Sleep: Sleep routines and why they are important
Last time I touched on some of the science behind the importance of sleep. Today I want to look at the importance of sleep routines and share a few tips on what you can do if you find sleep problematic.
There are two cycles that are involved in our sleep. The Circadian Rhythm and the homeostatic drive for sleep. ⠀
The Circadian Rhythm:
💤Know as the sleep:wake cycle
💤Influences not just our sleep but numerous systems within the body
💤Animals and plants have this as well
💤Has been effected by artificial light causing our bodies to go into a stress state (10,000 x light than 1700’s)
💤Internal 24 hour rhythm that has been finely tuned over 000’s years
The Circadian rhythm is not just effected by light and dark it is also effected by:
🤔Our lifestyle of staying up late
🤔Eating later in the day
🤔Caffeine
🤔Exercising later in the day
🤔Keeping our brains stimulate later in the day
🤔Alcohol
The homeostatic drive for sleep is influenced by the amount of time that we are awake. Once we wake the levels of adenosine in the brain build every hour creating a sleep pressure that peaks approx. 12-16 hours after waking. Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors so it can alter our sleep pressure and half the caffeine in that 4 o’clock coffee can be still circulating around your body at 10 o’clock when you are thinking about sleep.
Both these cycles need to be synchronised for sleep.
But how can you get these cycles to be synchronised I hear you shout!
Tips to create a good sleep routine:
DO:
😴Go to bed and get up the same time every day
😴Get out during the day and use candles/lamp at night
😴Have a bath before bed
😴Read in bed
WHAT NOT TO DO:
🥴Don’t eat 3 hours before you go to bed
🥴Reduce caffeine consumption – midday
🥴Take technology out of the bedroom
🥴Reduce blue screen time on an evening
🥴Don’t exercise late at night
🥴Don’t watch anything stimulating just before bed
Had a stressful day??? Then make sleep a priority
I hope you get a good nights sleep.
L x
Download a copy of my FREE e-book 6 simple actionable steps to an epic nights sleep after menopause HERE
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