6 Ways to Get More Rewarding Sleep and The Benefits
By Michael Szews
Spring 2023
“Aim for 8 hours”, they say. Getting quality sleep is easier said than done. Life happens and your sleep can not be as prioritized as it should be. At the end of the day, nobody can help you get quality sleep other than YOU. It is your personal journey and it starts now.
Goals for Sleep
Step 1: Find a Routine
Finding a nightly routine is super important to get consistent results with your sleep. Falling asleep at similar times on a weekly basis can help your body adjust to a normal sleep cycle. Healthy habits can contribute to repeating rewards for you and your body. According to Mayo Clinic it is recommended to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night. While getting these 7 hours is encouraged, it is also recommended to get it by quality means. Going to bed at 4 am and waking up at 11 am will prove to be problematic. Generally, the earlier you go to bed and wake up, will make you more productive are and ready to tackle the day.
Step 2: Avoid Stimulants
Your sleep should be unhindered. It should be free of anything that can interfere with getting to bed and falling asleep quickly. A stimulant acts as a substance that raises levels of physiological or nervous activity in the body. This commonly includes caffeine, nicotine, and screens. Avoid these stimulants 4-6 hours before bed because they can prohibit you from getting quality sleep. Try to limit the usage of TVs, computers, and your phone prior to shutting your eyes. Alcohol can also be grouped into a substance to block healthy sleep because, under the influence, it is more likely to see many disturbances during the sleep session.
Step 3: Get Tired!
This just makes sense right? The more tired you become during the day, it will be easier to fall asleep. One way to do this is to adhere to your existing healthy sleep schedule. Maybe if you find yourself full of energy even after sunset, pick up physical activity as a hobby. The average gym enthusiast will become more tired so it will feel as though they long for their bed at night. There are many ways to use activity to get your body tired. If physical activity is not something that works well for you, go down the mental road. Reading a book and cooking food for later days can exhaust your brain. This will make you tired in your head which bodes well for getting good sleep as soon as you hit the sheets. If all else fails, try supplements. Melatonin is a hormone that calms and relaxes your body to make you just melt into the bed. There are minimal side effects and it’s very popular as many have implemented this into their life to put them sleep quickly.
Step 4: Utilize Naps
Getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep may take time to attain. At the beginning of your sleep hygiene journey, you may fall short of sleep a day or two a week. This is okay! If we come up empty-handed on hours, there is an insider hack: naps. Naps are powerful because while it is not as good as sleep, it still allows you to rejuvenate almost as much as night sleep. If you feel tired and the idea of a nap is interesting to you, aim to take these naps earlier in the day rather than later. They are more efficient in the early afternoons as opposed to after the sun is down (this can mess up your sleep cycle).
Step 5: Develop a Healthy Sleeping Environment
The bedroom is special to everyone and in different ways. The place where you sleep needs to be someplace where you feel happy and safe. Think of the way a bird builds a nest. They take care and put a lot of effort into making the nest their own. Take this approach with your room and bed. Make it work for you. Things that can affect your environment include the light patterns, noise in your room and outside, how comfortable your bed is, and temperature. Overall, try to keep your room in a way that gives you relaxation, calmness, and clean.
According to Healthline, “In one study on the bedroom environment of women, around 50% of participants noticed improved sleep quality when noise and light diminished”.
Step 6: Put Self-Care First
A sleep routine is essential but a pre-sleep routine is almost as important. What I mean by pre-sleep routine is the things you do before you climb into bed. It is advised to do activities to calm your mind before you sleep to promote quality sleep. These can include taking a warm shower or bath, reading a book, yoga, meditating, drawing, planning out your week schedule, or listen to music. Everyone has preferences so try them all out and see what works best for you or even adopt a new one to help you.
Benefits Of How Sleep Can Help You
Sleep acts as a reset button for your body and its functions. It keeps your body in check physically and mentally. Below are the top 3 ways sleep helps you live a better, more glamorous life.
Physical Recovery
When you sleep, your muscles are broken down and healed. This is why you wake up feeling refreshed. Dr. Ben Colleti of North Central College athletic training states that when you fall asleep all muscles and internal organs slow their normal rate of energy usage. According to Bodybuilding.com, “sleep that the body is able to: restore organs, bones, and tissue; replenish immune cells; and circulate human growth hormone”. Muscles are growing in your sleep and that is why it is super important to maintain lots of sleep if you are trying to add muscle and weight. Volleyball athlete and NCC student, Nathan Jones, says when he is practicing volleyball and gets minimal hours of sleep his body feels like it was hit by a truck. He then says on weekends when he gets 9 hours each day, his body feels recovered and well-rested compared to his body during the week.
2. Hormone Release
While you are in REM cycles of sleep, there are many changes happening inside your body. Athletic trainer of NCC Tracy Stephen says there are many hormones released during your sleep to attain human efficiency. A hormone called melatonin, as mentioned earlier in the article is nicknamed the “Sleep Hornmome”. WebMD states, “Levels of melatonin, one of the main chemicals involved in the sleep-wake cycle, rise to make you sleepy when the sun sets and the opposite at daylight”. Another hormone released during slumber is cortisol, the “Stress Hormone”. It is reduced right before you go to sleep and raises the levels when you wake up. Your mood is constantly being regulated through hormonal balance during sleep and they all work in a way to get you the best sleep possible.
3. Mental Rejuvenation
Rest plays a crucial role in resetting your head every morning. During the night, your brain processes all information it was given during the day. This is why you feel very tired when you are studying all night or had a long day. WebMD states, “Your brain also uses your sleep cycles to consolidate memories”. The various stages of REM cycles you endure at night restore your tired brain. Sleep also tends to your body’s circadian rhythm, which is your body’s internal clock to better help your sleep schedule stay on track. Overall sleep helps your brain strengthen neural connections and promotes memory gain, and cognitive response.
Michael Szews is a Business Marketing major at North Central College who is an active member of the campus community. He is ambitious and loves to explore new connections with friends and family. Originally from the Milwaukee area, Szews now lives on campus in Naperville, Illinois. He contributes to the men’s volleyball team there which is a top 10 team in the nation. While he is finishing his junior year, he finds time to visit places with friends in downtown Naperville has to offer. He is always looking for new and exciting experiences outside his comfort zone. He hopes in the future to get the job opportunity to work with people from all over the world and eventually conduct business in Eastern Europe.
