SLEEP IS A SUPER SKILL

TIPS ON DEVELOPING YOUR SLEEPING SKILLS

As with all skills, we need to set up the environment, get the right tools and practice. Below are some tips and tools to help improve your quality of sleep.

Light

Using light is a powerful tool to setting your circadian rhythm. When you wake up, go directly outside and look at the sky and sun for 1-5 minutes. Make sure it does not heart your eyes. This will also help increase vitamin D production.

Screens

Change the tint of screens to reduce blue light exposure later during the day. You can also wear coloured glasses.

Bed

Start to condition your association with your bed to sleepiness. If you are restless in bed, get up and do something else. When you feel the onset of sleepiness, put yourself back in bed. Your bed and bedroom should be associated with sleepiness.

Caffeine

Only 50% of caffeine is metabolised over 5-7 hours (metabolisms differ though, it could be longer or faster for you). As a general guidelines, try to switch to decaf or reduce caffeine intake after 2 pm.

Alcohol

Alcohol and sleeping pills are sedatives that disturb the different stages of sleep so your brain and immune system do not recover as well as when you are naturally sleeping. If you drink alcohol, try to finish drinking at least 4-6 hours before bed, depending on how fast you metabolise alcohol.

Room

Your core body temp needs to drop in order to fall asleep. In general, a room that is 18 degrees is good for most people.

Snoring

Snoring is the constant and consistent disruption of airflow when sleeping. Reducing the oxygen saturation and increase stress hormones in order to wake you up briefly to readjust and get more air. Strengthen your tongue during the day by swallowing and holding your tongue at the roof of your mouth. This should be your default resting tongue position, if you find it out of place during the day, just reset it. Additionally, you can use sleep tape, partial sleep tape or nasal dilators to facilitate nasal breathing and reduce mouth breathing.