Lots of tips to improve sleep coming up in week’s ahead, and I’m going to start with the most important one today.
Humans are creatures of habit, so we don’t do well when we’re chopping and changing the whole time. If you don’t have a Sleep Routine it can be really hard for your mind and body to get into a healthy and restorative sleep pattern.
People commonly sabotage any chance of establishing a healthy routine around sleep by not having regular times of going to bed, and getting out of bed.
You may go to bed later at the weekend, and get up later too. Some people compensate for a poor night’s sleep by sleeping in the following morning.
Some don’t get to bed early enough because they’re watching TV or spending ages on social media.
Normal Sleep
The average person needs 7 1/2 hours sleep per night. This is made up of 5 ninety minute cycles of sleep. This doesn’t include the time it takes to fall asleep, or the idyllic gentle natural wake up that comes without an alarm clock.
That’s where the ‘8 hours’ comes from.
Giving yourself 8 hours in bed with lights out at least gives an opportunity to get a full night’s sleep.
When your sleep is healthy and you’re giving yourself enough time to get it, you may find you’re awake and refreshed before your alarm goes off. This is a good thing!
Being dragged from sleep by an alarm puts your body immediately into ‘fight or flight’ mode by making you jump and raising your blood pressure and heart.
This is not a good way to start your day!
Some people make this even worse by inflicting the same stress on their body a few more times by hitting the snooze button.
Tips To Improve Sleep
- Decide on your Sleep Schedule
- Decide on your Get Up Time – stick to this every day. Use an alarm if necessary at first
- Quit the snooze button!
- Your Lights Out Bedtime is 8 hours before your Get Up Time
- Stick with it! It takes time to create new habits.
The most important of the above tips to improve sleep if you suffer with insomnia is the regular get up time. This is regardless of how much or little you’ve slept, because if you want to sleep better you have to teach your body a new habit around sleep.
Look out for more tips to improve sleep in the coming weeks.
Ask your questions below, and let me know any problems you see with this tip too.
Is Your Diet Wrecking Your Sleep?
Have a great week!
Dr Julie
Hi Julie
I’ve no real concerns about my sleep, but my partner works shifts so his sleep pattern is all over the place, often he doesn’t get even 5 hours sleep. What tips do you have for shift workers to improve their sleep?
Hi Debbie. No short answer for that one I’m afraid (apart from getting a different job), because that’s a biggie. I will do some writing on that at some point, but there are no easy answers because shift work is not healthy.