5 Deep Sleep Secrets: Unlocking the Power of a Good Night's Rest
Not getting enough deep sleep reduces your focus and energy. It affects immunity and it gets easier to fall sick. Here are 5 ways you can improve deep sleep.
Updated April 14, 2023.
For a healthy body and mind, good sleeping habits are essential. Ideally, as an adult, you should sleep for 7-8 hours, though the quality of your sleep is just as important. Deep sleep is one of the most important stages of sleep, the restorative stage where your body repairs and rejuvenates itself. Growth hormone is released, while muscles, bones, and tissue are repaired.
Not getting enough of this deep sleep reduces your focus and energy and even inhibits your immune system. Lack of sleep also tends to make you feel hungrier, leading to weight gain and its negative effects.
That being said, here are five ways you can improve deep sleep and start feeling refreshed in the morning.
1. Limit Caffeine
I am a coffee lover. I used to start my day with a hot cup of coffee, followed by another cup in the early evening and maybe one more cold brew if I'm working late into the night. Coffee is so refreshing and rejuvenating and used to keep me alert and focused.
However, that's the last thing you want when you are trying to fall asleep. If you hit the hay at 10 pm, then your last caffeinated drink or food should be no later than 3 pm (and that's pushing it!). Chocolate also contains small amounts of caffeine, as well as teas and fizzy drinks. Certain medications and supplements such as pre-workouts or fat burners also have caffeine in them.
Chamomile tea or a glass of warm milk at night is a better drink to induce sleep.
Just because you can fall asleep after drinking coffee does not mean that your sleep is unaffected. Caffeine is a psychoactive drug that can affect your sleep quality up to 10 hours after consumption!
» Learn more: Best chamomile supplements for insomnia
2. Create a Bedtime Routine
Our body has an internal clock that works according to the cues we give it. Bright sunlight tells our system to increase cortisol and stay awake while sundown signals the body to increase melatonin production which calms down our system and eventually makes us drowsy (1).
This is why you should not use bright or blue lights at night, since blue light is emitted by devices such as mobile phones and computer screens. So turn them off at least an hour before bedtime.
Have a regular sleep routine that helps your system wind down, such as an early dinner and some light reading or meditation. I go for a post-dinner stroll, then we play some family board games, or I read a book. Sometimes, I write in my journal or plan my activities for the next day. An hour before bed, I take a warm bath, which dilates blood vessels and allows heat to escape, cooling my body to a temperature that's easier to fall asleep at (2).
I also make it a point to get up at the same time in the morning, every day, which helps to control my circadian rhythm and sleep schedule.
3. Try Natural Supplements
There are various sleep aid supplements you can try out. Supplements with cannabidiol (CBD) may help improve sleep, sleep disorders, and anxiety.
Derived from the hemp plant, CBD is a low-risk active ingredient that helps promote relaxation and increase sleep duration (3). It helps with muscle relaxation and makes you feel calmer.
Beauty Sleep Drops can improve the quality of your sleep while Relax Drops help clear your mind of anxious thoughts, enabling you to relax and sleep better. These products contain a special blend of premium CBD oil with functional mushrooms.
Beauty Sleep Drops
£79.00 GBP
4. Avoid Alcohol
Alcohol seems to help with falling asleep, but it actually limits the quality of deep sleep (4). We need restorative deep sleep to wake up feeling refreshed. When the alcohol in your system wears off, you'll end up spending the rest of the night in fitful, non-restorative sleep.
If it's a must, then have a glass of an alcoholic drink in the early evening/late afternoon and not right before bed.
Contrary to popular belief, alcohol does not make you sleep better! You may fall asleep easier, but your quality of sleep will be greatly inhibited.
5. Get Some Exercise
For deep sleep, your body needs to be a little tired by nighttime, so you should stay active during the day. I go for at least 30 minutes of exercise, 5 to 6 days a week.
Take your dog out for a walk, go for a light jog, do some yoga, etc. Choose an activity that you like to do, so that you are more likely to do it more often.
Physical activity is best done in the morning as this energizes you and spikes up your metabolism. On the other hand, an afternoon workout may help you burn off the stress of the day
Exercise doesn't have to be extremely strenuous. A 30-minute walk or some light yoga is more than enough for most people to experience the benefits to sleep.
» Need a boost to your exercise performance? See our Boost Drops and Bliss Oil for sore muscles
A Good Night's Rest Is Only a Few Steps Away
Getting adequate sleep is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle. However, a healthy lifestyle is important to overcome sleep disorders and improve sleep quality. So an unhealthy lifestyle and sleep disorders can end up creating vicious cycles that aggravate each other making it seem impossible to resolve the situation.
It is alright to reach out for help when we can't resolve such problems with our own efforts. My Being triple system tablets or drops can be helpful in this situation by giving you the extra bit of help that you might need. Along with the simple steps listed above, the only thing stopping you from getting a good night's rest is yourself.
Keep in mind that it is important to consult a doctor before combining any medication with CBD.
