If you are a person that only measures the total number of hours slept every night, you need tochange your way of thinking. Understanding sleep cycles is far more beneficial. It should be your goal to get a specific amount of deep sleep every night.
Here, you will learn about the science of sleep stages as well as your circadian rhythm. You will learn what deep sleep actually is as well as how much of it is required to improve your overall health. You will also get to learn about the ways in which you can get into a deep sleep.
If you want to get more deep sleep, the tips below should get you started:
- Have a Set Schedule
You need to plan ahead and get enough rest every night if you want to get the necessary amount of deep sleep. It is impossible to cut back on light sleep and instead replace it with deep sleep. You simply have to let the body complete 5 to 6 complete sleep cycles every night to make sure that you get enough rest.
It is advisable to develop a bedtime routine and improve your sleep hygiene too. Select a few nighttime activities to help you wind down will set the tone that it is time for your rest. Such activities include relaxation techniques, a warm shower, or book reading. Once you have developed a routine, stick with it whenever possible and it will help improve your overall sleeping habits over time.
- Exercise
According to recent studies, daily cardio can be a great way to either consolidate or increase deep sleep. Try finding time in your day for aerobic workouts such as swimming, jogging, or even running.
If you plan to improve your night’s sleep using workouts, ensure that you time them right. Working out in the hours just before you go to bed can actually impede sleep and cause you to doze off later in the night. Early morning workouts, however, can actually reduce sleep latency and facilitate deeper stages of rest.
- Limit Your Screen Time Before Going to Bed
Blue light has been shown to affect melatonin production as well as delay the circadian rhythm. Staring at a screen in the hours leading up to bedtime can lead to serious sleep problems, from being unable to sleep completely to being unable to enter the deeper stages of rest.
To ensure that you have the best sleep, avoid blue light for at least 1 hour before going to bed. If you absolutely must use a device with a screen, ensure that you activate the blue light blocker function, which is referred to as “Night Mode” in most devices.
- Ensure That Your Bedroom is Conducive for Sleep
Your bedroom should be free from distractions and conducive for sleep. Sleep specialists recommend investing in blackout curtains for blocking out the sun and setting your thermostat between 60° and 70°F.
If your room is either too warm or too cold, it will make you wake up uncomfortable. However, research shows that temperatures between 60° and 67°F promote deeper and more undisturbed sleep. You can even use bedding and fans to help you get either warmer or cooler. Make sure your bed is of optimal comfort levels by investing in a Sleep Numbermattress
Try keeping your bedroom technology-free, and especially blue-light emitting devices. Leave your phone in a separate room and turn off the TV at least 1 hour before going to bed. Your bedroom should be designated for sleep exclusively and distractions are likely to weaken the brain’s association between the two. Alarm clocks and sleep trackers are the only electronics you need to utilize while at rest, and even these are not necessary.
- Take a Hot Shower
Your body temperature decreases when you sleep. Taking a hot shower before going to bed is one way to jump-start your circadian rhythm. Your body temperature will spike when you take a hot shower. However, it will drop once you step out of the shower. The initial temperature drop will facilitate a subsequent drop in temperature the body requires to produce melatonin that allows you to drift off to sleep.
Cold showers might lower the core body temperature, but they actually might impede sleep. If cold showers are what you prefer, save them for your mornings. Cold showers help activate the sympathetic nervous system that’s responsible for the “flight or fight” response as well as stimulating your mind and body. Cold showers have been described as “energizing” by many and you probably are not aiming to feel energized just before going to bed.