How often do you wake up feeling more tired than when you went to bed? Although grogginess in the morning is common, it’s not normal. A third of Canadians struggle to get a good night’s sleep, according to Health Canada. Learn how to improve sleep quality through sleep syncing.
Sleep syncing, aligning your sleep schedule with your circadian rhythm, can be one solution to help you jump out of bed in the morning.
What is the Circadian Rhythm
The circadian rhythm is your personal 24-hour clock that the body relies on to perform well throughout the day. It oversees your sleep-wake cycles, energy levels, hormones, and even digestion. It relies on patterns to know when to release melatonin and make you sleepy, when to release cortisol to wake you up or give you an energy boost, and when to create proteins to help you digest food.
If your patterns change or if you don’t follow any patterns to begin with, it can throw off your internal clock and can result in various short and long term health issues.
Impacts of short term misalignment with your circadian rhythm:
- A delay in healing wounds.
- Changes to your hormones.
- Digestion issues.
- Fluctuations in your body temperature.
- Lack of energy.
- Memory loss.
Systems impacted by long term misalignment with your circadian rhythm:
- Cardiovascular system.
- Metabolism.
- Gastrointestinal system.
- Endocrine system.
- Nervous system.
A Sleep Syncing Tool for a Good Night’s Rest
Aligning your daily routines with your internal clock can do wonders for the quality of your sleep. By going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day you can train your circadian rhythm. It’ll take some practice, but eventually you might even be able to ditch the alarm clock and wake up naturally instead.
Check out this free Sleep Calculator from the Sleep Foundation to learn what your ideal bedtime/wakeup time is based on your age.
The Health Insider is not affiliated with Sleep Foundation and does not endorse any products sold by or through the organization.
The Basics of Sleep: How to Improve Sleep Quality
First, before learning how to improve sleep quality, you need to know how long you should sleep each night. No matter how good your sleep hygiene is, you won’t feel rested on three hours of sleep.
Now that you know how long you should be sleeping, let’s get into how to pick the perfect bedtime. You want to complete 4-6 sleep cycles every night.
A sleep cycle consists of four parts: stage 1 and 2 which are light sleep, stage 3 which is deep sleep, and REM, which is when you dream. Each full sleep cycle should last about 90-120 minutes. With each new cycle you spend less time in stages 1 and 3 and, in turn, stage 2 and REM sleep lasts longer. By your last sleep cycle, REM will last for about an hour.
Ideally, you want to wake up at the end of REM sleep, before or just after reentering stage 1. If you’re feeling extremely drowsy when you wake up to an alarm clock (or don’t wake up to your alarm at all), it could be caused by waking up in the middle of stage 3 sleep.
How Do I Start Sleep Syncing?
Aligning your daily routines with your internal clock can take some conscious effort, but you’ll quickly notice how much better you feel mentally and physically.
Wind Down Before Bed
Create a relaxing bedtime routine that signals to your body that it’s time to sleep. Put away the screens and try yoga, meditation, journaling, reading, taking a warm bath, or listening to calming music. Pay attention to when you get sleepy naturally compared to when you use screens late at night – you’ll notice a difference.
Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol
Caffeine and alcohol can disrupt your circadian rhythm, causing your body to release cortisol and/or delay releasing melatonin. Alcohol consumption has been linked to reduced REM sleep, further disrupting the quality of your rest. Improve the quality of your sleep by abstaining as much as possible.
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Exercise Daily
Good for more than just burning energy, exercise can help stabilize your mood and decompress your mind. But there is a caveat here – timing is everything. For some people, exercise before bed helps them sleep, but others might find that exercise makes them feel more awake.
Exercise increases your body temperature, telling your body it’s time to be awake. But once you’re done, your temperature starts to fall which facilitates sleepiness. If this is you, try exercising a half hour or so before bed.
The flip side is that exercise also releases endorphins which increases the level of activity in your brain. This can keep some people alert and awake, getting in the way of sleep. If this is you, give yourself a couple hours between finishing a workout and getting into bed.
Light Exposure
Sunlight is essential to healthy sleep. Natural light blocks the release of melatonin, meaning you feel awake and alert during daytime hours. In the evening, dim the lights. Lamps are a great way to not overdo light exposure at night and promote the release of melatonin. Artificial lights from screens can also disrupt melatonin.
Only Use Your Bed For Sleep
If you only spend time in bed for sleep (with the exception of sex) you train your body that your bed is a place for sleep. Upon crawling under the covers, you’ll find yourself falling asleep faster.
Syncing your sleep with your body’s internal clock is all about consistency. By making small, sustainable changes to your routine, you can train your body to fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up feeling genuinely refreshed. Whether you’re a night owl or an early bird, your circadian rhythm is trying to work with you, not against you.
What changes will you make to get a better night’s sleep?
~ Read more from The Health Insider ~
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The information provided on TheHealthInsider.ca is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. TheHealthInsider.ca advises consulting a medical professional or healthcare provider when seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.
