Healthy Sleep Habits for Improved Sleep

Considering 1 in 3 adults don’t get enough sleep, (Our unofficial external poll showed 3 out of 9. Shocking huh? ) establishing better sleep habits should be a priority for all of us. A habit is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously. (Kind of like screaming at the guy who cut you off in traffic, even if you’re on the phone with your boss) Therefore, changing or establishing new habits requires a sustained effort for the new pattern to actually become a habit. The good news is that even small behavior changes can lead to new habits and healthier sleep. (Here at Ō by Neven, we gave up blue and brown M&M’s for the holidays, opting for only green and red)

Because adding more stress is never the answer, we’ve put together 5 simple ways to start improving your sleep without disrupting your life!

Breathing

We all do it, so we aren’t suggesting you stop! The 4-7-8 breathing technique was developed by Dr. Andrew Weil and is based on an ancient yoga technique. When practiced regularly, this technique has proven effective for helping people fall asleep quicker.

It’s an easy and effective method that doesn’t require anything other than your attention.

How to practice 4-7-8 breathing for better sleep:

1. Allow your lips to gently part.
2. Exhale completely, making a breathy whoosh sound as you do.
3. Press your lips together as you silently inhale through the nose for a count of 4 seconds.
4. Hold your breath for a count of 7.
5. Exhale again for a full 8 seconds, making a whooshing sound throughout.
6. Repeat 4 times when you first start. Eventually work up to 8 repetitions.

(We’ll admit that the first time we at the office tried this, three of the staff claimed they were too tired to work and 2 others said that they were so relaxed that they needed to take a 2 hour break to “un-relax”…….we don’t do this at the office any more!!)  

No Screens After 9

Remember growing up and the house phone ringing after 9 pm? It was an automatic offense for anyone to call after a certain point unless it was an emergency. (Now your Mother-in-Law calls at 10:00 pm to ask what you ate for dinner and if anything had happened since the last time she called at 4:00 pm) You can learn to treat any form of phone interaction with the same level of abhorrence that some of us were raised with concerning landlines. This doesn’t mean just not texting others, but rather avoiding any phone-based interaction past a specific point in the evening. (Advise your Mother-in-Law that you are joining a band and practice the drums late in the evening and cannot hear the phone) This includes social media (even if you’re just scrolling), games, videos, and apps. Instead, try doing something completely screen-free before bed – walk the dog, take a bath, meditate, or even pick up a book and read a chapter. The less stimulation you feed your brain and the longer you do it will have an immense impact on being able to quiet your mind for a restful night’s sleep.

Eat Well To Sleep Well

Certain foods can be beneficial to healthy, restful sleep.

• A handful of nuts are an excellent source of heart-healthy fats and more specifically, almonds and walnuts contain melatonin, a hormone that helps to regulate your sleep/wake cycle. (Hint, if you sleep with a partner, don’t bring your nuts to bed…Nothing like rolling over on a couple of leftover walnuts at 2:00 in the morning!)
• Cottage cheese contains the amino acid tryptophan, which increases serotonin levels. Studies have shown that low levels of serotonin can contribute to insomnia. Consider topping the cottage cheese with raspberries as they’re rich source of melatonin.
• Leafy greens are supportive of liver detoxification and digestion as well as containing Magnesium and Calcium – both of which play a role in relaxation and helping Tryptophan convert to Melatonin.
• Brown rice and oats are both great choices due to their high Tryptophan content.
• Seafood is excellent for sleep as it tends to have loads of B6, Tryptophan and Magnesium.

* You should also make a point to avoid things like spicy foods, sugary foods, high-fat foods, caffeine, and alcohol. These types of foods take a long time to fully digest and may hinder your ability to sleep. (Sorry, we just report the news….we didn’t like our favorite food groups being stripped from our late evening enjoyment either)

Bedtime

Much like the previous throwback to no calls after nine, bedtimes are another flashback we need to bring back. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every single night allows your body to establish the foundation of a healthy sleep routine. Research shows that by adhering to a specific bedtime/wake-time routine your health condition is improved, and it significantly reduces the risks of common sleep disorders. (This works great if you are single, have no kids in the house and live deep in the woods…..Life happens, but do the best you can)

Sleep Ritual

Developing a sleep ritual (or routine) is the easiest way to train your mind and body into establishing relaxing habits when it comes to bedtime. Be it meditation, a warm bath, essential oils, or any of the above mentioned tips, having specific tasks you perform every night helps trigger the habit forming process and can lead to falling asleep faster and staying asleep longer so you wake up feeling rejuvenated and ready to take on each day. ( Until we created Ō by Neven, most of us in the office had a nighttime routine of eating a huge meal, snacking, falling asleep on the couch watching T.V. and waking up only to drag ourselves into our beds and wait for the dreaded alarm to go off in a few hours)

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