New research conducted by OTTY Sleep looked to answer the age-old question: how can I sleep better?
Collaborating with 10+ experts across various topics, including diet, environment, productivity, mindfulness and scent, the research gives many tips that people can easily action today.
Here are 30 top tips from the research:
Eat breakfast: It’s important to ‘break the fast’ when you wake up to kick your metabolism into gear – as they say, it’s the most important meal of the day
Eat melatonin-boosting foods: Such as tomatoes; cherries; bananas; kiwis; oats, such as in porridge; pineapples; flaxseeds; almonds; orange peppers
Drink warm and comforting beverages: Such as: warm milk; or chamomile tea
Avoid eating the following foods: Fatty food; sugar; spicy meals; citrus fruits, such as grapefruit; caffeinated drinks; alcohol; and highly processed carbohydrates
Optimize your nutrition intake through food or specific supplements: Magnesium (e.g. almonds), the amino acid taurine ( available at https://www.amazon.com/Nutricost-Taurine-1000mg-400-Capsules/dp/B01CUYHCX6) , zinc, theanine, medicinal herbs that affect GABA, adaptogens, antioxidants (dark chocolate is touted for its healthy antioxidant benefits)
Avoid a large meal before bed: If your digestion system is still working hard it will disrupt your ability to relax into a deep sleep
Avoid a being hungry before bed: As digestion is such an energy-intensive process, our body struggles to flush our brain with glymphatic fluid if we are still using (or expecting to use) energy to digest, which can disrupt sleep
Avoid late-night snacks: Eating before bed makes your body think that it needs additional energy for digestion, which can disrupt sleep
Invest in your bed and bedding: We spend a third of our lives in bed, so a comfortable mattress and supportive pillows can help with good posture, which in turn can help with better sleep
Make your room as dark as possible: Our skin has light-sensitive cells which can affect our circadian rhythms, so a dark environment is important for sleep, especially as we move towards the lighter months
Have bath or shower before bed: A warm bath or shower will rapidly heat and cool your core body temperature, which can help with falling asleep
Adjust your room temperature: The optimal temperature is between 16 and 18 degrees, so turn down your radiator at around 7pm to help you drift off when you go to bed
Or go commando: They key thing is not to wear too much in bed so that you are keeping your body temperature low. However, if you are also making the room temperature cooler, this can lead to some people’s extremities being too cold, so pick one or the other
If wearing pyjamas, make sure they are comfortable, and ideally made from cotton: Cotton is the best material to sleep in because it’s soft, comfortable and lets your body still breathe
Try wearing bed socks: It’s been found that sleeping in bed socks helps you fall asleep faster
Don’t wear pyjamas during the day: As you psychologically connect your pyjamas with winding down for bed, so make sure you get dressed for your task in the morning
Have a daily routine, and stick to it: Routines are important to maintain focus, structure and productivity throughout the day, which can help your brain to wind down once it gets to bedtime
Wake up at 7am: The early bird catches the worm – Wake up bright and early, say or think of 3 things you are grateful for in your life, and clear your head
Eat lunch at 12:30pm, and make it the largest meal of the day: Food is fuel for the body, so take a full lunch break, eat something nutritious and stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water
Eat dinner at 6:30pm: Avoid eating dinner too late – you should aim for at least 2 to 3 hours before going to bed
Go to bed at 10pm (or at least try to go bed at the same time every night): Having a routine with a set wake-up and bedtime will establish a routine and help you to get the optimal amount of sleep
Aim to get 7 hours of sleep: Various research shows that 7 hours of sleep each night is optimal in aiding alertness and productivity during the day. Too much sleep is one that exceeds nine hours; less than five hours are too few
Avoid screen time for an hour before bed: Research has shown phone time can repress melatonin and make it harder for us to fall into a deep sleep
Exercise for at least 30 mins a day, ideally before breakfast: Exercise has been shown to aid sleep, so ensuring you are getting at least 30 minutes of elevated heart rate a day is key
Meditate and practice mindfulness: Meditation has been shown to improve the length, quality and deepness of sleep, and mindfulness tactics can help us to bring our attention to experiences occurring in the present moment without judgment
Breathe deeply: Controlling your breath has been shown to reduce stress, increase alertness and boost your immune system… In the evening, try thinking of 3 things that went well or made you smile that day as you slowly breathe in and out
Let it go: Let go of any negativity or anything you couldn’t control during the day… imagine them like dark clouds leaving your shoulders as you slowly exhale
Check in with yourself: Place your hand on your heart, take a few deep breaths, and settle yourself with the strength of your beating heart… Really check in with yourself and who you are as the whole world shifts around us, including the way you are thinking and feeling
Make the most of calming scents: Place a few drops of essential oil around you to relax you and act as a comforting reminder in your mind that it’s ok to rest… Lavender, bergamot and geranium scents have been shown to help you relax
Try to accept that poor sleep during these crazy times is a totally understandable reaction: We are literally experiencing a global pandemic right now, so try not to put too much pressure on yourself to carry on as normal – remember, nothing about this is normal!
Michal Szlas, CEO and founder of OTTY Sleep, commented:
“A bad night’s sleep can cause a host of issues, such as increased stress levels and performance issues, as well as affecting physical and mental wellbeing. Even in lockdown, many will be appreciating the brighter mornings and longer evenings that have come with the recent start of daylight savings time, but this time of year can bring more sleep issues than simply losing just one hour for one night.
“We hope that the tips and advice will help many people, and that you all might experience much better, high-quality sleep very soon”.
For more information on the research, visit: https://otty.com/
