10 steps to a better sleep: what to do if you have insomnia
Does worrying about the future have you tossing and turning at night? Or when it’s finally time for lights out, do you end up repeatedly thinking about your to-do list? It’s hard to quiet your thoughts and get a restful night’s sleep at the best of times, but right now there are many factors and stressors that may be making it worse.
Get moving!
Mr. David Gardner is a pharmacist, mental health expert, researcher and professor in psychiatry and pharmacy at Dalhousie University. Mr. Gardner says one of the biggest roadblocks surrounding sleep is inactivity or sedentariness during the day leading up to bedtime.
“You’re more apt to nap when you’re sedentary. Inactivity interferes with our need for sleep because we’ve evolved to be physically active creatures, which we’re doing less and less because of technological advances,” Mr. Gardner says.
When you’re inactive for too long or constantly sit in front of screens, it affects your sleep drive: a built-in, biological cycle that’s lowest in the morning and highest at night. That means by the end of the day, you won’t be sleepy enough at your regular bedtime.
“Especially during the pandemic, when we’ve been asked to reduce non-essential outings, we tend to give our body less opportunity for medium or high-intensity activities. As a result, at night you’re still feeling physically ready to do things,” he says.
Evening activities
Working out, running or practicing/playing a sport in the later evening can end up interfering with your bedtime. “When you finish, it continues to push back that time when you’re ready to fall asleep. The movement is good, it’s the timing of the game, practice or activity that’s the issue.”
Mr. Gardner suggests finding an earlier time because the movement and activity is great for boosting your mental and physical well-being.
Recipe for success
The sleep expert says it’s key to prepare for bedtime by increasing your activity earlier in the day, in little bursts of movement over the whole day, and by reducing your sedentariness (inactive time). Both will set you up for a recuperative sleep.
Insomnia woes
Insomnia problems increase with age, so adding more movement into your day as you grow older will help you sleep. Doing the dishes helps. Baking your favourite cookies counts. Folding laundry while standing at a table is good. These bouts of activity help to increase sleep drive as the day progresses.
Experts like Mr. Gardner believe sleep is a major factor in overall health. It’s become such an important consideration that sleep is now part of national 24-hour movement guidelines. The latter factor in three things: activity levels, inactivity/sedentariness and sleep requirements.
Canadians between the ages of 18-64 should aim for seven to nine hours of good-quality sleep on a regular basis, with consistent bed and wake-up times, according to the guidelines.
10 steps to a better sleep
Mr. Gardner offers this advice when you can’t get to sleep:
· Go to bed only when you’re tired (don’t lie in bed on your phone or watch TV)
· Give yourself 15-20 minutes to fall asleep
· If you’re not asleep after that, leave your bed (and your bedroom if that’s an option)
· Don’t stay in bed and allow yourself to get frustrated about not sleeping
· Go to a low-lit area
· Do something boring or mundane (like folding clothes)
· Read a book or magazine rather than look at a screen
· Return to bed when you’re tired (sleepy tired), not after a set period of time
· Relax, allow sleep to find you (for another 15-20 minutes); if not, leave the bed/bedroom again
· Repeat the cycle until you fall asleep
“This is painful to repeatedly do because you’re going to have a terrible night’s sleep. But it’s important to break the cycle of waking up, lying in bed and getting frustrated. Do yourself a favour, get up, cycle through these steps. Break the classical, conditioned response that can develop. You want to associate your bed with sleep, not frustration. Doing this will help you for nights to come,” says Mr. Gardner.
Perspective is key
Frustration isn’t the only factor, so is worry. When people start to worry about sleeping, the situation worsens. “The cognitive side of dealing with sleep problems is to try and take away worry. We want people to not fret about how they’re going to perform the next day, or if they’re going to sleep through the alarm clock. It’s not helpful to worry. It doesn’t solve or change anything. Try and reassure yourself and not catastrophize.”
Sleep experts and therapists help patients work through realistic discussions around how a poor night’s sleep isn’t the end of the world. “We all experience them here and there and we always manage to get through the next day,” Mr. Gardner says. Point taken.
So follow the researcher’s advice. Start to improve your sleep hygiene by moving more throughout the day. Maybe leave a small chore for the evening. Take a short walk with a family member or friend after dinner. You’ll be laying a great foundation for when it’s finally time to slip on your favourite PJs, brush your teeth and call it a night!