The Ultimate Guide To Better Sleep: Setting Yourself Up For Success Throughout The Day
Did you know how well you sleep can be determined by the choices you make throughout the day?
From our morning (or afternoon) coffee, to our waking time and screen time- these habits can inform how restful we sleep and if we're able to wake feeling refreshed. Minding our natural internal clock can look like minding our diet, exercise, alcohol intake, and sleep consistency to name a few. Habit tracking can provide helpful feedback into what might improve our sleep quality.
One habit methodology, developed by fitness coach Greg Ballantyne- is called the 10-3-2-1-0 Method for better sleep hygiene. It looks something like this:
10-3-2-1-0 Method:
10 hours before bed: No more caffeine.
3 hours before bed: No more food or alcohol.
2 hours before bed: No more work.
1 hour before bed: No more screen time (shut off all phones, TVs and computers).
0: The number of times you'll need to hit snooze in the AM.
These may not be hard and fast rules, but they are great guidelines to controlling some behaviors/choices that could affect our sleep quality. Following, are 5 Factors to pay attention to in relation to sleep hygiene.
Here are 5 Factors Of Influence Throughout The Day:
Light Exposure
Many health professionals now recommend trying to get sunlight in the eyes within the first 30 minutes of rising. This communicates "morning" to our internal clock, or circadian rythym. This helps keep our system attuned to our sleep-wake cycle. This can prove difficult for a variety of reasons. Winter in Montana can shield the morning hours from light, let alone sunlight. For the UV challenged, another consideration is using a UV-mimicking lamp, like the HappyLight from Verilux. These emit a bright white light that mimics sunshine and can enhance mood as well as improve sleep.
Coffee Swap
It may be hard to cut back on caffeine, let alone 10 hours before bedtime. In this example, if you aim to go to bed at 10 pm, your cut off time would be 12 pm. This is recommended because depending on our metabolism, that's how long caffeine can stay in our system. [1] To help transition this habit, try switching to Green Tea or Matcha in the afternoon. Green Tea has less caffeine plus naturally occurring L-Theanine which is calming. Or if you're ready, try a coffee alternative like Wooden Spoon's Herbal Coffee. This will match the ritual and flavor, minus the stimulation of caffeine.
Screen Time/Blue-Blockers
As per the 10-3-2-1-0 method, this instructs a 'No screen time 1 hour before bed' rule. This can be another daunting request in these modern times. For starters, wearing Blue-Blocking lenses throughout the day, especially if you have a desk job- can help by lowering exposure to the blue-light emmitted from screens. This light frequency has been found to interrupt our melatonin production and can affect sleep. Try these stylish ones from Look Optics.
Exercise/Movement
Getting enough exercise will help your body feel ready to rest. Heavy exercise is preferably done in the early half of the day to prevent it having an energizing effect when we're trying to wind down. Walking is a great activity to get you outside and gently get the blood pumping any time of day.
Hydration
Staying hydrated is an understated influencer on sleep. Electrolytes play a crucial role in promoting quality sleep. Minerals like magnesium, potassium, and calcium help regulate neurotransmitters that are essential for sleep. Magnesium, in particular, is known to promote relaxation and reduce stress, potentially improving sleep quality. Adequate electrolyte balance can also help prevent nighttime leg cramps and restless leg syndrome, which often disrupt sleep. We like this blend of electrolytes + adaptogens from Recess, which are magnesium heavy and can provide immediate calm. As well as MiniDew from Moonjuice that is a 2 in 1: electrolytes + minerals for hydration and supporting brain function.
Final Thoughts
As we go throughout the day, being mindful of our habits and choices can make a big difference in how we hit the hay. Start small with tweaking one habit that might be interfering with sleep. Keep a journal to track progress and notice how things change. Remember, small steps can lead to big change.
Our next installation in your better sleep guide, will help you create your best bedtime routine.
