Random musings: Sleep Better - Day 4

Time to get back to our 6 part series on getting better sleep.

Days 4, 5 & 6 each had one video and this is what each video discussed:

In day 4, Dr. Breus talked about your bedroom environment, including four of the five senses:

For sight:

Bedroom wall paint: Use a flat-finish paint, with simple, peaceful colors.
Choose non-halogen, natural-light, 45-watt bulbs. My choice is Healthe Lights.
1 hour before bed, dim the lights to less than 200 watts.
Install nightlights so you don’t need to turn the lights on if you get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
Use a sleep mask to block unwanted light from the street or install blackout curtains in your bedroom.
Wear blue light blocking glasses after sunset.
Set a timer that turns your TV off automatically to limit your blue light exposure at night.

For sound:

Wear earplugs to help limit noise and disruptions from your partner or pets. You want earplugs with a noise level ration of 32 decibels or less.
Use a sound machine to drown out noises through the night that might wake you up otherwise

My personal pick: iHome Zenergy

For an alarm clock, choose the least jarring wake-up sound that is still effective for you.

For feel:

Touch is so important because our sleep-wake cycle depends on our body temperature lowering before sleep onset.
Room Temperature: The ideal temperature is between 65-72 degrees F.
Mattress: Choose one that feels best to you personally but does not make you sink at the hips. Firmer does not mean more support!
Pillows: Make sure you replace these every 18 months.

Stomach sleepers: You may need a softer pillow or none at all.
Back sleepers: You may want a flatter pillow to keep your head and neck in alignment

Sheets: Higher thread count sheets are softer and last longer. Anything over 500 is not necessary.

I have an Oxygen pillow, unfortunately it's 8 years old now, so I really need to look at getting a new pillow.

And for smell:

Choosing the right scents in the bedroom can enhance your sleep sanctuary.
Open the windows to introduce fresh air into the bedroom.
Use an air filter: Reducing pet dander, dust and pollutants is important for your sleep environment.
Regulate humidity: Consider using a humidifier or dehumidifier if you live in a place with dry or humid air.
Aromatherapy: Chamomile and lavender have relaxing properties.

I have a diffuser I use for doTerra essential oils, although it's been awhile since I've used it.

Day 5 talks about the importance of your daily routine:

Do NOT start by looking at your phone (I'm guilty of this one)...give yourself at least an hour before you look at your phone!

Here's a 7 step morning routine:

Step 1: Wake up and breathe

Set the intention for your day by starting each morning with 5 deep breaths. Breathe in for a count of 5 and breathe out for a count of 5. Make these breaths intentional and slow.

Step 2: Morning stretching

Get your body moving by incorporating a couple stretches each morning that tell your body it is time to get going. Examples of these stretches include:

Figure Four

Rag-doll pose

Forward Fold

Downward Dog

Step 3: Hydration

Sleep and hydration have a bidirectional relationship, meaning that sleep deprivation can lead to dehydration and dehydration can also cause sleep disturbances. Vasopressin is released later in the night and is the hormone that is responsible for maintaining hydration levels so we do not lose too much water during the night. So, if you are not sleeping well then you could miss the sleep cycle that releases vasopressin, leaving your dehydrated by the morning.

Aim to drink 20 ounces of water first thing in the morning before you eat anything.

Wait 90 minutes until you drink coffee or other caffeinated beverages which are diuretics.

Step 4: Sunlight

Light exposure in the morning helps to shut off melatonin production, our sleepy hormone. Getting in the sun first thing in the morning will wake you, reset your hormones, and make sure you are energized for your day.

Step 5: Get ready for your day

Morning shower: During that last 2 minutes of your shower, turn the water to cold in order to increase mental alertness. Make sure you are facing the shower head and that your face is in the water to get the full affect. Use this time to focus on your breathing. Decrease the temperature of the water every 15 seconds until it is almost uncomfortable, all while continuing to breathe slowly.

Step 6: Music

While you are getting dressed, make sure there is music playing in the background. Choose songs that make you want to dance. This will increase your feel good neurotransmitters and get your adrenaline going to wake up your brain for the day.

Step 7: Breakfast

Choose a breakfast high in protein and low in carbohydrates to optimize your energy levels and brain function. Higher carbohydrate meals like muffins or bagels will leave you feeling sleepy throughout the day so skip the carbs and opt for the eggs.

I'm not sure where to fit in exercise...you may have to check what it says about your chronotype.

Day 6 is all about sleeping with a partner:

There are several points to take note of, whether your sleep partner is a human or a pet.

One of the most common problems is snoring.

