Sleep Problems??
- Upstream Wellness
- Jan 5, 2024
- 5 min read
The deeper reason you may not be sleeping well. (Hint: it’s not sleep hygiene.)
How is your sleep? Are you struggling to fall asleep, waking in the middle of the night, or waking up way too early?
We’ve all heard the tips and tricks to improve sleep (aka sleep hygiene): make the room dark and cool; make bedtime consistent; no screen time before bed; use blue blocking glasses; don’t eat 2-3 hours before bed; etc.….. and there is merit to these recommendations, but first I want to share with you what is not covered in these suggestions for improving sleep.
If you have trouble with blood sugar (which many people do and are unaware of), this can lead to problems with sleep.
If you are a woman in her 40s or early 50s and you are in perimenopause or post-menopause and you are not actively making efforts to eat well, exercise, and manage your stress, the hormonal shifts can cause sleep problems (not to mention hot flashes).
If you are a man and your testosterone levels are low, this can cause problems with sleep.
If you have eaten the standard American diet for most of your life or have been exposed to common toxins, your liver may not be in great shape. This can cause problems with sleep (1, 2).
If your adrenal glands (those walnut-shaped glands that sit on top of your kidneys and produce cortisol every time you experience stress) are tapped because you have had a lot of stress in your life over a long period of time, this can cause sleep problems.
If you have certain nutrient deficiencies or food sensitivities, this can affect your sleep.
If you have problems with digesting your food or experience heartburn, this can affect your sleep.
These are just a few reasons why all the tips and tricks you have heard from health professionals in popular media may not be getting you the results you seek. If you have tried all the sleep hygiene suggestions and are still struggling, please, book a free Discovery Call with Stephanie at Upstream Wellness to get to the root of your sleep problems.
Now, back to those sleep hygiene suggestions. To rule out sleep hygiene (or lack thereof) as a cause of sleep problems, there are some great steps you can take to get into some good habits for bedtime:
Stop eating 2-3 hours before bed and have a nutritionally balanced dinner. The digestion process may prevent some people from getting good sleep. This is especially true if you are eating large amounts of food or foods that trigger acid reflux.
Create a dark bedroom. By this, we mean, turn off all lights (especially those pesky blue or red lights on every electronic device from TVs to alarm clocks to air purifiers). Use blackout curtains if you live in an area that has a lot of light outside (urban light or long day length) when you are trying to sleep. Light is one of our bodies’ queues to wake up and likewise, dark can help our bodies fall into a restful state. To that end, dimming the lights (or at least turning off the bright ones) an hour or two before bedtime may also help to prepare your body (and brain) for bed.
Keep the bedroom cool. Aim to keep your bedroom between 60-65 degrees and use blankets to keep warm. The cool air in the evenings triggers your body to prepare for sleep. For hot sleepers, you can also consider devices that keep the bed cool.
Nix the screens at least 1 hour (and ideally 2 hours) before bed. Screens from tablets, smartphones, televisions, etc. all emit wavelengths of light that can interrupt the circadian rhythm (the sleep-wake cycle). Moreover, screen time that involves endless scrolling (think social media) or that increases our stress (think watching news or scary movies) can distract us from recognizing the cues from our body that we are tired. Both of these activities may affect hormones like dopamine or cortisol that work to keep you awake (unlike serotonin and melatonin which support restful sleep).
Wear Blue Light Blocking Glasses at least 2 hours before bed. This is only suggested if you have a good reason for not turning off the screens 1-2 hours before bed. For some people wearing glasses that block the wavelengths known to disrupt the circadian rhythm can allow the body to still prepare for sleep despite the exposure.
Keep a consistent sleep schedule. This allows your body to know when to prepare to wake and sleep.
Similarly, develop a sleep routine that prepares your body for sleep. Think of your body like an airplane, not a helicopter, when it comes to sleep. Your body and brain need to prepare for landing on a runway, like an airplane (not land quickly on the helipad like a helicopter), to get a good night’s rest. By this, we mean to consider creating habits that are relaxing and consistent each night. This might look like a warm shower, some form of stress management (e.g., journaling, breathwork, stretching, meditating, reading a non-digital book, or listening to music.), dimming the lights, brushing your teeth, or whatever activities you associate with going to bed (except screen time, of course).
Cut the caffeine. Try to avoid caffeine after 2-3 pm. Caffeine has a half-life of ~5 hours, which means that 5 hours after drinking a cup of coffee, Red Bull, green tea (or whatever your caffeinated version is) you still have half the amount of caffeine still in your body. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine, meaning that even 5 hours after a cup of caffeinated coffee, it is still affecting their ability to feel tired.
Drink water in the morning. Aim to get most of your fluid intake in the first half of the day. Alternatively, try to stop drinking large amounts of fluids 3 hours before bed. This will ensure you aren’t having to make bathroom trips in the middle of the night.
Avoid alcohol. Most people associate drinking a glass of wine or having a beer with a relaxed state of mind and feeling sleepy (this is thanks to the increases in the neurotransmitter GABA by the way). However, as the night progresses, and your liver starts to detoxify that alcohol from your system, the opposite effect can happen (called the “rebound effect”), causing your sleep to be disrupted or low quality (3).
Exercise earlier in the day. We all know how important exercise is for our body and mind, however, for some of us, exercising 1-2 hours before bed can signal our bodies to stay awake, especially aerobic exercise. Aim to exercise in the morning to reap the most benefits without disturbing your slumber.
Manage stress!! This cannot be overstated! For some of us, the quiet slow pace of the night leaves our busy brains frantic with thoughts of all the stressors in our lives (To-do lists, important conversations to be had, replays of earlier conversations, financial woes, etc.). In the long run, it is important to build a stress management practice the same way we do for strength training. Consistency over perfection! Practice daily. Be patient. This may be journaling, nature walking, yoga or even mindfulness meditation or another activity you find brings you (and your brain) back to neutral. In the short term, try making a list of all the things that you worry about at night and leaving it on the nightstand beside your bed. This provides peace of mind that your concerns are waiting for you in the morning but are not needed while you sleep.
Sleep is fundamental to optimal health! Working on your sleep hygiene is the first step to solving your sleep problems however, if you are still struggling with restful sleep (or you would like a little more support), feel free to reach out to Upstream Wellness! We are here to help you feel your best.
Sweet dreams!
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