Can you imagine falling into a deep, restful sleep every night, waking up energised and ready to take on the world? Yet for so many, this seems like a pipe dream. Insomnia, nightmares, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep plague our nights, leaving us groggy and nodding off all day. It's time to take back the night!
In this article, you will find some simple tips to help you change your habits and get a better sleep. Learning to sleep well is actually possible! A simple evening routine can help, of course, but habits in place throughout the day will further increase your ability to sleep well at night.
Try a gentle wake-up: Use a bright alarm clock that simulates sunrise or a gentle alarm that can help you to wake up from REM sleep more gently, rather than with a jolt. This gets the day off to a good start and makes it less likely to be grumpy when you wake up.
Soak up the daylight : Whenever possible, go outside for 15 minutes or so within the hour of waking up. Leave your sunglasses at home and absorb natural light. As soon as our eyes absorb it, cells in our retina tell our brain to stop producing melatonin, the sleep hormone. When the morning light is well absorbed, our brain's central clock triggers a sort of internal timer that tells our body to start producing melatonin again around 14 hours later to prepare us for a good night's sleep.
Choosing the right device: If you are unable to go outside when you wake up, you can use a ‘dawn simulator’ or a light therapy lamp in the morning, which can produce an intense light of 10,000 lux!
Let the light in: If you spend most of your time indoors during the day, face a window and open the curtains. If your room has no window or only a small one, add some light. It's a good idea to install a table lamp on each side of the computer (1500 lumens each) with a light-coloured shade that diffuses the light. A simple white bulb will do, but for greater effect, opt for a blue light or place the light closer to your eyes.
Kiss caffeine goodbye in the afternoon: No big surprise here, but it's strongly recommended to avoid caffeine in the afternoon, especially after 2 p.m. Caffeine has a powerful staying power and can course through your body for up to 10 hours.
Manage your naps: Boy do we love a good nap, and if you've only slept a few hours, it's only normal to want one during the day. Bear in mind that it's best to take a nap before 3 to 4 p.m. in the afternoon, preferably lasting 20 to 45 minutes. According to the Journal of Sleep Research, a nap of less than 20 minutes won't give you any benefit, and a nap of more than 45 minutes will disrupt your sleep at night.
Turning off your screens : It's not a shocking tip, but turning off technological devices (cells, tv, tablets...) that emit blue light 1 to 2 hours before sleep can help enormously. Blue light prevents our bodies from releasing melatonin, a hormone that causes drowsiness. While blue light helps us to stay awake during the day, it is of no use to us at night when we're trying to fall asleep. Exposure to blue light in the evening (from our electronic devices and blue bulbs) can trick our brains into thinking it's still daylight, disrupting circadian rhythms and making us feel alert instead of tired.
Skip alcohol before bedtime: Although alcohol can lull us to sleep, it also disrupts deep sleep. So it's best to avoid it for a few hours before bedtime.
Establish a routine: One tip for getting a good night's sleep is to go to bed and get up at the same time every day. This requires a certain amount of discipline and maybe some adjustment, but helps to regulate our biological clock and make sleep deeper and more restorative.
Practice night-time relaxation: Before going to bed, do 5 to 10 minutes of deep breathing or meditation. This helps reduce stress and prepares the body for a better night's sleep. If you're new to meditation, there are several apps you can use.
Do a little stretching: Take a few minutes to do some light self-massage or relaxing stretches in the evening. This helps to relax the muscles and release accumulated tension.
Put thoughts to paper: Before going to bed, write down any thoughts that pop into your head or something positive that happened during the day. Or make a list of the things you want to do the next day. This will free your mind and reduce the merry-go-round of thoughts that can delay falling asleep.
Create the perfect sleep environment: The ideal bedroom temperature is around 18°C. Blackout curtains or an eye mask can also help you get a good night's sleep.
Switch it around: if you just cannot fall asleep, it's perfectly fine to leave your bed and try to reset your sleep. Maybe go for a short walk around the house, go sit in the living room for a few minutes (don't use any devices that emit blue light!) and then go back to bed.
Complete cycles : Give your brain enough time to complete cycles. REM sleep cycles become longer towards the end of the night, so aim for at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep to allow you to benefit from this essential phase of sleep, which is crucial for memory and creativity.
Quality sleep is not a luxury, it's a necessity. By applying these simple but effective tips, you can transform the quality of your nights and, ultimately, the quality of your days!
Bonjour-santé offers its members two services to help them in their quest for better sleep.
Through the Bonjour-santé membership, members have unlimited access to our team of mental health nurses who can offer valuable advice and, if needed, refer patients to the right resource.
Members also have access to an exclusive discount on a five- to six-session e-consult program with a certified HALEO therapist to reduce problems such as insomnia, anxiety related to sleep deprivation and nightmares, or to cope with special situations such as the arrival of a new baby or adjusting to an unusual schedule.
After completing a free online screening, HALEO's professionals can assess your condition and recommend a program designed specifically to help you get back to a good night's sleep. At the end of your program, HALEO offers a free 2-year support plan to prevent any relapse.
Subscribe to Bonjour-santé for quick access Bonjour-santé’s virtual care team, HALEO programs and a huge range of health services. Already a Bonjour-santé member? Login to your account to quickly access all these services.
Have a great night’s sleep!
