How to Naturally Boost Your Sleep Cycle

Good sleep hygiene is all about taking a holistic look at your sleep habits – optimizing your sleep schedule, pre-bed routine, and daily routine to put yourself in the best position to naturally sleep well every single night.

If you are having a hard time falling asleep, waking up often at night, and suffer from sleepiness during the daytime, you may benefit from improving your sleep hygiene to naturally boost your sleep cycle.

1. Start with your sleep schedule. Wake up at approximately the same time each day, even on weekends. If you do sleep in, try to keep it within an hour of your regular wake-up time.
2. Minimize naps. If you do nap, try and keep it to 10-20 minutes and no later than 2 pm as napping after 2 pm may affect your ability to naturally fall asleep at a reasonable time later that night.
3. Establish a pre-bed routine that includes 30-60 minutes of screen-free time. Our electronic devices are mentally stimulating and generate blue light that may decrease melatonin production. Melatonin is a hormone your body produces that plays a role in sleep. More is produced when it’s dark. 
4. Avoid caffeine later in the day as it can take up to 10 hours to completely clear caffeine from your bloodstream
5. Avoid alcohol. It may make it easier to initially fall asleep, but you are less likely to experience enough of the restorative REM sleep necessary to wake up feeling well-rested.
6. Avoid eating too late. Try to allow for at least 3 hours between your last meal and bedtime. That gives your meal time to move into your small intestine and lessens the likelihood of heartburn. Eating also prompts the release of insulin, a hormone which helps your body use the food for energy, signals wakefulness and can inhibit natural sleep onset.
7. Create a restful sleep environment by making sure you are comfortable in bed, keeping it dark, cool, and blocking out noise.

Practicing good, holistic sleep hygiene may be beneficial, however, if you have long-lasting or severe sleeping problems, it is best to talk with your primary care provider.