One of the only truly universal experiences, no living soul on the planet can survive without sleep. And yet, until recently, we knew surprisingly little about what happens to and in our brains during the approximately 1/3rd of our life we spend in slumber. And, maybe unsurprisingly, humans are the only mammals that willingly delay sleep, even though we feel worse when we don’t sleep. But what is actually going on?
To use a technology metaphor, our body needs downtime to reset and reboot. Every organ in our body benefits from sleep (and conversely, suffers when we don’t get enough). As a result, an array of health risks arise from chronically bad sleep. Our immune system can’t function as well. Since our body misses that important period of rest, we’re at a higher risk for obesity, diabetes, and neurodegenerative conditions. Moreover, a multitude of cognitive issues can arise if our brain doesn’t find time to rest adequately.
This barely scratches the surface of what lack of sleep can do to us. But rather than discuss things you probably already know (maybe intuitively), let’s talk about what you can do to create better sleep habits.
Why Aren’t We Sleeping?
Like with many things in life, it’s more useful to understand the ‘why’ before the ‘how.’ So why aren’t we sleeping well?
Walker discusses various societal factors creating a veritable epidemic of sleep resistance. Chief among the contributing factors? A normalization of sleep neglect in society. Everything from the prevalence of mobile devices to cheaper TVs contributes to worse sleep. We can consume never-ending content from a blue-light-emitting screen 24 hours a day.
But this is a second-tier causation. We’ve always had the ability to be distracted before bed in some way – reading with a light on, TVs in the bedroom, music or radio; the list could continue through millennia. But the demands of modern life differ. Long commutes, demanding jobs, and a focus on productivity make our waking hours full of activity. So when it’s time to wind down, a part of our brain sees this as “me time” and not “sleep time.”
Another factor contributing to this forced wakefulness is ignoring our internal sleep window. A sleep window is a timeframe during which our body, naturally and without resistance, wants to go to sleep. The timeframe varies from person to person, and factors like alcohol, stress, and artificial light exposure can mess with our sleep window.
How Do We Sleep Better?
The good news is that steps to get better sleep are straightforward without any money investment. It’s attainable by nearly everyone, barring certain physical factors like sleep apnea.
For most of us, it’s about maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and creating a sleep-conducive environment. I know, we’re all tired of hearing it, but all the research points toward the necessity of it: put down the phones and tablets and turn off the TV before bed. Brainstorm activities to help you feel relaxed and calm before bed. Maybe it’s a hot bath in dim light, music, reading, or audiobooks. Whatever might soothe your soul.
In addition to creating a sleep schedule and optimal environment, look at your daily diet, particularly after 2 pm. You probably know caffeine and alcohol are horrible for sleep. Heavy meals before bedtime can give you acid reflux as you lay down and digest. But consuming foods like kiwis (high concentration of serotonin) or tart cherries and red grapes (high concentration of melatonin) can actively help you sleep. The relationship between diet and sleep can vary from person to person. But all the kiwis and red grapes in the world won’t help much if you lack great bedtime habits.
In Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams, Matthew Walker writes “…the best bridge between despair and hope is a good night’s sleep.” Research shows good sleep is possible. And with a little work, even great sleep is within reach.
Meghan Hatalla is a body-positive Minnesota yoga instructor and life design writer.
