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Taking a leisurely bath, performing self-massage, inhaling lovely scents and doing a stretching routine before bed can all help you wind down, but this type of self-care routine can take ages! Luckily, good sleep relies on consistent, small daily habits that start the moment you wake up, says personal trainer Jenny Devonshire.
1 SEEK EARLY MORNING DAYLIGHT
Morning sunlight helps you to sleep via the regulation of the circadian rhythm, so by exposing yourself to natural light in the morning and throughout the day, this will help maintain a healthy circadian rhythm and regulates your sleep/wake cycle. A study featured in the journal Sleep Health found that participants who were exposed to daylight in the morning slept better and had improved mood and reduced stress levels.
In the morning, you have high levels of dopamine, epinephrine and cortisol, the hormones that help to get you going. Natural light results in a further release of these hormones, which helps you focus and be more alert. Morning light exposure also results in you being better able to produce melatonin at bedtime, resulting in improved sleep quality.
2 Cut caffeine after midday
Caffeine has a half-life of five hours, which means that if you have a coffee at 12pm, there will still be half of the caffeine left in your body five hours later. Even if you feel you can nod off after caffeine, it often causes disrupted sleep. Adenosine is a molecule found in the body that inhibits arousal and causes sleepiness. Levels of adenosine build up over the day, which results in us getting sleepy. Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors, which is how caffeine keeps you awake. Levels of adenosine continue to build, which is why when the caffeine wears off you are hit with a crash in energy as your body is being signalled to sleep. Drinking caffeine later in the day will suppress the adenosine receptors so that you find it challenging to sleep.
3 Take the right exercise
Exercise helps to tire your mind and body and has been shown to improve sleep. Moderate aerobic exercise has been shown to increase the amount of slow-wave sleep you get. This type of sleep is also known as deep sleep, and this is where the body and brain rejuvenate. Deep sleep also helps to support your immune system, cardiac health, and reduces stress and anxiety. Exercising results in more energy expenditure, which can make you feel more tired and therefore find it easier to get to sleep. Stress and anxiety often lead to sleep problems, so mind-body exercise such as yoga can help reduce cortisol levels and improve mood, and it can also be used to improve your sleep.
Be careful not to exercise too close to bedtime though as it can elevate your core temperature and the endorphins released can make it harder to get to sleep.
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