Tactical Tools and Techniques for Better Sleep

Tactical Tools and Techniques for Better Sleep
Monday Reflections
written by Chase Hobby

Sleep is, by far, the highest leverage behavior a person can affect to improve performance and well-being.

Trouble solving complex problems at work? Get some sleep.

Irritability dragging your relationships through the mud? Get some sleep.

Working hard in the gym but not seeing the benefit? Guess what? You might need some sleep.

My overarching goal in life is to be the best version of myself that I can be across the spectrum – physically, cognitively, and emotionally. After years of burning myself to the ground in my personal and professional life, I concluded that these lofty goals start with a good night's sleep. Sleep is the X factor that allows us to meet every day with a positive mental attitude and a full gas tank. Underestimate its importance at your peril.

Great. So now what.

Through years of research, trial, and error, I've identified the following tools, habits, routines, and behaviors as the 90%+ solution for restful nights. Take a look – pull what works for you and disregard what doesn't. Then, incorporate the tools and techniques that work for you into a repeatable routine from there.

Habits, Routines, and Behaviors:

-   Get more sunlight during the day[i]. Your circadian rhythm is largely set by exposure to sunlight[ii]. When you get outside during the day, you set yourself up for great sleep. One NIH study in older adults found that 2 hours of bright light exposure during the day increased the amount of sleep per night by 2 hours and sleep efficiency by 80%[iii]. Not bad.

-   Cut out coffee/caffeine in the afternoon. I stop at 1 pm. Studies consistently show that consuming caffeine even 6-8 hours before bedtime impact sleep quality negatively[iv].

-   Build a bedtime routine. Consider the following:

o   No screens past 9 pm: Studies show blue light tricks your body into thinking it’s daytime. Not good. Cutting out screens has the added benefit of getting your mind out of daytime/work mode into rest mode
o   In bed stretching and/or reading nine hours before you want to awaken
o   Consider stretching in the evening. Stretching has been shown to not only put your mind into a relaxed state but also relieve muscle tension that can contribute to poor sleep[v][vi]. Two for one.

-   Avoid alcohol – this can be a bummer, but alcohol has been shown to significantly diminish quality sleep by disrupting natural sleep patterns[vii] and negatively impacting your body’s natural melatonin[viii] and HGH[ix] production. Sometimes we all need a drink, but be smart about when and how often you’re willing to trade a beverage for a good night’s sleep

-   No phone in the bedroom. Scrolling social media or taking one last look at your emails before bed is a sure way to rough sleep. Get an old-school clock – you’ll be fine.
-   Make your bedroom a cave. Blackout blinds and ramp down the temperature[x]. If you don’t want to make the drive to IKEA for blinds, consider a sleeping mask.
-   Get up early and work out during the day. Getting up early will help you sleep at night. Add a good workout regimen, and your body will be ready for some rest[xi] when the sun goes down.
-   Stop eating well before bedtime[xii]. Try to be done with dinner with at least 3 hours to spare before bedtime on most days. It turns out Nana had it figured out.

Tools:

-   Blue light-blocking glasses. Exposure to blue light disrupts the body’s secretion of melatonin – a critical aspect your body uses to know when it’s time to wind down[xiii]. Blue light-blocking glasses, along with some of the other behaviors listed above, can go a long way to mitigating that disruption.
-   Old school alarm clock. Buy an alarm clock and park your phone in the kitchen – or anywhere that’s not the bedroom – at night. This technique will mitigate blue light exposure near bedtime and help with social media/email scrolling.

-   Phone tools/limits. Modern phone OS’s have great tools to help you get to sleep on time. For example, Apple’s iOS has a “Sleep Mode,” accessible from the “Health” app where you can set a sleep goal, and wind-down period, a sleep time, and a wake-up time (with an optional alarm if you didn’t put your phone in the kitchen). Once you hit the wind-down time, your phone will automatically enable Do Not Disturb so you don’t get any more notifications to interrupt you, darken your phone’s screen, and change your lock screen so it requires a couple of extra touches to unlock. It might seem annoying at first, but making it just a little harder to unlock your phone will be a constant reminder that it’s time to put the phone down and head to bed!

-   Vitamins & Supplements:

o   Valerian root- Perennial flowering plant promotes improved sleep and mood[xiv]
o   Lavender - Herb used for millennia to promote healthy mood and sleep[xv]
o   Melatonin- A natural hormone made by your body's pineal gland that promotes a healthy sleep cycle
o   Passionflower - Species of Passifloraceae plant promotes improved sleep and mood
o   CBD & Terpenes – Naturally occurring compounds shown to promote healthy sleep[xvi]

o   Shameless plug: We’ve blended these nutrients in just the right ratios for a restful, restorative night’s sleep without the groggy hangover associated with many sleep aids. Learn more here.

These Tools, Techniques, Tactics, and Procedures are the 90%+ solution for getting your sleep (and life) on track. For most folks, this should do it. If you give this a real shot for a month or two and are still a soup sandwich in the sleep department – consult a medical professional 

Good luck and good sleep! 

 

Resources:

[i] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24394440/

[ii] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15106233/

[iii] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12789673/

[iv] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24235903/

[v] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1087079215001604?via%3Dihub

[vi] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4407465/

[vii] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7077345/

[viii] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8370699/

[ix] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8675588/

[x] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1811316/

[xi] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8980207/

[xii] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8032349/

[xiii] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21552190/

[xiv] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20347389/

[xv] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22612017/

[xvi] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6326553/pdf/18-041.pdf

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