You should avoid watching TV or looking at screens for at least 30 minutes before bedtime to help your body produce melatonin. Yuki Cheung / EyeEm You can fix your sleep schedule by avoiding naps and keeping your sleep timing consistent. It may also help to keep your bedroom at 65º F and avoid caffeine six hours before bedtime.
Exercising in the morning may also help improve sleep by increasing deep sleep and boosting serotonin. If you have trouble sleeping, you’re far from alone. Approximately 70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep problems.
Furthermore, 35% of American adults don’t get enough sleep — meaning they sleep less than seven hours a night. One way to improve your quality of sleep and ensure you’re clocking enough hours of shut eye is to fix your sleep schedule. This refers to when you regularly go to sleep and when you wake up.
If your sleep schedule is all over the place, it’s likely that your sleep quality and overall well being are taking a hit. On the other hand, having a good sleep schedule helps you fall asleep more easily at night and wake up more easily in the morning, leading to higher-quality sleep overall. And getting enough high-quality sleep is crucial for both mental and physical health, so finding and sticking to the right sleep schedule can in turn benefit your overall well being.
Here’s what you need to know about the “ideal” sleep schedule and how to fix yours. The ideal sleep scheduleSleep schedules are not one-size-fits-all, and there is no specific sleep schedule that works perfectly for everyone, says Dr. Ramiz Fargo, a sleep medicine specialist at Loma Linda University Health.
However, there are some things that you should keep in mind as you try to craft your own healthy sleep schedule. The ideal sleep schedule:Is consistent: Your body’s internal clock, also known as your circadian rhythm, helps determine your general sleep schedule. This helps ensure your body clock is kept in sync with your environment, and reduces risk of insomnia, Fargo says.
Additionally, this helps your body know when to consistently release melatonin at night. Allows for seven to nine hours of sleep: This amount of sleep allows you to cycle through all the stages of sleep throughout the night. Fargo says most people go through the stages about four or five times throughout the night, with each one taking around 90 minutes.
Is conducive to your lifestyle: If your daytime obligations and job allow for it, you can choose your bedtime and rise time based on your circadian preference – if you’re a night owl or an early bird. “I have patients who sleep wonderfully from 9 P. M.
to 4 A. M. , for example, and others who enjoy sleeping from 1 A.
M. to 8 A. M, says Dr.
Lynelle Schneeberg, a clinical psychologist who specializes in sleep and is an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine. How to fix your sleep scheduleFixing your sleep schedule won’t happen overnight. It takes practice, consistency, and self discipline.
With that in mind, here are five ways to create your personal ideal sleep schedule. 1. Keep your sleep pattern consistent seven days a week While it’s certainly tempting to sleep in on the weekend, doing so messes up your sleep schedule.
Schneeberg says wide variations in rise time are confusing to your body and may result in what sleep specialists refer to as social jet lag. “For example, if you get up at 6 am. on workdays and 10 am on weekends, it’s almost as if you are ‘traveling’ to another time zone each weekend, so you may feel the same type of fogginess and fatigue that world travelers do,” Schneeberg says.
Not to mention, your body releases hormones that help you fall asleep (melatonin) and wake up (cortisol), and if your wake times vary too much, Schneeberg says your body can get confused about when to release these hormones. 2. Make changes slowly and gradually If you want to become more of a morning person, making a drastic immediate change isn’t the best approach.
Schneeberg recommends making 15-minute changes each week. For example, if you normally wake up at seven but ideally want to get up at six, try this:Wake up at 7 am for seven daysWake up at 6:45 am every day for seven daysWake up at 6:30 am. every day for seven daysWake up at 6:15 am every day for seven daysWake up at 6:00 am every day onwards While this approach does take time, it’s easier on your body and less jarring.
Plus, Schneeberg says it’s easier to change your sleep schedule by changing your rise time rather than bedtime since you can’t necessarily force yourself to fall asleep at a specific time, but you can make yourself get up at a certain time (although it won’t always be easy). “When you change your rise time, your bedtime will eventually follow,” says Schneeberg. 3.
Avoid napsAlthough naps sound particularly enticing when you’re feeling daytime sleepiness, Fargo says you should avoid them, particularly when you’re trying to establish a healthy sleep schedule. “This will keep the drive to sleep strong at night and help prevent insomnia,” Fargo says. Napping late in the afternoon can be particularly detrimental to sleep.
This is because a later nap may result in what’s known as “slow-wave sleep,” which can make it harder to fall asleep when bedtime rolls around. Instead, capitalize on that sleepiness later –– it will make it easier to fall asleep when the time comes. 4.
Exercise regularlyFargo says engaging in regular exercise is beneficial for improved sleep. Current CDC guidelines recommend 150 minutes per week of moderate physical activity. Exercise benefits sleep for various reasons, including:It helps you maintain a healthy weight, which can lower your risk of sleep disorders such as sleep apneaIs boosts serotonin levels, which can help further regulate your sleep-wake cycleIt increases the amount of high-quality slow-wave deep sleep you get throughout the night A 2014 study found that compared to afternoon workouts, early morning aerobic workouts resulted in improved quality of sleep due to longer time spent in deep sleep.
However, if an early morning workout isn’t possible for you, it’s better to work out at another point of the day as opposed to not working out at all. Just be sure to avoid anything too strenuous too close to bedtime. Fargo says particularly for people prone to insomnia, exercising close to bedtime may make It harder to sleep.
Research suggests that giving yourself at least 90 minutes before bed is enough time to avoid compromising your sleep. 5. Improve your sleep hygieneSleep hygiene refers to having good bedtime habits that make it easier to fall and stay asleep.
Fargo says some tips that can improve your sleep hygiene are:Keep your room at a comfortable temperature. The ideal sleep temperature is around 65º Fahrenheit. Keep your room dark.
Darkness helps stimulate melatonin production. You may want to try blackout curtains or a sleep mask if you can’t get your room dark enough. Avoid caffeine before bedtime.
You should stop drinking anything with caffeine six hours before bed for best results. Avoid watching TV or using other light-emitting devices 30 minutes before bed. Use of these should be cut off ideally 30 minutes before bedtime.
Leading up to that, you can also try to limit the amount of blue light getting into your eyes by wearing blue light glasses and switching your devices to dark mode. Insider’s takeawayThere is not a universal “ideal” sleep schedule. The right sleep schedule for you will be the one that works best for your personal needs.
Keeping up with the schedule consistently is key. Making gradual changes to your rise-time, trying out some healthy lifestyle changes, and improving your sleep hygiene can make a world of difference. If you’ve followed these tips and are still struggling with sleep, don’t hesitate to reach out to a sleep specialist for further advice and to rule out any underlying medical issues like insomnia.
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From: insider
URL: https://insider.com/guides/health/treatments/how-to-fix-sleep-schedule
