Changes You Can Make To Get Better Quality Sleep - Part Two of the Science of Sleep

As we know, sleep is vital to maintaining health, wellness, and balance within the body. Without adequate amounts of sleep, not only is it difficult to function, but we put ourselves at risk of many life-threatening health conditions.¹

Even though many of my patients understand the importance of sleep, many of them still struggle to get enough good, quality sleep. Despite their efforts, many people still:

  • Lay in bed for hours before falling asleep.

  • Toss and turn all night.

  • Wake up feeling groggy.

Our ability to fall asleep, stay asleep, and get sound sleep isn’t just determined by what we do in the few minutes before we go to bed; it’s based on decisions we make throughout the day. 

As soon as we wake up each morning, our body starts an internal “timer” that basically counts down to when we’re going to get tired and fall asleep again. This is also known as the circadian rhythm. And as much as our body tries to maintain a consistent schedule, our circadian rhythm can be influenced by certain things we consume, expose ourselves to, or do throughout the day.

Exposure to light, the use of electric devices, the time we exercise, and even the way we breath are all ways that our circadian rhythm and overall quality of sleep can be affected. By making small adjustments to the timing and amounts of things we do on a daily basis, we can optimize our circadian rhythm and reap the benefits of good, quality sleep.

Adjust Exposure to Light and Darkness

As you’ve likely experienced, exposure to light makes you feel more awake, while exposure to darkness does just the opposite. The timing, type, and intensity of light experienced throughout the day can greatly affect our circadian rhythm and therefore our ability to fall asleep at night. 

Light has one of the most important influences on sleep, and our bodies have amazing  mechanisms to detect it. And not all light is created equal. Our eyes contain different neurons that work to detect morning and evening light. When certain types of light are detected, these neurons then send signals to our nervous systems to encourage wakefulness or sleepiness.²

In the morning and afternoon, exposure to light is key to staying awake and alert. When we see light in the morning, the neurons in the eyes send signals to the brain to release a chemical called cortisol. Cortisol has gained a bad reputation because excess amounts of it can be bad for your health, but it’s a key part of a healthy circadian rhythm.

In fact, the release of cortisol in the morning is the primary thing that starts the internal “timer” for you to fall asleep later in the evening.²

Also, when we view light, our body blocks the secretion of melatonin, which is the most important hormone that our bodies secrete to put us in a sleepy state. So when light is viewed too late in the day, our body struggles to secrete enough melatonin to help us get to sleep later. 

Here are some ways you can adjust your exposure to light to get better sleep:

  1. Watch the sunrise and sunset. 

    • Directly exposing your body to morning and evening light is one of the best ways to nurture your circadian rhythm. The best time to get outside in the morning is as soon as you wake up. 

    • At minimum, your body needs five minutes on a clear day, 10 minutes on a partly cloudy day, and 20 minutes on a day with heavy cloud-cover or rain.² And it’s best to get this sunlight from being outside, as exposure through a window or windshield isn’t nearly as effective. 

    • In the evening, the sun produces different light than the morning, and there are different receptors in our eyes to detect it. If you live in an area with limited natural sunlight, it’s still important to get outside, as your eyes will still register what light there is. You can also get a device to help supplement some of the sunlight. 

  2. Avoid Light At Night (LAN). 

    • As we start to wind down for the day and get ready for bed, lowering the lights in our house and bedrooms will help our bodies prepare for sleep. LAN impacts sleep so much that many people consider it to be an environmental pollutant. 

    • It’s recommended to use as little light as possible starting three hours before bedtime.³ 

    • And as a general rule, don’t use overhead lights at night. If you must have lights on at nighttime, you should avoid using any overhead lighting. This again has to do with the receptors in our eyes. Not only do these receptors measure the type of light we see, but they also detect where the light is coming from. Because of this, overhead lighting is registered as daytime light. 

    • To learn more about the impact that LAN has on sleep and your health, check out this book by T.S. Wiley: Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar, and Survival.

  3. Block out all light at night.

    • One of the best ways to do this is by getting light-blocking shades. But before making the leap to spend money on light-blocking shades or curtains, some of my patients have been experimenting with covering the windows in their bedrooms with cardboard or black plastic bags. 

    • It’s also important to note that even light from digital electronics, smoke alarms, and light switches can affect your sleep. Covering the screens of electronics like a digital alarm clock with a dark colored washcloth or a small piece of black electrical tape can help you get better sleep. 

When it comes to sleep, the light from the sun and from light structures in our homes aren’t the only types of light we need to be aware of. The light from electronic devices has been found to be especially harmful to our bodies’ circadian rhythms.

Avoid Wireless Technology and Screen Time Before Bedtime

It should come as no surprise that the screens on televisions and portable electronic devices poorly affect sleep. And even though majority of us know that, it’s estimated that 70% of adults in America use some type of electronic device before they try to fall asleep.⁴

Screen time before bed causes disruptions in sleep in several different ways. The light that the screens of televisions, computers, tablets, and phones produce will stimulate those receptors in our eyes, which will cause us to feel more awake. Due to this, it’s important to avoid screen time at least one to two hours before going to bed. 

The other main reason why many electronics devices disrupt sleep is because they emit electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs). This pertains to electronic devices that are wireless and have Bluetooth technology, such as:

  • Tablets

  • Wireless computers/laptops

  • Smart phones

  • Smart watches

  • Other wearable devices

The EMFs that these devices produce negatively impact our nervous systems. They also impair our immune systems and the body’s ability to detoxify by lowering the levels of two of the most important antioxidants in the body: Glutathione and Superoxide dismutase.⁵

Studies have shown that electronic devices also poorly affect the regulation of melatonin in the body. Electric devices actually block the release of melatonin in the body.⁶ This not only happens from electronic device use before bed, but also from the use of EMF-producing devices throughout the day. Even minimal use of one of these devices during the day, like a cell phone, can have major effects on melatonin secretion at night time in the body.

