By Richmond Natural Medicine

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May 11, 2018

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For many people, sleeping can be one of the most difficult aspects of their health. If we’re running at a sleep deficit regularly, it can be extremely stressful and physiologically detrimental to our entire body and psyche.

Maintaining good sleep hygiene is essential in helping to support the body’s entrained circadian rhythm but many of our current modern day habits are detrimental to these sleep hygiene practices.

Below are 5 best practices to perfect sleep hygiene.  All of them are within your control to adjust and develop habits around. Even focusing on one at a time will be beneficial in the long term!

1. Create a safe, calm, comfortable (and uninterrupted) sleeping space – Your bedroom should ideally be a space that supports deep and uninterrupted sleep above anything else. Do your best to keep this space tidy and clean and as comfortable and aerated as possible. One of the most common reasons people have a hard time sleeping is that they allow actual physical disturbances in their bedroom – namely pets – that wake them up at night. If you have a lot of noise outside of your bedroom windows, try using a white noise machine to drown out the sound. Try using essential oil sprays to infuse your surroundings with calming scents. If the temperature is uncomfortable for you, invest in systems that will aid in your comfort while sleeping.
2. Light & dark cues – Environmental triggers are essential to support your body’s circadian rhythm, and often our light and dark cues are ignored due to our living situations and schedules. We need to perceive the absence of light in order for our melatonin to rise and our cortisol levels to decline (ie – we need to perceive a “sunset”). When we keep lights on until the moment we want to fall asleep, it makes it challenging for our hormones to know what to do and adjust right away. 30 minutes before you want to fall asleep, dim your lights as low as possible to allow your body that hormonal transition. Consider getting a dim lamp or salt lamp. These also work perfectly if you’re waking up before the sunrise. Turn this on immediately upon waking in the dark for your eyes to adjust to this “sunrise” for at least 10 minutes before rising from bed to support your cortisol levels.
3. Avoiding the screens – This relates to dimming your lights and perceiving darkness before bedtime. When we stare at screens (namely TV’s, phones and computers), that stimulating light is telling our brains to remain alert and prevents the release of appropriate hormones in the brain that help us fall asleep. At least 30 minutes before bedtime (while you’re dimming your lights for your own personal “sunset”), avoid all screens whenever possible and do something calming and relaxing such as a reading an actual book, yoga, meditation or gentle movement, crafting something with your hands or even listening to a calming podcast or music.
4. Avoid foods at least 4 hours before falling asleep – Digesting food is very metabolically expensive. When we have our largest meal in the evenings (which is very common for most people), it takes several hours for the body to adequately process the caloric burden. When you’re sleeping, you want your body’s energy to go towards resting and repairing all of your other organ systems – not towards digesting food. When possible, try to keep your dinner portions smaller and eat as early as possible. Avoid late night snacking.
5. Calm your mind from a busy day – Once our days are done, there’s often a lot to process and think about. Allow yourself some intentional time to decompress from your day and settle your mind. Journal or meditate if this may help you avoid over-thinking (or having a “monkey mind”) when you’re trying to fall asleep. Also, avoid watching the news or anything stressful before bed, as we carry this in our subconscious while we sleep and could lead to more stressful dreams.

If you’re needing support with sleep and optimizing your circadian rhythm health, consider scheduling an appointment with our clinical herbalist, Lindsay Kluge, for an individualized approach to enhancing your sleep hygiene.

Read more:

Circadian Rhythm: The Importance of our Internal Clock

Sustained Energy: Herbs to Support Your Cortisol Rhythm

5 Habits that Contribute to Poor Sleep

About the Author:

Lindsay Kluge is a Clinical Herbalist & Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist and received her Masters of Science degree in Herbal Medicine from the Maryland University of Integrative Health in 2012. She has been with Richmond Natural Medicine since 2013, and specializes in therapeutic holistic nutrition, circadian rhythm balance and sleep physiology, digestion, and Ayurvedic nutrition. She offers individualized nutrition and herbal medicine consultations that include meal planning support, custom compounded herbal formulas, nutrition guidance and general wellness support.  Learn more about services that Lindsay offers at Richmond Natural Medicine by clicking HERE.