Sleep Hygiene
More than a bedtime routine
The world is witnessing the effects of the "sleep when I'm dead" mentality. The offset on the body is not conducent to that hustle drive many go-getters see as the only ticket to success. The fragility of the collective emotional and physical health has met new depths. Ignoring quality sleep is just not sustainable. The price is too high for the body or the mind.
Recent studies confirm that if you want to be able (body, mind & spirit) to tackle your life goals and live every great moment your life has to offer, you need to seek that health-nurturing quality sleep. Intentionally. Make it such a priority in your life that you construct your whole day around your sleeping schedule. Forfeting the benefits of quality sleep is just not an option anymore.
In today's world/culture, that is a BIG ask. Suggesting this to parents or entrepreneurs alone can cause a riot. Many even feel the damage is too hard to repair. "It is what it is, right?" But deep down, you want to do something about it because you know you deserve better. And you do. Maybe it's the reason you landed in this blog post. Because you know you need to start somewhere, one doable shift at a time.
Because of that, this blog post will break down the buzzword of the month - Sleep Hygiene. There is more to it than a bedtime routine. Read below to understand why.
What is sleep hygiene?
Sleep hygiene is a series of scienced-backed habits you implement to improve your ability to fall asleep and possibly catch quality zzz's that favor your well-being. Set a consistent and reasonable bedtime, cool temperatures and dark room, meditate before bed, etc. But it goes beyond a checklist of things to do as part of your bedtime routine.
The whole purpose of these habits is to hack your body and its nervous system into the most optimum state for the body to work on its night shift - restorative and healing sleep. For your body to gain the health benefits of a fulfilled sleep cycle, it needs the nervous system to be in a parasympathetic state. That's why a popular Sleep Hygiene activity is meditation or journaling. If your body needs to clean out toxins and repair muscle tissue, among other maintenance processes that happen while you sleep, it cannot be worried about digesting a late dinner. Catch the drift?
Sleep hygiene is not another to-do list, it has to be a tailored made sequence of events that respond to every aspect of your day and is 100% aligned with your preferences and circumstances at bedtime. Sleep hygiene has to do with what you do during the day to make your body respond better to that bedtime routine.
Do you have actions or habits to support your body's night shift? If you say yes, but you still wake up tired, unrested, or run for coffee to function, it's time to change them as they lack efficiency. More on how to fix that is below. If you answered yes, but feel overwhelmed by traditional sleep hygiene protocols, the next paragraphs are for you.
Evaluating your sleep hygiene practice.
There are 3 aspects of sleep hygiene relevant to creating an efficient set of habits. Consider these before establishing or choosing your sleep hygiene habits.
First, sleep hygiene is not only about what you do before bed. Sleep hygiene has to do with what you do during the daytime too. Anything that happens during your day can & will impact your ability to fall asleep. Unmanaged stress load, too little physical activity, and nutrient-deficient meals all play a role. Part of your sleep hygiene should focus on addressing this aspect. To identify which habit suits you best, you must consider which daytime activity challenges your sleeping cues the most.
Second, it needs to nurture your nervous system response - particularly the parasympathetic. Many people confess to feeling tired and exhausted but unable to fall asleep promptly. Have you heard of 'tired but wired'? It's real. It happens due to the disconnection between a physical fatigue body and an active nervous system (sympathetic nervous system response). Your sleep hygiene needs to aid your body in connecting the physical & nervous system states. Luckily there is more than one solution to this problem.
Third, sleep hygiene is something you prioritize and do consistently, even though it may not look the same each day. It's not about perfection. That's a voluntarily added stress load that disrupts the process. It's not exclusive to the nights you have a spare moment. Your sleep hygiene should respond to the load of the day. Sometimes is a simple 1,2,3 sequence, and other times a robust and strategic process. Nonetheless, it needs to happen daily and with intention.
If you don't have sleep hygiene in place or the one you have doesn't honor the 3 aspects previously mentioned, below is a formula to try. This approach is simple and effective. As well as adaptable to different preferences and circumstances.
