- Words by Jane Zatlyny Photography by Lia Crowe
Sleep is such an essential component of our overall sense of well-being, affecting everything from our emotional and physical health to our productivity and mental acuity. But these days, sleep can be elusive, given stressors around uncertainties like the COVID-19 pandemic, global warming and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
B次元官网网址淧eople are edgy,B次元官网网址� says Jonathan Charest, director of athlete sleep services and a behavioural sleep medicine specialist at the Canadian Sleep Society. B次元官网网址淎nd when youB次元官网网址檙e edgy, youB次元官网网址檙e not in a relaxed state of mind. Therefore, you will not sink into sleep.B次元官网网址�
You may even be temptedB次元官网网址攁s I am at timesB次元官网网址攖o scroll through Twitter in bed: just one more check of the news before sleep. But then sleep does not come.
B次元官网网址淢ost of the time we canB次元官网网址檛 sleep because we are thinking and/or feeling,B次元官网网址� says Elizabeth Stone, a Victoria-based professional life coach. B次元官网网址淭houghts will create chemical changes in the body, which signal the brain to stay alert.B次元官网网址�
A vicious circle ensues, she adds: B次元官网网址淲e lie awake unable to get out of the cycle of brain and body tension. Sometimes we donB次元官网网址檛 even realize we are stressed. We B次元官网网址榡ust canB次元官网网址檛 sleep.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
While some of us lose sleep as we ruminate about global events, other people choose to deprive themselves of rest, believing that to be successful, they need to sleep less and work more. Choosing this path can have lasting and sometimes devastating effects, as Arianna Huffington, co-founder of the Huffington Post, discovered when she collapsed in 2007 from exhaustion due to chronic sleep deprivation.
Like many CEOs at the time, she slept a meagre three or four hours a nightB次元官网网址攏ot nearly long enough. Her experience led her to write The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time in 2016. The book explores the critical consequences lack of sleep can have on our health, relationships, job performance and happinessB次元官网网址攁nd calls for nothing short of a B次元官网网址渟leep revolution.B次元官网网址�
As more people like me look for solutions to their sleepless nights, attitudes toward sleep do appear to be shifting.
B次元官网网址淚 think thereB次元官网网址檚 been a slow recognition of our need to sleep more and our need to protect our sleep,B次元官网网址� says Jonathan.
Reclaiming and protecting your sleep is possibleB次元官网网址攁nd itB次元官网网址檚 not as difficult as it may seem. B次元官网网址淗uman beings are very good at making simple things complicated. We see sleep as this almighty thing,B次元官网网址滼onathan says. B次元官网网址淏ut you havenB次元官网网址檛 lost the ability to sleep. In fact, you donB次元官网网址檛 even cause yourself to sleep.B次元官网网址�
Sleep is something that happens to you, he stresses: B次元官网网址淵our only task is to relax, so your brain can do its actual task of sleeping.B次元官网网址�
It sounds so obvious. And it is. WeB次元官网网址檝e just lost sight of the way our bodies need to prepare for sleep. And, surprise, surprise, those preparations do not include spending an hour in bed reading posts on Twitter or sleeping for three to four hours so you can squeeze more work into your day.
B次元官网网址淵our brain is not a switch you can just turn off and on,B次元官网网址� stresses Jonathan. B次元官网网址淚t needs an actual buffer zone to set a tone, so you can switch into relaxation mode, and then into a sleeping mode.B次元官网网址�
When we were children, our parents emphasized the importance of sleep.
B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檝e got to get a good nightB次元官网网址檚 sleep to do well at school,B次元官网网址� I can hear my mother saying, as she turned off my light for a third time. Sleep was encouraged with routine: a hot bath, a bedtime snack, perhaps, or a story-time book. Similarly, adults also need a bedtime routine.
