9 Tips For Better Sleep

Everyone knows sleep is important. It plays a vital role in maintaining good health and general well-being. Depending on different age group, the minimal amount of time needed for sleep varies. 

Here are just some examples of why sleep is important:Improves energy level

• Improves learning

• Improves information retention

• Improves productivity

• Improves immune system

• Heals and repairs heart and blood vessels

• Maintain healthy balance of hormones

• Supports healthy growth and development

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The list goes on.

What makes you sleep?

There are many factors that cause you to sleep but the most widely discussed and also the fundamental system to sleep is known as the Circadian Rhythm.

The circadian rhythm is an internal “body clock” that controls when you’re awake and when you feel like sleeping. This clock is takes the cue from your environment, such as brightness, to determine if you should feel awake or sleepy. When your eyes receive light, it signals your brain that it is day-time, causing your body to release a hormone called cortisol which prepares your body to be awake. Similarly, when it’s dark, your brain recognises it is night-time, causing your body to release another hormone known as melatonin which signals our body that it is time to sleep. The circadian rhythm is thus in tuned with the environment, allowing us to stay awake and feel sleeping according to both day-time and night-time.

However, that also means that this system can easily be manipulated and affected by factors such as artificial light and abnormal work hours. Some examples are the use of phone or computer before sleep, which produces light that signals your brain that you should be awake, as well as shift work which forces you to be awake when your body recognizes that it is night-time and you should be sleeping. As a result, the circadian rhythm is disrupted from the conflict of information, resulting in sleep deprivation and deficiency.

Introducing Sleep Hygiene

Sleep hygiene is defined as behaviours that one can do to help promote good sleep using behavioural interventions.

​Here are 9 simple hygiene tips for getting that sweet dream you missed and achieve a better sleep.

1. Keep A Regular Sleep Routine

Go to bed and wake up around the same time every day. This helps to keep your circadian rhythm consistent, allowing your body work more efficiently both when you are awake and asleep.

2. Tune Yourself Down

Trying to sleep immediately after a physical or mental wrecking brain workout is almost impossible. Even if you do, you won’t find the sleep quality good. Instead, practice some ways to slow yourself down and relax for better sleep. Some such methods are

• Taking a warm bath helps to relax your muscles.

• Meditate/Deep-breathing exercise helps clear your mind from the day’s work and slows your heart-rate down.

• Listening to music/Read a book you enjoy helps to slow down your pace, clear your mind and leads you to sleep.

3. Keep Your Room Dark And Cool

​The darker the room, the more melatonin will be produce, the faster you will fall asleep. So you might want to try putting down those curtain of yours or/and wear an eye mask. Similarly, keeping your room cool helps to reduce your body temperature, inducing you to sleep. Turning on the air-con or fan to cool the room first might help to get it to the right temperature.

4. Exercise (Moderate Intensity Aerobic Exercises)

​Physical activity help increases time spent in deep sleep. It also helps you to feel more tired from more energy usage as well as reducing stress and relieve anxiety. However, do note that vigorous/high-intensity exercises should be avoided closer to your bedtime.

5. Avoid Sleep-Interfering Substances

This includes substance such as caffeine, nicotine and alcohol. These substances can lead to fragment sleep and difficulty in falling asleep due to their effects on the brain. If these substances are really needed, try to avoid them closer to your bedtime.

6. Avoid Blue Light

Blue light, produced by the sun, digital screens, electronic devices and many more, suppresses melatonin production, triggering sleeplessness. Though sunlight may not be applicable for most of us, stay away from your favorite K-drama or scrolling through Facebook and Instagram if you want a better sleep.

7. Avoid Nap If Possible

Though nap helps to decrease your sleep debt, taking them causes your body to not need as much sleep during the night, resulting in sleep fragmentation, difficulty initiating sleep and poor sleep quality. However, it might still be useful for special cases such as shift workers as it helps increase the amount of time they have available for sleep.

8. Avoid Working In The Bedroom

Working in the same room as you sleep conditions your body to be “awake” when you are in the room as you need to work. This wakefulness often results in sleep problems.

9. Avoid Staying Awake In Bed

Get off the bed if you can’t fall asleep within 5 to 10 minutes. Do some of the things mentioned in Point 2. Tune yourself down before heading back to bed after you start feeling tired.

​That's all folks! Have a sweet dream tonight!