3-Action Foundation
Effective & Tailored-Made Sleep Hygiene!
Constructing your sleep hygiene is no one-shot task. It needs trial and error as well as sensitivity. If you don't know where to start, below is a 3-action foundation to figure out what works for you. You'll need to create:
A daytime action
A boundary
A sleeping stimuli
Effective & Tailored-Made Sleep Hygiene!
Daytime Action
It's about implementing a habit during your day to favor a tired and relaxed body & mind by night. Below few examples to jumpstart your creativity.
Implement daily movement or exercise. 15 to 20 minutes of intentional movement can positively impact quality sleep.
Eating 1-2 nutrient-dense meals.
Creating a schedule of easy tasks after 4 pm.
Stress Management techniques practices during the day
A 10-15 minutes joyful activity in the middle of your day
Pauses in between challenging (mentally or physically) tasks.
A Boundary
It's about implementing a rule or restriction to negative cues or sleeping disruptors. It can take place during the daytime or nighttime. Below are a few examples, but with the boundary, you need to get very specific to your needs.
No bright lights after 7 pm
No alcohol intake (modify amount & time as you see fit)
A set bedtime (at least 9 hours before your wake-up time)
No planned activities after X hour or X day
A time to clock out from work
Avoiding sugar or caffeine loads
A Sleep Stimuli
It's about implementing an action 100% conducent to sleep before bed. It can be a series of actions or one in particular. I recommend having a few options ready to go and applying them according to your daily load. No pills or external agents are allowed.
Breathing Exercises
Guided Meditations
Music or Sleeping Sounds
Relax Reading (be mindful of the topic/subject)
A podcast (be mindful of the topic/subject)
Coloring or puzzles
The point of Sleep Hygiene with the 3-action foundation is to match an activity that works for you and meets the goals. If meditation puts pressure on you, as opposed to relaxing you (it can happen), then try something that soothes you while still nurturing the body's parasympathetic nervous system. Alcohol may feel like it calms you or make you "feel" sleepy, but it doesn't favor quality sleep. It's for a reason most of the time, a cup of coffee is needed to wake up after a night of alcohol.
If you need guidance or help to fine-tune the 3-action foundation, reach out. I'll be more than happy to help.
Shifts to try to Create or Improve Sleep Hygiene
Below are a few shifts to support tailored-made effective sleep hygiene. Modify as you see fit. If you would like an even more personalized approach reach out and let’s get on a free call to see what are your options.
From my journey to yours
Don’t be fooled!
I didn't think I had problems with sleep until my body got sick. I didn't know the bad quality of my sleep until I experienced my first quality night's sleep. Sleeping was just not something I thought conducive to good health. In my workaholic mind, it was just laziness or a sign of weakness. Can you relate?
But after understanding what truly happens when you sleep (here is a blog post if you are curious), it's the most important single action you need to do to restore a sick body. I would go as far as to suggest, you fix your sleep first before jumping on diets or exercise regimens. To wake up fully recharged and rested is relevant to embracing any challenging health journey. To me, sleep hygiene was a game-changer! It took me a few weeks to see results and a few months to feel the results, beyond a good night's sleep. But it all comes together harmoniously and in favor of your well-being.
Don't be fooled into thinking that great sleep hygiene every night is bliss. Some days it's just not in the cards. To this day I modify my sleep hygiene according to the load of the day. There are days where a light read does the trick and other days that need a robust meditation and breathwork practice. It's more about bringing mindfulness and awareness to the body's response to the load. Maybe it can be for you too. Try it!
And please know that:
To wake up tired and sluggish is not normal, it's common.
To rely on coffee to work is not normal, it's trendy.
To forfeit sleep is self-sabotage, not a sign of hustle or productivity.
You can restore the quality of your lifestyle if you prioritize quality sleep daily.
Until Next One!
Stay happy, stay healthy, Stay BALANCED,
