Tired All the Time? Three Steps to a Better Night’s Sleep

Wait, that’s the alarm already? Ugh, are you kidding?

We’ve all been there. Sliding out of bed bleary-eyed from a long, restless night. Maybe we tossed and turned as the events of the day raced through our head. Or we stayed up far too late trying to finish up that work project (or emptying our Netflix queue).

Whatever the culprit, a persistent lack of sleep doesn’t just give you a case of baggy eyes and irritability. Regularly getting a good night’s rest also impacts your health — and your ability to lose weight and keep it off.

As with eating well and moving more, getting enough sleep is a big part of taking care of yourself, and how much and how soundly you sleep greatly impacts well-being. While individual needs vary, if you’re not getting 7-9 hours per night, you may want to make some key changes to your nighttime routine. Just as you can use so-called “behaviour change strategies” to improve your activity and eating, you can use them to improve your sleep, too.

If you’re not sleeping, at least you’re not alone … statistically speaking. In fact, a 2005 survey of more than 10,000 people found that 56% of Americans and 31% of Western Europeans reported sleep problems — including difficulty falling asleep, waking up during the night, and not sleeping well — within the previous year. Many admitted that the problem affected their family life, work, and friendships.

It’s probably no surprise that science backs the need for sleep. Benefits of a good night’s sleep include a stronger immune system to fight off illness, improved attention and concentration, and a better mood. Meanwhile, studies have shown that those who sleep less than six hours on repeated nights in a row are more likely to: gain weight and overeat. Sleep-deprived adults eat approximately 385 more calories per day than those who are well rested. (Night noshing surely plays a role in that.)

Of course, “get more sleep” isn’t as easy as lying down and closing your eyes. For those who struggle to get their Zzzz’s, a good habit is a regular bedtime routine that begins 30 minutes before you head to bed, your [_Weekly_][jpeg dotcom 1] suggests these steps for making it a reality.

1. Pick a calming activity you can do every night before bed. It can be something like taking a bath or shower, or reading. (It may seem obvious, but you should steer clear of phones, computers and other electronic devices.)

2. Select a cue that triggers you to do the behaviour. This could be an alarm on your phone or the end of a certain TV show. Set the cue at a similar time each night, so you maintain a consistent sleep schedule.

3. Know your reward. Identify the benefit you gain from performing the behaviour. At first, it may be that you feel more relaxed before bed, and eventually it may be that you have an easier time falling asleep.

To promote better sleep, your environment matters. Here are a few ways to create a bedroom that cues sleep, not wakefulness:

• Make it comfortable by keeping it cool (around 65⁰F), and invest in a quality bed.

• Eliminate light with darkening blinds and eye masks.

• Eliminate noise with ear plugs, white noise machines, fans.

• Eliminate smells by using clean sheets, and avoid food in the bedroom.