Sleep might feel like the most unproductive thing we do. However, quality sleep is essential for our well-being. Even if interrupted by a baby waking you up in the middle of the night, you should still prioritize getting at least 7–8 hours of sleep time.
Not getting enough quality sleep can result in dire consequences: weight gain, depression, diabetes, heart disease… The list is really long.
Every 90 minutes, we cycle through three sleep stages:
Light sleep. Cleans your hippocampus of all the unnecessary information you gathered during the day. It helps refresh your brain, so you’ll be able to function better the next morning.
Deep sleep. Stores information you learned during the day. It helps memorize things you learned during waking hours. The most deep sleep typically occurs in the first hours of the night. So if you find it hard to remember what you tried to learn the day before, try going to bed a little earlier.
REM sleep. It stands for rapid eye movement; it’s because, during this stage, your eyes move rapidly. During REM, your brain connects the newly learned information with the old, often in strange ways. It helps you think outside the box and come up with new creative and emotional insights.
So outside of physical health issues, without proper sleep, you’re likely to be a lot more stressed, forgetful, and unproductive.
Nightly habits to help you sleep better
- Avoid screens before sleep. Blue light inhibits the production of melatonin. And without it, our chances of getting a good night’s sleep are essentially hopeless. Instead of a phone or TV, choose a print book, consider installing warm lights in your bedroom, and use a sleep mask when you sleep.
- Keep your bedroom cool. During quality sleep, our body temperature drops by 1–3 degrees. Keeping your room cool and filled with fresh air will help you fall asleep easier and sleep sounder.
- Eliminate light sources. Our eyes can be incredibly sensitive. That’s why after having your eyes closed for 10 minutes, you seem to see better in the dark. Even with the eyelids closed, we can sense street lights, a blinking router light, or a phone’s screen going off. Try to make sure your bedroom has as little artificial light as possible during sleep hours.
Of course, walking is one of the best exercises to help you sleep better. Additionally, you’ll get better exercise if you have a good night’s sleep. That makes for a pretty great combo!