Getting enough sleep may be one of the most crucial things you can do to improve your overall health. Also, it is probably one of the most overlooked components have your health. Sleep is very important because that is when your body Is producing your hormones And rebuilding itself as well.
There have been a rise and sleeping problems with our modern culture because of the high amounts of sitting and the use of electronics devices.
The national sleep foundation discovered that’s 63% of most Americans do not feel like they get an adequate amount of sleep that they should throughout the week.
While 48% of Americans Hawaiian that they have insomnia sometimes another 22% claiming to have experience insomnia almost every night or every night.
Adults between the ages of 19 and 64 on an average claim to last slept less than 6 hours on most weeknights, This averaged out to be about 15% of adults.
Finally, A staggering number of adults up to 95% also claim to use Electronics at the minimum a few nights a week within one hour of going to bed.
I don’t really like to use the word hack because I believe a hack should be done sometimes because if you are following good habits you probably won’t need a “hack.” With that being said here are some good things you can start doing to help sleep better.
- Fixing circadian rhythm
- Reduce the amount of electromagnetic pollution
- Focus on body temperature
- Timing your exercise correctly
- Avoiding sleep-disturbing substances
The University of Virginia in 2015 had some scientist that discovered correlation with the immune system and brain. During their discoveries, the scientists found that the brain has a lymphatic system.
Also, known as the glymphatic system which is dependent upon glial cells which are closely connected to the immune system. Before this discovery, it was believed that it was not possible for the brain to be connected to the immune system.
How Circadian Rythm affects your Sleep
As humans, we all have an internal clock that lasts up to 24 hours and will naturally reset itself once it has been in the daylight. There is a hypothesis text claims that our circadian rhythm systems have naturally involved making sure that they are optimal for the Environmental and I physiology with in relation to the Earth’s rotation.
That’s pretty crazy to think about do you think about our ability to adapt to our environment naturally. And how we should make sure that we are adapting to our home environments as well and before we go to bed.
Essentially our circadian rhythms are our biological processes better length to the Cycles throughout the day. Many of our biological functions are affected by these rhythms including some of the following.
- Your body temperature
- Reaction time and performance
- Pulse rate and blood pressure
- The production of serotonin, melatonin, and cortisol
- Intestinal activity
There are many other hormones affected by your sleep or lack thereof. the hormone melatonin is greatly affected by light and is secreted mostly by our pineal gland when it becomes dark out.
Melatonin plays a big role in your sleep and you can also supplement it with it as well to sleep better. It’s something you will want to cycle on and off because it could possibly affect your natural levels. As always consult with your doctor before following any info from Wellneos.
Improve your circadian rhythm
One of the best things you can do to improve your circadian rhythm is to go to bed every day and varying within an hour each day. Make sure you are getting enough as much natural sunlight every day as you can. This sounds simple but can be difficult with our busy schedules.
If you have a hard time getting outside especially if you live in the midwest like me and have to deal with shorter and darker days. There is a light lamp you can use that affects those with SAD seasonal affective disorder.
It’s best to try to block out as much blue light as possible before going to bed because it negatively affects your sleep. It’s recommended to block blue light 3 hours before bed.
Blackout curtains work really well, too well in fact. They do exactly what they say, they blackout all light. It’s nice if you need to sleep in but can be annoying because sometime you can’t tell what time it is.
There are also apps and phone settings where you can block blue light while it is dark out. I have an android phone and set my where it automatically turns on and off in the evenings and mornings.
Lastly, another way to increase melatonin and improve you’re circadian is by wearing glasses at night or as it gets darker called Ra optics. They essentially block all of the harmful blue light and help increase melatonin.
What is Electromagnetic pollution
I know this may sound a little bit out there, but it is also something that is not really talked about that much. there are those who may be more sensitive to something like electromagnetic radiation.
While there have been quite a few studies in research on the hypersensitivity of electromagnetic, it’s been debatable for the past 20 years.
It seems that those with a previous head injury or have had exposure to neurotoxins such as mold are highly more likely to be susceptible to two Electromagnetic hypersensitivities.
Well these thoughts of electromagnetics sensitivity in pollution wouldn’t seem like it would be something to be concerned with, it seems to be real and health symptoms diminish greatly what’s their contact with EMS exposure is gone.
There are some studies that indicate daily EMF exposure can be related to poor, quality, deep sleep. There’s more research that would suggest bad grounding or earthing can help improve symptoms of poor sleep such as insomnia by reintroducing the body to the Earth’s surface electrons.
Earthing also otherwise known as grounding may sound like hippie woohoo but there seems to be more and more evidence that it actually may work.
Ways to Reduce EMF exposure
- Grounding mats
- By moving your cell phones and placing them on airplane mode or by turning them off
These are just a few simple ways to help reduce exposure to EMFs.
How does body temperature effect sleeping
Our bodies begin to cool down later into the evening and are at their highest temperature levels later in the afternoon. Body temperature before going to be bed can have a big impact on your sleep quality.
One of the ways the function of the circadian rhythm of the body works is by cooling down. One important reason for trying to cool down at night is because it helps the body naturally produce melatonin.
“According to the National Sleep Foundation (based on studies), the best temperature for sleep is approximately 60–67°F (15–19°C). Temperatures over 71°F (24°C) are likely to cause impaired sleep quality, which is also true for a too cold environment (53°F / 12°C or below).”
Trying to sleep in too hot of conditions can affect your sleep negatively, also exercising too late can as well by raising your body’s core temperature. This is why it is so important to cool down before bed so you can get your best sleep.
It’s okay to try to have your bedroom like a meat locker to try to get better sleep. I keep our windows open later into the season, even close to wintertime.
Some Hacks to help cool down your body before bedtime
- If you are able to keep your window cracked at night
- Take a cold shower 2 hours before bed
- Try sleeping naked or with minimal clothing
How does Exercise affect Sleep?
We all know that exercise is good for us, but it also helps balance circadian rhythms to help improve your sleep. It’s best to aim for 20-30 minutes of activity or exercise per day to help with your sleep.
Multiple studies have found through research that exercise plays a role in your sleep. The benefits are sleep efficiency, low risk of insomnia, and overall better sleep. The opposite is true if you are not getting enough exercise, such as increased insomnia.
Strength training programs showing really beneficial to increase deep sleep assumed to the fact that the body needs more time to recover and repair itself. It’s been proven that weight training improves sleep by helping you get into a state of deeper sleep.
Here is the big question, is it best to exercise in the morning or at night for sleep? From the research, you should not train within 1 hour and 30 minutes before bed with high-intensity exercise. While there are other studies that suggest that it’s best to exercise close to bedtime because it can help with deep sleep.
Should we exercise before bed?
- To keep it simple don’t exercise 1-2 hours before bed
- Regular exercise helps with sleep
- Focus on intensity during workouts to help with sleep
Avoiding things that Disrupt Sleep
- Don’t consume tea with caffeine, coffee or energy drinks after 1 pm
- Avoid late-night drinking with alcohol, try to limit to two drinks max if you are a guy and one if you are female
- If you are going to have alcohol try to have your last drink within 90 minutes of bedtime
Final thoughts
Sleep is very important for how your body recovers during your workouts as well as your hormones. By following these simple steps through research should help with psychological tricks and hacks that are useful to sleep better.