Sleep Solutions: How To Unlock Better Rest & Improve Your Well-being - Episode 10

These are challenging times. With so much uncertainty and stress, it can be difficult to shut our minds off and get the quality sleep we need each day. But the benefits of better sleep can include: enhanced short-term stress management, more energy, better mood, and a strengthened immune system. Suzanne Bertisch, from Harvard Health offers some practical tips to improve our sleep, and in turn, our well-being:

Day time tips to help with sleep:

• Keep a regular wake time. Rising around the same time every day helps to set your body's natural clock (circadian rhythm), and regulate sleep. Also try sticking to a regular schedule for meals, exercise, and other activities. Find your body’s natural rhythm.
• Get moving. Exercising during the day can help improve your sleep quality at night, reduce stress, and improve your mood.
• Avoid caffeine late in the day.
• Lend a helping hand. Doing random acts of kindness for family, friends, or neighbors help may provide a sense of purpose, reduce helplessness, and put your mind at ease.

Night time tips to help with sleep:

• Avoid the news and ALL electronics at least one hour before bedtime. Nothing can get your mind racing quite like the news and our smart phones with endless apps.
• Minimize alcohol intake. It can affect the quality and amount of sleep you get at night.
• If you’re feeling restless, get out of bed for a bit. Don’t toss and turn in bed for more than 20 minutes. Get up and do a quiet activity — read a book, journal, or do any type of stress-less activity.

If you follow all of Suzanne’s suggestions and still experience regular sleep problems, reach out to your healthcare provider. It could be a sign of a clinical sleep disorder like insomnia or sleep apnea.

Remember, disrupted sleep is a normal response to stress. It’s okay to have a few nights of poor sleep as you adjust to new routines and big life changes. We cannot always control what happens in the world around us, but we can do our best to optimize our sleep habits.

Resources:
Bertisch, S. (2020). Strategies to promote better sleep in these uncertain times. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/strategies-to-promote-better-sleep-in-these-uncertain-times-2020032719333