We spend more time sleeping (or, at least, we should!) than we do on almost any other activity. What many of us don’t do is spend the time to figure out how to optimize that time. While people will spend endless time and money learning to excel at their other activities, so many people never put that effort into a good night’s sleep even though that very sleep would enhance everything else in their lives. Fortunately, we’ve got some great tips to help you optimize your rest.

Rhythm Is King

Getting into a consistent, natural rhythm helps train your body to sleep consistently and well, and to wake up refreshed. If you can stick to a consistent bedtime and wake-up schedule, your body will naturally fall into that pattern.

Pay attention to your body; if you get sleepy at a certain time regularly, maybe adjust your sleep schedule to what your body is telling you.

A nap here and there on a tired day can work wonders, but it can also mess with your body’s rhythm, especially since naps aren’t always long enough to get the deep sleep your body so desperately needs to be at peak performance.

Take into consideration the length of the nap. A short catnap in early afternoon should be fine, but naps closer to bedtime could make it hard to fall asleep later.

Melatonin & Other Sleep Aids

Melatonin is a hormone your body naturally produces in correlation to your exposure to light. Getting exposure to natural light during the day, and limiting exposure before bed, can really help you sleep naturally. However, taking melatonin supplements can also be effective for some people.

Try to avoid regularly taking sleep medicines without consulting a doctor, as they can create a dependency and/or interact poorly with other medications, but cannabis-based products and melatonin are safe and often effective on their own.

Avoid Screen Time Before Bed

Circling back to melatonin, there are ways to optimize your body’s natural production and response. During the day, take walks if you work inside to get some natural sunlight, and maybe try to spend time near windows.

In the evening avoid TVs or cell phone screens for the last couple of hours before you lie down. Something like a Kindle is fine but avoid backlit light sources. Consider dimming your lights an hour or two before bed. Setting up automatic dimmers can help nudge your body in the right direction.

Wind Down And Set The Mood

In your last hour before sleep, consider calming activities such as meditation, doing deep breathing exercises, journaling, or light reading. Setting the mood for sleep will not only help you sleep better, but it may also lead to pleasant dreams and have positive mental health effects.

Exercise promotes better sleep with more time spent in the deeper, more restorative stages of your nightly sleep. But working yourself up right before bed isn’t helpful for sleeping.

Try to exercise at least 3-4 hours before your bedtime. Yoga or other low-impact activities are fine closer to bedtime, but working up a sweat can really hinder your sleep patterns.

Eat & Drink Smart

Digestion is hard work! Avoid heavy meals right before bedtime. A light snack before bed is fine, but don’t make your stomach do a bunch of heavy lifting while the rest of your body is trying to relax.

Caffeine may keep you awake longer than it keeps you alert. You might not realize that it’s keeping you up, but the effects of caffeine can last even up to six hours after you ingest it. Try to avoid caffeinated beverages after the early afternoon.

The same goes for other stimulants; nicotine is a stimulant, and some medications have stimulants in them. While the addictive properties of nicotine can make it hard to go to sleep without a final cigarette or vape, pay attention to your body and what it’s telling you if you think that could be a reason.

Your diet can definitely affect the way you sleep; sugar, or refined carbohydrates, can keep you from falling into a deep sleep even hours after you eat them. Cutting back on these items can have positive effects on your sleep.

A Sleep-Conducive Environment

Set your environment up to promote sleep.

Try to establish a workspace outside the bedroom for using your computer or doing normal activities, so your mind associates your bedroom with sleep or relaxation.

If you wake up with soreness in your neck or back, this isn’t normal. A new mattress or box spring is expensive, but before you take that step, there are other things to try. Consider using a foam mattress topper or different pillows. and ensure your sheets and blankets leave you room to move during the night without entangling you.

You may wish to use earplugs or a white noise generator if there is environmental noise you can’t otherwise mitigate, such as loud neighbors, traffic, and nearby trains.

Consider setting your thermostat down a bit at night. While many people like to stay around 70 degrees during the day, a temperature of around 65 degrees (18 degrees celsius) is optimal for most people during sleep. An automatic thermostat that lowers itself an hour before bed can help wind your body down to fall asleep naturally.

Stay Disciplined In The Night

If you wake up in the middle of the night, resist the impulse to go smoke, drink caffeine, watch TV or stare at your phone, or do other activities mentioned earlier. Try meditating, breathing, or reading yourself back to sleep.

Sleep Tight!

While it’s important to listen to your own body as everyone is different, we compiled these tips from expert knowledge on how to sleep like a champion. Honestly, even when you’re awake, there’s nothing more beneficial for operating at peak performance than being consistently well-rested. Experiment with the tips on this list and apply what works for you.

If you’re still struggling to sleep soundly, consider making an appointment with sleep professionals or your medical provider to explore other alternatives like vapes or other things. Getting good sleep is a critical part of staying healthy and there are many options for you to consider.

By following these best sleep hygiene practices on a nightly basis, you’re almost guaranteed to get more fulfilling sleep at night and be more awake and alert during the day.

If, however, you’re practicing these hygiene tips and still finding yourself feeling tired and sluggish during the day, it could be a sign of a sleep disorder.

If you believe that your sleep troubles are being caused by a sleep disorder, contact your local sleep clinic for a consultation with a sleep specialist.

At Alaska Sleep Clinic, we specialize in diagnosing and treating a wide variety of sleep disorders, and have helped thousands of Alaskans improve the quality of their sleep.

Quality sleep is directly linked to your overall health, and if you’re not getting enough of it, give us a call @ 907-357-6700 and let us help you discover the cause of your sleep problems.

For further tips on sleep, check out these articles:

How to Set Your Body Clock

Do You Practice Good Sleep Habits? [Quiz]

7 Tips and Tricks for Getting Kids to Bed