Missing out on sleep is not fun. How you sleep at night can set the tone for your whole day—and your whole life! Sleep is necessary for helping our body and mind recover, rest, and reset every day.
But how does one “get good sleep”? Many factors can affect the quality of your sleep and determine just how much rest you are actually getting. The most effective way to sleep well is to establish a healthy sleep routine.
How to establish a healthy sleep routine
You might overlook a healthy sleep routine as a chore or more work to do, but having one doesn’t have to be elaborate. You can—quite literally—build the sleep routine of your dreams, with a few simple steps.
Tips for a healthy sleep routine:
Create the most comfortable sleep environment possible
Picture your ideal sleeping environment. This atmosphere should be relaxing and easy to fall asleep in. Keep temperatures cooler and the room very dark, limiting blue light exposure.
Creating the right sleep environment might require some trial and error, but you will have an easier time naturally falling asleep when you make your space a place you want to sleep.
Make your sleep schedule consistent
A consistent sleep schedule helps your internal sleep clock, or circadian rhythm, know when your body needs to prepare to sleep. Irregular sleep patterns make it harder to get good quality sleep and throw off the 24 hour cycle of your circadian rhythm.
Prepare the night before
Thoughts about our morning routine can actually keep us awake at night if we have a busy day ahead of us. Organize things you’ll need in the morning before you go to sleep to give you peace of mind.
Don’t eat right before bed
Avoid eating 2-3 hours before sleeping, and especially consuming any caffeine, alcohol, or foods with other energy boosting compounds. Eating stimulates your body because it needs energy to stay awake and digest food. Lying down after eating can also put pressure on the stomach and cause heartburn or acid reflux.
Regular exercise
Regular exercise can be a mood stabilizer and promote relaxation on a cellular level, reducing levels of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline over time—all processes that make shifting into sleep easier.
Have a calming night-time routine
Train your body and mind when it’s time for bed by having a pre-sleep ritual. Dim bright lights close to bedtime or focus on winding down with low stimulation activities like a warm bath or meditation.
Avoid taking late naps
Taking a nap late in the day can disrupt your sleep routine and confuse your internal clock. If you do take naps, keep them short (20-30 minutes) and no later than 3 p.m.
Remove distractions
Light keeps your mind awake and alert, so put your phone down at least an hour before bed. Keep loud or strenuous activities to a minimum.
Take daily supplements
Sleep is a time for your body to rebuild and renew its cells and tissues. Try taking supplements like Complete, Oasis, and OmegaLife-3 Resolv for protein, collagen, and omega-3s support, which can help you make the most of the restorative processes during sleep.
Better routine, better well-being
Sleep does so much more than just satisfy us when we’re tired, it drives everything we do. Certain functions in our body can only operate when we are asleep, so we need a routine to signal our body when it’s time for those systems to be active.
Good, consistent sleep can really take prioritizing our health to the next level, and be a solid foundation for prevention and longevity.
The benefits of a healthy sleep routine:
Growth and repair
Healthy sleep supports accelerated growth and recovery. Our bodies prioritize repair while we sleep by regenerating and restoring old or damaged cells.
Longer sleep
Sleep deficiency is a trait commonly associated with a higher risk of chronic disease. Err on the side of caution by maintaining a healthy sleep routine and getting a consistent 7-8 hours a night.
Promotes balanced hormones and gut microbiome
Our body releases hormones like melatonin and growth hormone at night that play important roles in our growth and development, whereas poor sleep disrupts the rhythm of other hormones such as ghrelin and potentially even GLP-1.
Supports insulin sensitivity
Insulin is a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels and the amount of sleep we are or aren’t getting is tied to how effectively it works in the body. Poor sleep can result in a higher-than-normal blood sugar level and may also be an early sign of insulin resistance. Sleep the recommended 7-9 hours to help support insulin sensitivity.
Productivity
Feeling well rested from ample sleep can help us be more alert in the mornings and boost our ability to get things done throughout the rest of the day.
Longevity
More sleep is associated with a lower risk of mortality. Sleep deprivation can affect many of our body systems that generally contributes to a higher risk of age-related diseases.
Natural skincare
Beauty sleep? It’s a thing! Our skin is the largest organ in the human body and like everything else, undergoes a restorative process when we sleep. Having healthy looking and feeling skin comes with more sleep, not less!
Improved mental health
Sleeping allows your brain to slow down, emotionally regulate, clear out toxins, and process any stored information. Lack of sleep can interfere with these mechanisms and contribute to extreme mood swings, brain fog, and even memory loss.