B次元官网网址淥ur brains love routine,B次元官网网址� says Jonathan. B次元官网网址淚t balances our rhythm, and if we have the same routine every night, it is the best course of action.B次元官网网址�
Aside from the routine of a regular bedtime, Jonathan recommends that his patients get in the habit of spending 30 to 60 minutes prior to bedtime doing a hobby or activity that they enjoy. B次元官网网址淭his choice should not be driven by productivity or efficiency,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淒ig into your creativity bag: it could be working in the garage, listening to music, stretching, meditation, reading, or doing puzzlesB次元官网网址攚hatever you like. ItB次元官网网址檚 highly individualized.B次元官网网址�
Once in bed, he insists, you will go to sleep.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just like when you go to your table to eat. You donB次元官网网址檛 go to your table to wait to be hungry; similarly, you donB次元官网网址檛 go to bed to wait to be sleepy.B次元官网网址�
Since speaking with Jonathan, IB次元官网网址檝e started to pay attention to creating my own buffer zone. IB次元官网网址檓 opting to read for an hour before going to bed, and IB次元官网网址檓 leaving my phone in another room for the night. It may seem obvious to me now, but itB次元官网网址檚 workingB次元官网网址擨B次元官网网址檓 falling asleep quickly and IB次元官网网址檓 staying asleep. Best of all, IB次元官网网址檓 feeling so much better during the day. B次元官网网址淧eople are now looking at sleep as a powerful tool,B次元官网网址� says Jonathan. B次元官网网址淚t really is the almighty weapon for productivity.B次元官网网址�
Here are some tips to help you sleep betterB次元官网网址攏o lullaby required.
Make sure you are getting enough sleep.While your need for sleep can change over time, the Canadian Sleep Society recommends people try to get between seven to nine hours of sleep every night. ItB次元官网网址檚 also helpful to maintain set bed- and wake-times.
Set the stage for sleep. Prepare your bedroom for a healthy sleep by keeping the temperature cool and the environment comfortable and peaceful. Keeping your bedroom dark at night, for instance, with black-out curtains, is also very important for sleep, says Jonathan.
Create a consistent bedtimebuffer zone by adding a relaxing activity before bed. B次元官网网址淲hat do you like to do that you wish you had more time to do?B次元官网网址� asks Jonathan. B次元官网网址淚 can guarantee that you can find 30 to 60 minutes every evening.B次元官网网址�
Re-enter the buffer zone if you canB次元官网网址檛 get back to sleep. While Jonathan says itB次元官网网址檚 perfectly normal to wake during the night, if you canB次元官网网址檛 get back to sleep within 20 minutes, get out of bed, and restart the relaxation schedule until you are sleepy once again.
Turn off the devices, and leave them outside the bedroom. The Canadian Sleep Society reasons that when we avoid the news in our bedroom, this special place becomes less associated with stress. Try to keep your news consumption to daytime hours, it suggests. (I am now using an old-school alarm clock to avoid the temptation to B次元官网网址渄oom scrollB次元官网网址� in the middle of the night.)
Get out of your headand into your body, suggests Elizabeth Stone. B次元官网网址淥nce youB次元官网网址檝e interrupted the mind cycle by being in your body, you canB次元官网网址檛 help but calm down your system. There are many methods and meditations to help do this, including yoga nidra, which is focused attention on parts of the body, along with breathing.B次元官网网址�
Seek out exterior lightduring the day to help your biological clock stay on time, advises the Canadian Sleep Society. Leave the curtains open during the day and when possible, go out on your balcony or into your garden to soak up some daylight rays.
But dim the lightsin the evening. Lower light helps stimulate melatonin production and will enhance your ability to fall asleep, says the Canadian Sleep Society.
Watch what you consumein the evening hours. Avoid caffeinated drinks, fatty or heavy foods, or excess alcohol, all of which can affect your ability to fall asleep, cause you to wake up during the night, and reduce the depth of your sleep, says the Canadian Sleep Society.
Get professional helpif necessary. If your sleep problems persist, see your family physician and/or a sleep specialist. DonB次元官网网址檛 try to go it alone with a sleep aid someone else recommended.
Information
Sleep Rituals: 100 Practices for a Deep and Peaceful Sleep by Jennifer Williamson (Adams Media, 2019).
The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time by Arianna Huffington, paperback edition (Harmony/Rodale, 2017).
Sleep on It: An excellent resource from the Canadian Sleep and Circadian Network, the Canadian Sleep Society, Fondation Sommeil and Wake Up Narcolepsy Canada offering lively educational videos, podcasts and more about sleep and sleep disorders. sleeponitcanada.ca
Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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