s sleep?
In the last post, we wrote about pain as a cause of disturbed sleep, and what can be done about it. But of course, there can also be many other reasons for sleep problems.
Don’t worry about a few bad nights
Grinding thoughts hardly go away with the knowledge of how important sleep is for our health. On the contrary, you might feel stressed and worried if you start thinking along these lines. So let's start by saying the following, and this is important:
Having shorter periods of poor sleep probably happens to most people at some point, and is not something we should get hung up on.
We have been taught that eight hours of sleep is what we need, but in reality, the number of hours is highly individual. Anything between five and ten hours can be considered "normal", depending on individual needs and circumstances (1). Above all, we should go by how we feel after a night's sleep when we judge whether the night was good or not.
That said, if you're one of those who struggle with your sleep, here are some things to keep in mind:
Review your evening routine
Try to go to bed around the same time every night so that your body learns the rhythm (2). If possible, eat the last meal of the day no later than three hours before going to bed, so that digestion does not interfere with sleep (3).
Caffeine makes it harder to fall asleep, and alcohol can make you wake up later in the night. Also, avoid screens before going to sleep, as their light tricks the body into being awake. (2)
Fix the bedroom environment
Is the bedroom too warm? Too bright? Too messy? For the best conditions, your bedroom should be cool, dark, and not too cluttered. (1)
Are you disturbed by sounds or movements? Whether it's a pet who wants to share your bed or your partner who snores—make sure you get the chance to sleep as undisturbed as possible.
Clear your mind
Keep paper and pen next to the bed so you can write down things that occupy your mind. Then it will be easier to let them go and you won't risk forgetting something important. (2)
Practice meditation and different types of breathing techniques to relax and calm down (1). Some also find that apps with so-called "white noise" help them fall asleep (2).
Catch the morning light
Getting daylight in the morning helps the body set the circadian rhythm. If you can't get out, at least try to sit for a while right by the window (1). There are also light sources that simulate daylight and can be used as an alarm clock.
Keep in mind that it takes a while to get used to new routines, so give the change some time before evaluating what works and what doesn't.
PS. You are welcome to contact us at support@elsa.science and tell us how you would like to be able to log your sleep in the Elsa app! What questions would help you? If you want to register your sleep already today, you can use what is called "Own logging".