Having trouble sleeping? Is your room too hot?
At the time of writing, I have a 1-month-old daughter. And before she was born I had the same line repeated to me over and over again.
‘Get as much sleep now because you won’t be getting any once she’s arrived!’
In all honesty, she’s been pretty great sleep-wise. My wife would probably say otherwise as she’s the one getting up to do the nighttime feeds. For obvious reasons.
But so far she’s allowing us more sleep than we first expected. Which means I’ve been able to,
Continue to be consistent with my training
Kept my focus on work
And not felt like any crazy binges on calorie-dense comfort foods
All things that sleep deprivation can have a big impact on.
I can’t really have much of an influence on how my daughter sleeps moving forward. However, there are factors in your sleep environment you CAN have an influence on.
To ensure you aren’t sleeping like a new parent ...
1. LIGHTING
Minimise your exposure to blue light 1 hour before bed. This means no TV, no phone, no laptop. Read, meditate, or if you’re really stuck for ideas then try having a conversation with your other half!
2. TEMPERATURE
Have a warm shower 1-2 hours before bed. This helps to dilate blood vessels and reduce body temperate. We want body temperature to drop by about 1 degree for optimal sleep.
This also means ensuring your room isn’t too warm.
3. RELAX
Jumping into bed without unwinding from your day will leave you wired and starting at the ceiling for hours on end, so it’s essential you have some way to relax and bring those stress levels down before you hit the sack.
Even if you haven’t had a hugely stressful day some light breathing, journaling and/or reading is the perfect way to help you switch off.
4. REGULARITY
Try to keep your sleep/wake cycle as constant as you can. Going to bed and waking up at similar times each day.
5. SMELLS
Several studies show using lavender oil for aromatherapy can improve sleep quality. Including in people with insomnia, depression and anxiety.
Building these habits into your evening routine will mean you wake up the next day with more energy, focus, in a better mood and better able to regulate your appetite.
So why wouldn’t you?
Give me a few years and hopefully, I can feel the same…
Night
xx
StudioForty6 Training Manager & IOM Health Coach