The Science of Sleep: Tips to Help You Drift Off

There's nothing quite as aggravating when you lay down in your bed after a long day and can't seem to fall asleep. Many people struggle with this on a daily basis and the compounding effects of it can be debilitating. While there are many tools to use around the time you go to bed, did you know that what you do throughout the day also contributes to how well you are able to fall asleep?

Exposing yourself to blue light early in the day and limiting it in the time leading up to sleep is one tool to apply. Early blue light exposure (morning sunlight) has a powerful effect in increasing early alertness and setting your circadian rhythm. Conversely, limiting blue light (phones, devices, bright house lights) in the later evening, approximately two hours before you go to bed will also allow your system to relax and set you up for nighttime sleeping success.

Caffeine is another factor to consider. While early caffeine typically does not disturb sleep habits, consuming caffeine within five to six hours of your typical sleeping time will impair your ability to wind down. 

The timing of exercise during the day is also another modifiable behavioral factor. Exercising earlier in the day has benefits for raising core body temperature and improving alertness. However, during sleep, core body temperature tends to drop. Exercising too late in the evening and closer to your bed time can negatively impact the natural rhythm of body temperatures, thus impeding on your ability to get to sleep. 

Another tool you can employ to get to sleep is breathwork. Utilizing breathwork in which there is a focus in increasing exhalation duration allows for your nervous system to increase activation of the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system (rest, digest, restore). This shift decreases stress response and signals to the body that it is time to relax. One example of a breathwork routine is inhaling for 4 seconds, holding the breath in for 7 seconds, then slowly exhaling for 8 seconds.

The next time you struggle to get to sleep, consider modifying your daily habits. Awareness of how your routine is impacting your sleep is so important for changing your trajectory and ensuring you get quality rest you need to function well.