While we all wish there were a magic pill we could take to go to sleep when we want and get up when we want, the truth of the matter is, our bodies need special care and attention to fall asleep and stay asleep. Our bodies can’t be forced to sleep on command, says Dr. Steven Thau, board certified sleep specialist and pulmonologist for Hartford HealthCare Medical Group’s Fairfield Region. “If you take a sleeping pill, you’ll sleep that night but eventually you’ll forget how to fall asleep; you’ll forget how to relax enough to let that fatigue that’s been coming all day finally have an opportunity to come to you.” Rather than take shortcuts, try his seven tips for more quality Zs.
Schedule bedtime.
Your body likes to form habits so make sleep a good one. An occasional blip is fine but do your best to go to sleep at the same time every night and let your natural cycle do the work. “There’s a circadian rhythm to our organs,” says Dr. Thau.
Set time to unwind.
Because of the cyclical nature of our organ function, our bodies need time to unwind. We can’t turn everything off like a light switch. So, plan time for your mind and body to slow down and prepare for sleep. “Set aside time to relax before bedtime to decompartmentalize and avoid bringing work home, but also avoid thinking about thoughts that might be disruptive in the bedroom,” says Dr. Thau. “It’s better to have them while you are sitting up somewhere else and you can write them down on paper and deal with them in the morning. Unless you work for the military, fire, police or ambulance corp, you do not have to deal with everything at night right away.” We’ve all heard the advice to put our screens away and Dr. Thau concurs, but more than recommending a book, he goes a bit further. He recommends “decreasing stimulation by reading magazines or short stories so you do not get absorbed by a plot and keep reading chapter after chapter to see what happens next.”
Exercise earlier.
Morning exercise is the best for our bodies, but if that doesn’t work with your schedule and you have a sedentary job, just try to keep moving throughout the day. “The more the muscles move during the day the more relaxed they will be when you go to sleep,” he says. “It will also be easier to keep weight off, even if it is just marching in place for a few minutes.” Save cardio for the morning, but stretching can be beneficial at night so muscles don’t cramp up.
Choose pjs that won’t wake you up.
If you are waking up too cold or too hot at night, buy some new pajamas. If you are waking up cold, you are probably not dressed warm enough when you go to bed. If you are waking up hot, opt for lighter garments.
Ditch the drugs and alcohol.
Make sure alcohol is out of your system before you to go sleep. “It’s a big toxin in our bodies,” says Dr. Thau. “It can have direct effects not just on the muscles but also on the brain and how it reacts to the nerves and muscles….You might have trouble clearing it in just a few hours before bedtime so make sure you aren’t overdoing it.” Also, for those who are trying to quit smoking and using a patch, don’t wear it to bed. “Most people don’t smoke in their sleep and here you are with a nicotine patch on, it’s still getting into your system and can affect your brain waves.” The stimulant also increases your heart rate and constricts oxygen and airways, affecting how you breathe.
Turn off the lights.
“By dimming the lights you can help your body relax,” says Dr. Thau, encouraging us to incorporate that into our pre-bedtime routine. Lots of people use a phone or ipad as an alarm and keep them in the bedroom despite advice to leave them out, so Dr. Thau recommends putting them face down before bed. “Lights have an effect on your brain and your brain interprets the light as sun, so it thinks that it’s the morning time,” he adds.
Choose lavender.
There are lots of scents out there that brands will tell you help you unwind, but if you are looking for a tried-and-true option, go with lavender, says Dr. Thau. “It has the longest and best track record,” he says, for inducing relaxation.
If you make changes to your routine and nothing is working, seek professional help, he advises. Sometimes trouble sleeping can be sourced to excess weight, reflux, heart trouble, pulmonary or neurologic conditions, or other hidden causes. A medical professional can help determine the underlying cause and find a solution. “There is no reason to do battle at night,” says Dr. Thau. “A lot of things people think are hardwired inside really are changeable, and the difference people feel after waking up feeling refreshed is quite remarkable. There are very few opportunities in medicine where you really make somebody feel younger and energetic, which is one of the draws of mine to this field.”
