5 Steps To Master Your Sleep

Posted on March 22, 2023 by Diana Pipaloff, One of Thousands of Health and Fitness Coaches on Noomii.

So many of us struggle to get a good night’s sleep and feel rested that an entire industry has sprung up just to keep us awake. The global energy drink market is valued at over $86 Billion and is expected to grow at over 8% annually (Grand View Research, 2021). Meanwhile, the global coffee market is worth a dizzying $466 Billion (Global News Wire, 2021). Despite the abundance of stimulants at our disposal, many of us still don’t feel awake, focused, and energized. Have you ever wondered why we need a daily drink for the very basic action of waking up and feeling functional? Some scientists have, and we’ve discovered that our modern lifestyle has so deeply unsettled our natural rhythms that we have an epidemic of circadian rhythm disruption, with the main symptom being difficulty with proper sleep.

It’s Not Your Sleep, It’s Your Circadian Rhythm
A simple Google search on “better sleep” brings up over $5 Billion results. There is no shortage of sleep advice from drinking chamomile tea, taking melatonin, numerous gadgets, music, special pillows, cooling mattresses, and the list goes on. The sheer mountain of information is enough to give us nightmares. While there are many practices you can do and a variety of herbs, teas, and supplements you can take, there is no magic pill. The best way to get better sleep is to balance our circadian rhythm. The National Institute of Health defines the circadian rhythm as “physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle. These natural processes respond primarily to light and dark and affect most living things, including animals, plants, and microbes” (NIH, Circadian Rhythms, 2022).

Research shows that preparing the body and mind for sleep requires us to be in harmony with our circadian rhythm. Every cell and organ of our body has its own clock which governs all of its functions (Panda, 2018). One of the main cycles of the circadian rhythm is the sleep-wake cycle. Sleep is not just something we do when we lie down, it is part of a larger and more complex mechanism that our body, mind, and nervous system go through on a 24-hour cycle. So, to get good sleep, we must harmonize our basic sleep-wake cycle. When this cycle is off, our body and mind are not prepared to sleep and all of the teas, pills, and gadgets in the world, will not have a lasting effect.

Below are the top 5 daily practices you can do to harmonize the circadian rhythm and naturally improve your sleep.

1. Blue Light Exposure

Light is the most powerful stimulus telling our brain if it is day or night. Exposure to blue light first thing in the morning, ideally within 5-15 min of waking up, begins a cascade of processes that include a spike in cortisol, which makes us feel awake and alert, and culminates with the production of melatonin at night, which makes us feel sleepy at night. The later our eyes are exposed to blue light, the more we delay this process, which keeps us groggy during the day and yet not sleepy at night. Alternatively, avoiding exposure to blue light at night is one of the most powerful methods to make us feel calm, tired, and sleepy. Blue light at night suppressed melatonin and keeps us feeling awake (Huberman Lab Clips, 2022). All of our devices emit a large amount of blue light. Ideally, we would turn devices off a few hours before bedtime and have soft, warm light in the house. If that’s not possible, it’s recommended to wear blue light-blocking glasses starting 3 hours before your goal bedtime.

2. Movement in the Morning

Another powerful signal to your body is movement/exercise. Adding just 20 min of cardio in the mornings will awaken the metabolic system, our organs, and improve our insulin response throughout the day. This is an important part of a balanced circadian rhythm and will help us get better sleep at night. Exercising in the evening keeps our body’s nervous system awake and interferes with sleep (Kshirsagar, 2018).

3. Eat Breakfast

Just as the natural blue light tells our brain that it is day and wakes us up, the first food (calories) of the day tells our organs to wake up and begin daytime functions. Skipping breakfast can delay and offset the circadian rhythm and interfere with our sleep. Regular and properly timed meals are not only important for sleep but also for our digestive health as the release of digestive enzymes has its own circadian rhythm. Eating late into the night disrupts our melatonin production, keeps our body temperature up, and interferes with our sleep (Kshirsagar, 2018). If you’re practicing intermittent fasting, it is far better to shift your meal times to earlier in the day and skip dinner (or have an early dinner) rather than to skip breakfast.

4. No Caffeine After 12 pm

Don’t worry, we will not take coffee away, but we will recommend that you consume coffee, tea, and other caffeine no later than noon. It can take 8-10 hours for the caffeine in coffee to be fully metabolized. Caffeine works by blocking the adenosine receptors in our brain. Adenosine is a neurotransmitter that builds up during the day and creates the feeling of sleepiness at night. When caffeine blocks these receptors, we prevent the body from feeling tired and sleepy. While this might be helpful during the day, it is a main disruptor of sleep at night. In addition, the adenosine has not disappeared and continues to build up in your brain. This causes long-term fatigue and lack of energy, which we try to remedy by drinking more coffee (Walker, 2017).

5. Sleep Routine

Routine is one of the most powerful ways to harmonize the circadian rhythm. While most of us struggle with maintaining a routine, creating a simple and enjoyable nighttime routine can not only help us relax and unwind, it will train our body to prepare for sleep. There is a variety of things we can include such as blue light-blocking glasses, eating an early dinner, taking a bath, self-massage with body oils, meditating, breathwork, journaling, reading, and anything else that you find relaxing. Customize your own sleep routine and create an enjoyable and relaxing daily practice that will not only help you unwind, get to sleep, and bring more joy into your day.

Tune out the noise and implement these simple steps today to dramatically improve your sleep and supercharge your health. Start your mornings with blue light exposure, exercise, and breakfast. Stop your caffeine intake by noon, eat an early dinner, wear your stylish blue light-blocking glasses, and enjoy a relaxing nighttime routine.

References

Global News Wire. (February 9, 2021). Global $465.9 Billion Coffee Market (Value, Volume)

Analysis and Forecast to 2026. Source: Research and Markets.

Grand View Research. (2021). Energy Drinks Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By

Product (Drinks, Shots, Mixers), By Type (Conventional, Organic), By Packaging (Cans, Bottles), By Distribution Channel, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 – 2030. Report ID: GVR-1-68038-951-7

Grandview Research Industry Analysis/energy-drinks-market

Huberman Lab Clips. (2022, August 10). How to Feel Energized & Sleep Better With One

Morning Activity (Video). YouTube.

Kshirsagar, S. (2018). Change Your Schedule, Change Your Life. Dreamscape Media, LLC

National Institute of Health: National Institute of General Medical Sciences. (Updated May 4,

2022). Circadian Rhythm.

Panda, S. (2018). The Circadian Code. Rodale Books

Walker, M. (2017). Why We Sleep. Simon & Schuster Audio.