Experiment with these three strategies to maximize your rest time:
Getting sleep is important but FEELING rested and refreshed isn't necessarily a given even with effort to make sleep a priority.
Heed Your Hydration
Instead of pouring yourself a cup of coffee right away in the morning try reaching for a tall glass of room temperature water first. Sometimes a contributing factor to the grogginess and lack of energy that we feel first thing in the morning is dehydration and sluggish digestion, both of which can be helped with water! It is fine if you have your coffee too of course but experiment around drinking 16-24 oz of water first and see if you notice any differences in your body’s energy over time.
Getting used to carrying a reusable water bottle with you can also be a way to naturally drink more water. I personal am a fan of the insulated stainless steel Hydro flask as it works for a sports bottle but also looks nice enough to take to the office and it keeps the liquid temperature stable. Some people have success with a visual reminder of water intake like putting rubber bands around the bottom of their water bottle and moving one up every time they refill it so at the end of a busy day they can assess how it went.
And if you want bonus points, put a glass on your nightstand and drink it if you wake up in the middle of the night. I like to use an insulated tumbler with a lid and a straw so I don’t have to worry about it getting spilled when I carry it around and also, for me, it feels easier to drink larger amounts with a straw!
Perhaps the most powerful tool for many of us to fall asleep quickly, sleep soundly, and wake up refreshed is to get in synch with our natural circadian rhythm. Our circadian rhythm is our natural internal clock of “wake time” and “sleep time”. Even though we live in a modern world that is not limited by nature’s dark and light periods our circadian rhythm is still somewhat anchored by these natural rhythms. To get your body on an efficient sleep routine, where you can fall asleep soundly and sleep deeply, try paying attention to your light exposure.
Why is this helpful? Well artificial lights and especially blue lights from electronics can confuse the circadian rhythm into thinking that it is not time to go to sleep and can disrupt the natural production of melatonin! You know that feeling where you are exhausted all day and then all the sudden are full of energy at 11pm and keep letting the next episode run on Netflix? Yup. . that can be a sign that your circadian rhythm is out of whack.
Now I know that turning off all the lights and electronics at sundown isn’t necessarily realistic. However, a step in the right direction could be to limit time on electronics after a certain time and dim the lights in your home an hour or two before you plan to head to bed. Some people also benefit from getting amber tinted glasses to block some of the blue light exposure from technology in the evening. They are relatively inexpensive and have been shown to be effective in stopping light induced melatonin suppression.
Now there is another side to this as well. Did you also know that part of this circadian rhythm struggle is getting ENOUGH light during the day? Most of us are around light all day in our homes and workplaces so it is easy to assume we are getting enough. However artificial indoor light does not have the same impact on circadian rhythm as the sun. The early morning sun can be especially beneficial to your circadian rhythm and help reset your internal clock to go to sleep earlier. You may find it helpful to experiment with drinking your morning coffee out on the porch to enjoy a few minutes of sun. Or try taking a ten min work break sometime mid-morning and get out in the sun for a quick walk to stretch your legs. Just a small amount of time can have a big impact in shifting your natural rhythm to one that is more supportive of sleep!
Synch your Circadian
Unwind your Mind
When your day is crammed full it can be hard to “flip the switch” to rest mode when it is time to go to bed and you may find that you lay in bed trying to turn off the mental replay of the day and the preview of what is coming up. Instead of thinking of your daytime energy like an electronic light switch that turns off the light at the end of the day, try experimenting around thinking of it more like a fire burning out. It is gradual and it takes a little bit of time! There also needs to be some intentionality around it or the fire of mental energy and stress may not burn out completely and it could flare back up in the middle of the night! The process of preparing your mind for rest is often unique and individual to you. In other words, you may have to do a little bit of experimenting to find what works. Here are a few methods to get you started!
Do you find yourself laying there going over a list of things you need to do or perhaps remembering things you forgot to do? It might be helpful to spend a few minutes doing a “brain dump” of thoughts, ideas, and tasks into a journal before bed (along with scheduling anything that need to be acted on so your brain can relax knowing it won’t be forgotten). Once your brain is no longer in action mode trying to make sure nothing is forgotten it is easier for it to let the fire burn out slowly to rest.
Maybe you find your mind is on overdrive replaying things you said or did and which you would have done differently? For most of us a calm mind does not come naturally and the process of trying to get there can feel frustrating and hard. It might be helpful to experiment with some guided mindfulness exercises or sleep stories to help the mental energy of the fire die down to embers so you can rest. Some apps that can be helpful with guided mindfulness exercises and sleep stories include: Insight Timer; Stop, Breathe & Think; Headspace; Mindful; Calm; and Simple Habit.
