How to Sleep Better

Getting a regular sleep cycle

Consistent sleep schedule: sleeping at the same time every day and waking up every day, even on weekends, is a way to ensure your sleep cycle is regular.

Natural light: expose yourself to natural light in the morning and during the day to regulate your sleep cycle.

Avoid blue light at night: avoid blue light at night. You can do this by using the night shift feature on your phone/laptop, and minimising digital use at night. I also have a smart bulb which I automatically set to be the warmest at lower brightness.

Make your room cool & dark: this is the best environment to help you get to sleep. Consider using fans or air conditioning if it is too hot, and consider getting blackout curtains or a sleep mask to block the light.

Invest in good bedding: invest in a comfy bed, mattress and high quality bedding. Sleep is something we spend a large chunk of our lives doing, so might as well invest in it properly.

Magnesium supplement: magnesium can help your brain and body relax. Take a magnesium glycinate supplement to help you get better sleep.

Napping: avoid napping late in the day (past 6 pm) as it becomes harder to sleep. If you need to nap, keep it short 20–30 mins.

Substances: avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol late in the day (past 6 pm) as it can disrupt sleep. Also, avoid a heavy meal or sugary foods close to bedtime.

Exercise: avoid high intensity exercise close to bedtime.

Track your sleep: track your sleep to see how you are doing. I use Withings sleep tracker to track my sleep performance.In this post, I will cover ways that I have found that have improved my sleep.

Why is sleep important?

Sleep plays a crucial role in cognitive function, immune system function and reduces risk of chronic health conditions. Good sleep is associated with:

• Improved cognitive function: sleep plays a crucial role in brain plasticity, helping to form neural connections and new memories.
• Improved immune system function: the body produces cytokines, which support immune function. Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to increased vulnerability to infections.
• Reduced disk of chronic health conditions: chronic sleep deprivation is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

Good sleep is crucial for both physical and mental health. Aim for 7–9 hours of sleep per night and prioritise good sleep quality. This article will show you how you can fix your sleep and get a regular sleep cycle with good sleep quality.

Wind down routine

A good wind down routine can get you into the habit of signalling to your body that it's time to sleep. This can help you sleep at the same time and get enough sleep to wake up at the same time each morning.

Here is how to develop a wind down routine:

1. Duration of sleep: determine how many hours of sleep you want to aim for. Let's say 8 hours. Add 30 mins to this, since it takes around 30 mins for you to actually fall asleep. That means you need to put your head to bed 8 h 30 min before your desired wake-up time.
2. Wake-up time: determine what time you want to wake up. Let's say 7 am. This means you need to put your head to bed at 10:30 pm to give yourself enough sleep.
3. Bedtime: determine what you want to do during your wind down to work out how long your wind down should be. For example, you might want to floss, brush, do skincare, take your supplements, journal and read a book. This might take around 1 hour, so you need to start winding down at 9:30 pm.

Getting a regular sleep cycle

• Consistent sleep schedule: sleeping at the same time every day and waking up every day, even on weekends, is a way to ensure your sleep cycle is regular.
• Natural light: expose yourself to natural light in the morning and during the day to regulate your sleep cycle.
• Avoid blue light at night: avoid blue light at night. You can do this by using the night shift feature on your phone/laptop, and minimising digital use at night. I also have a smart bulb which I automatically set to be the warmest at lower brightness.
• Make your room cool & dark: this is the best environment to help you get to sleep. Consider using fans or air conditioning if it is too hot, and consider getting blackout curtains or a sleep mask to block the light.
• Invest in good bedding: invest in a comfy bed, mattress and high quality bedding. Sleep is something we spend a large chunk of our lives doing, so might as well invest in it properly.
• Magnesium supplement: magnesium can help your brain and body relax. Take a magnesium glycinate supplement to help you get better sleep.
• Napping: avoid napping late in the day (past 6 pm) as it becomes harder to sleep. If you need to nap, keep it short 20–30 mins.
• Substances: avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol late in the day (past 6 pm) as it can disrupt sleep. Also, avoid a heavy meal or sugary foods close to bedtime.
• Exercise: avoid high intensity exercise close to bedtime.
• Track your sleep: track your sleep to see how you are doing. I use Withings sleep tracker to track my sleep performance.

If you are struggling to get good sleep

• Consider a melatonin supplement: melatonin is a hormone that regulates sleep. A melatonin supplement before bed may help to promote sleep.
• Noise regulation: consider getting a white noise machine or using ear plugs to block out external noise to help you sleep.
• Cold shower in the morning: take a cold shower in the morning to spike your cortisol levels and help regulate your circadian rhythm.
• Go outside in the morning: getting bright light in the morning can help regulate your circadian rhythm. If it's dark outside when you wake up, consider getting a wake-up light.
• Professional help: if you are having chronic sleep problems, you should seek help from your doctor.