Snoring not only disturbs your partner’s sleep, it affects the quality of sleep that you are getting.
Snoring is a form of sleep-disordered breathing. Snoring increases your risk for heart disease, stroke, accidental injury, depression and anxiety, and diminishes sexual satisfaction.
Causes of snoring:

Overweight
Older in age
Drinking alcohol
Smoking
Sleeping on your back

Sleep Optimization Tips: Beat snoring

Lose weight: Even as little as a 5% weight loss can make a big impact on snoring.
Sleeping on your side can help decrease the intensity and frequency of snoring episodes.
Avoid alcohol and quit smoking.
And if all of the above still don’t fix the issue then you should talk to your doctor about getting a sleep test to screen for sleep apnea.

Another common problem is sleeping with pets...although there can be many benefits to sleeping with a pet, there are also hazards:

Your sleep partner may not be human, but our furry friends can disrupt our sleep just the same.
Positive benefits of having your pet in bed with you:

Sleeping with a pet that does not disturb your shut-eye may add to your psychological well being, especially if you do not have a human sleep partner.
Pets may also play a transitional role at bedtime by triggering a sense of routine, order, and security which eases the path to sleep.

Negative consequences of sleeping with your pet:

A mismatch in human/pet core body temperatures may contribute to disrupted sleep. Remember that your body temperature must drop down around 10:30 PM to help you initiate sleep. If sleeping next to a pet prohibits this drop in core body temperature then sleep onset may be affected.
Dogs and humans also have different sleep-wake-cycles so they are more likely to wake up when you should still be sleeping.
Animals have more acute hearing than humans which can be a big problem. If your dog barks at every little noise then you may have to find different sleep arrangements for your furry friend.

Sleep Optimization Tips: Hacks for co-sleeping with your pet

Put a small blanket, or a mini-bed, on top of the bed to train them to sleep in one area. This will help minimize disturbances.
Make sure they stay on top of the covers to reduce the chances of them waking you up.

What if one of you has Restless Leg Syndrome?

10-15% of the population experiences “pins and needles,” “an internal itch,” or a “creeping, crawling” sensation in their legs. Restless leg syndrome can cause people to wake up at night in order to move their legs, even forcing people to get up and walk around to relieve the sensation.
Researchers hypothesize that a build up of glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter, may cause the perceived need for movement and be at the root of restless leg syndrome.
The cause is still unknown but possible causes include:

Iron deficiency
Pregnancy
Other medical conditions

Sleep Optimization Tips: Restless Leg Syndrome

If you think that you have restless leg syndrome, then speak to a neurologist who is trained in sleep disorders so you can regain your sleep health.

What if you and your partner have different sleep schedules?

One of the most common issues is when couples have different sleep schedules.
Why does this happen? Your biology is different! Everyone has a unique chronotype that determines your sleep cycle.

Sleep Optimization Tips: Different sleep schedules

Have the night owl hangout in bed with the early bird to harness the power of oxytocin, our bonding hormone.
Make sure the night owl stays on top of the covers so when the early bird falls asleep the night owl can leave without waking them up.
Keep an animal or pillow between the two of you to minimize the disturbance when the night owl gets out of bed.
Use headphones if you are watching a TV show while your partner is sleeping. (And use blue light blocking glasses!)
Turn down the brightness of your screen for your sleep health and your partners.
If the night owl wants to get up make sure you wait until the early bird has been sleeping for at least 10 minutes.
If you want to read, use a book light to limit the effect on your sleep partner.
Early risers should look for a silent vibrating alarm clock so you don’t wake your partner.
And night owls/wolves, make sure you invest in sleep gear to limit your chances of getting woken up by the early riser. Helpful sleep gear includes:

Eyeshades
Earplugs
Sound machine

Here's a common problem...waking up to go to the bathroom:

Don’t look at the clock! This will trigger you to do the math and get anxious if you only have a few hours left to sleep.
Do not turn on the lights. Use nightlights in the hallway or bathroom so your eyes are spared from the light exposure.
Breathe. Slowing down your breathing can help slow down your heart rate. When you are sleeping you want your heart rate below 60.
Try my 4-7-8 breathing method! You have access to an example of this in the course.

Finally, what about if you wake up at 3 AM for no reason?

Waking at 3 AM can be due to low blood sugar. You may feel like your mind is racing, and you can’t fall back asleep.
When your blood sugar gets too low, your body releases cortisol to help bring it back to a normal level. But cortisol is our get-up-and-go hormone so it wakes us up and makes us feel alert and energized- not ideal for sleep!

Sleep Optimization Tips: Beat low blood sugar

Try eating a teaspoon of raw honey before bed to help stabilize your blood sugar throughout the night.
Guava Leaf Tea is another option to help balance your blood sugar during the night.

That was a lot of material to cover. Tuesday's and Wednesday's posts will cover two days each.

Day 1
Day 2

Day 3
Day 4 - 6
Day 7 - 8
Day 9 - 10