Lastly, EMFs have been shown to increase cortisol levels. High amounts of cortisol are released by the body when we first wake up in the morning, as it helps us to turn on that internal “timer” we need to fall asleep later that night. However, if cortisol levels are increased before we try to go to bed, we’re going to have a difficult time falling asleep.⁵

Due to the negative effects that most electronic devices have on sleep, here are some changes regarding electronics that you can make in your nighttime routine:

  1. Place all wireless technology in a room that’s far away from where you sleep. 

  2. Consider turning off the wifi in your home at night time while you’re asleep.

  3. If you have a wearable device like a smartwatch or a FitBit, set it to airplane mode while you sleep. Better yet, take it off all together and leave it in a room far away from where you sleep

It may be difficult to notice the effect that electronic devices have on your quality of sleep, and this is primarily because we have gotten so used to how they affect our sleep. I remember when my husband and I were given FitBits, and we were so excited to try them out and track our data. The first week that we wore them, we noticed that neither of us could sleep. But as soon as we took them off, we instantly got a good night’s sleep. 

If you decrease your electronic use close to bedtime and make an effort to keep them out of the room you sleep in, you’ll see a big improvement in your quality of sleep.  Read more about the effects that technology and EMFs have on humans in this book by Nicolas Pineault: “The Non-Tin Foil Guide to EMF Technology.”

Lower Your Body Temperature For Better Sleep

The body’s ability to detect and analyze light isn’t the only thing it uses to regulate sleep. Body temperature is the other main influence on when our bodies go to sleep and wake up. 

In order for us to fall asleep, our body temperature has to decrease by about one to three degrees fahrenheit. And the cooler your sleeping environment and your body is, the greater your chance of falling and staying sleep is.²

In contrast, the warmer your sleeping environment and your body is, the more awake you’re going to be. 

Here are some ways to adjust body temperature to improve your quality of sleep:

  1. Keep the room you sleep in at a cool temperature

  2. If you run warm while you sleep and notice that you wake up during the night throwing off blankets, you can consider getting a cooling mattress. However, many cooling mattresses emit EMFs, and I haven’t done the research to see if any of them do not emit EMFs. So please make sure that you look into this prior to purchasing one. If you do get a cooling mattress, you can time the mattress to cool down right around the time you typically wake up. This will help to keep you asleep. Other products such as this cooling watch, which is made for women with hot flashes, has been helpful for several of my patients who would wake up too hot at night. It also has the capability of disconnecting from wifi while in use. 

  3. Keep your socks off during sleep, as this allows the body to be cooler.

  4. Avoid strenuous exercise before bed, as intense exercise increases body temperature.

  5. Take a warm shower before bed. Contrary to what it seems, taking a warm shower will actually cause your body to lower its temperature in response to the hot water being detected on the skin. 

As you consistently implement good sleep practices and move into a more natural cycle for sleep, your body will get better and better at regulating its temperature for sleep. But if you’re at the beginning of your sleep journey or if you have a major change in your sleep schedule, the above methods can help you sleep better.

Exercise In The Morning

While exercise is overall great for physical and mental health, the timing of exercise can greatly impact sleep. As mentioned before, body temperature can be affected by the type of exercise that’s performed. And body temperature greatly affects the body’s ability to sleep and be awake. 

If you exercise, it’s best to do so in the morning. Exercising right after you wake up or three hours after waking is optimal. This is the best time in the day to do strenuous activity like lifting weights, biking, or jogging. If you live in an area where you can get outside to do these types of exercises in the morning, you’ll also be able to take advantage of the morning sunlight. 

However, if you must exercise in the evening, it’s recommended to opt for exercise types like stretching or yoga and to do it about 11 hours after waking.² Choosing exercise that is relaxing later in the day will allow your body temperature to naturally decrease, which prepares the body to sleep. 

There are so many things that you can do throughout the day and within the hours leading up to bedtime to optimize your sleep. But if you find that you still have problems sleeping, you may need to make changes to how you breathe during sleep.

Change How You Breathe During Sleep

How you breathe while you’re asleep can have detrimental effects on your health. It can also cause you to wake up in the night and have overall restless sleep.

Mouth breathing during sleep has been linked to sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA is a condition that causes a temporary collapse of the airway, which disrupts breathing, sleep, and overall health and wellbeing. 

The majority of people with OSA are mouth-breathers, and continued breathing through the mouth has been shown to severely worsen sleep apnea symptoms. However, there is a way to fix the way you breathe during sleep.

By taping your mouth shut while you sleep, you can teach your body to breathe through your nose instead of your mouth. These mouth-breathing strips are effective and easy to use. Recent studies have shown that by doing this, people with mild OSA can have significant improvements in their sleep apnea symptoms, including snoring.⁷ 

Read more about the significance of and newfound purposes of breathing in my blog: How Breathing Can Boost Your Immunity and Longevity. If you suffer from mild OSA and notice that your sleep quality is suffering, adjusting the way you breathe during sleep will not only improve your symptoms of OSA, but it can also improve your sleep.

Supplements That Can Improve Your Quality of Sleep

While these tools help many people improve the quality of their sleep, I find that some of my patients still need more help. There are several supplements that have been researched and found to improve the quality of sleep. By combining certain supplements with healthy sleep practices, you can experience good, restorative sleep. 

I’ll be reviewing which ones I recommend to my patients that struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep in next month’s blog. So stay tuned for more ideas to help support your sleep, and have fun trying out the ideas and recommendations in this blog.