Sleeping at a fixed time and limiting light at night are two of the five tips from an American psychologist to help people sleep well.
Lisa Strauss, a clinical psychologist in Boston, shares five tips to help people sleep better in the new year. They cover five aspects, including sleep needs, circadian rhythms, sleep hygiene, overthinking, and bedtime activities.
These recommendations often work best when combined, Strauss says. However, they are not a substitute for medical care, so see your doctor if you have trouble sleeping.
Here are Strauss's tips, based on five aspects of sleep:
Sleep needs
The need to sleep, also known as “sleep pressure,” is one of two important physiological factors that determine sleep tendency. Humans accumulate the need to sleep throughout the day, and it only begins to dissipate when we sleep at night.
“Sleep compression” is Strauss’ top tip. The goal is to get deeper sleep, reduce the number of times you wake up, and reduce the amount of time you wake up during the night. It won’t cause insomnia.
For several nights in a row (up to two weeks), Strauss recommends setting consistent, comfortable sleep “bars” (say, 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.). Go to bed when you feel ready and wake up when you want, as long as you don’t sleep outside those two windows, even if you had a bad night’s sleep. You can always squeeze in more or less sleep through trial and error.
Circadian rhythm
Circadian rhythm is another important physiological factor that determines sleep.
Limit all light in the middle of the night. This is when our eyes are dark-adapted and our biological clocks are especially sensitive. Light at this time sends a “sunlight” signal to our primitive biological clock. It shifts our internal time zones, disrupting sleep and other physiological processes.
The blue (short-wavelength) end of the spectrum is also something to avoid in the middle of the night. This advice stems in part from the fact that blue light is preferentially absorbed by the photopigment melanopsin, which regulates and suppresses the hormone of darkness, melatonin.
But longer-wavelength light, if intense enough, has a similar effect on melanopsin and circadian rhythms. Most light sources emit a broad spectrum, so a combination of avoiding blue light and lowering your lighting to dim levels at night is recommended.
Ideally, it should be dark all night, but if you need light to read or move around, make sure the light is as soft as possible (just enough to avoid straining your eyes from looking in the dark). Also, use red bulbs, yellow bulbs, or blue-light blocking glasses.
Illustration of a person taking a nap. Photo: Freepik
Sleep hygiene
Sleep hygiene includes environmental conditions and behaviors that affect sleep, such as room temperature and caffeine consumption.
Limit your alcohol intake in the evening. As a central nervous system depressant, alcohol can help you relax and fall asleep. However, it alters sleep stages and can leave you feeling restless, disorganized, and awake when the alcohol wears off. Alcohol can also make sleep apnea worse.
Limit your alcohol intake and avoid it altogether within 3-4 hours of bedtime. Regularly having a glass of wine with dinner can be a culprit in keeping you awake at night.
Thinking too much at night
Elements of overthinking disorder include the content, speed, intrusiveness, and restlessness of thoughts.
Distract yourself gently. Be persistent and don't hesitate to shift your focus to lighter thoughts. Make peace with your thoughts, letting them subside instead of trying not to think about them.
The object we should focus on in our thoughts can be words, pictures, or even tactile.
Conjuring up objects in your mind allows you to stay in the dark and not have to touch a book or music player. Techniques for doing this include visualizing a pleasant scenario, being conscious of your breathing, playing alphabet games (think of a mammal that starts with each letter, for example), or making up stories.
Activities before bed
This category might include activities like relaxing, deciding when to go to bed, and when to pause activities like checking email and the news.
Get things done before you fall asleep. It can be a little frustrating to start feeling sleepy in the middle of a task and then have to interrupt your sleep to turn off the lights, go to the bathroom, take medication, put on pajamas, etc. It also signals that your body may not be ready for sleep when it does.
Additionally, Strauss suggests that people with certain conditions may benefit from self-talk to help them sleep better. Some phrases Strauss suggests these people say to themselves include:
- If you have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): "You deserve to rest and sleep even if you haven't finished everything."
- If you're worried about sleep: "Sleep is not a responsibility."
- If you have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): "OCD thoughts can wait until tomorrow."
- If you have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): "You are safe. I hope you are okay."
- If you're feeling extremely stressed: "Let's take a break. We'll get ready for tomorrow's battle and then we'll feel better."
Khanh Linh (The Washington Post )
Source link
Comment (0)