Sleeping well throughout the night is vital for overall health and well-being.
Unfortunately, with the pressing demands and fast paced life of today, people are now sleeping less than they did in the past and their quality of sleep has also decreased.
Below you’ll find 3 key factors that affect sleep and how they can be captured and analyzed to help you sleep better.
1. Behavioral Factors
Behavioral factors have everything to do with how you treat your body and can be broadly classified into exercise and diet.
Most sleep studies have recommended around 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise combined with strength and resistance training which targets the major muscle groups at least twice a week.
Although a bodybuilder and a marathon runner could workout at any time of the day, for a good night’s sleep it is best that the exercise regimen is done early in the morning and avoided later in the evenings.
There are some very good fitness trackers that will help you monitor your workouts. They are highly detailed in monitoring your activity, heart rate level, distance traveled (if you are out for a jog), duration of workout and much more.
The second most important behavioral factor that affects sleep is your diet. Research has directly linked the relationship between food intake and a healthy sleep pattern.
An adequate calorie diet will not only help control your weight but also aid in good quality sleep.
Food trackers are a great option to watch your calorie intake. They can help you highlight normal eating habits, daily metrics and even suggest where you can make improvements.
Going to bed on a full stomach throws the digestive system out of whack, and can even cause reflux. A dinner rich in protein takes longer to digest. Experts suggest that the best practice would be to avoid eating at least 2 to 3 hours before going to bed.
If you’re craving a late-night snack, don’t reach for a bag of potato chips. Instead, half an apple, a warm cup of milk or a small bowl of whole-grain cereal are your best choices.
A nightcap will typically depress the nervous system and make you fall asleep faster. But this is usually temporary and may make you wake up in the night as the effect of alcohol fades off. So it’s best to avoid alcohol at night.
Lastly, avoid stimulants such as caffeine (or nicotine) that cause alertness, at least 6 hours before bedtime.
Bottom Line:
The two most important things to keep in mind is to get your daily dose of vigorous exercise and to opt for a lighter dinner.
2. Environmental Factors
Environmental factors are all the things that have to do with your surroundings. Simply said, it is how your senses perceive the environment and prepare your body for sleep.
These factors include temperature, light, sound and air quality.
Cooler temperatures are preferred to make you sleep faster and should optimally be between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit.
The human body regulates the core as well as the skin temperature. When the core temperature is high, blood vessels dilate, consequently increasing blood flow and metabolism of the body.
A cooler core temperature contracts the blood vessels, slowing down bodily functions and preparing the body for sleep.
As a good habit to induce sleep, try taking a warm shower just before bed. This relaxes the muscles and helps in wearing of stress. When entering a cooler room, the skin temperature begins to drop signaling the brain to start preparing for sleep.
Light is another prime environmental factor. Light gives cues to the brain that triggers the release of different chemicals.
Ideally, when it gets dark, the body releases melatonin, which helps in getting restful sleep.
However, due to our modern-day exposure to television, electronic gadgets and mobile phones the photoreceptors of the brain are tricked to believe that it is still daytime. Blue light emitted from these devices is another big hindrance to sleep.
To get a night of sound sleep, expose yourself to bright light during the day and avoid looking at bright screens a couple of hours before bedtime.
If working the night shift or working late is unavoidable, consider wearing bluelight blocking glasses or installing an app that filters blue light.
The other two environmental factors affecting sleep are sound and air quality.
While soft relaxing music can help in inducing sleep, any external disturbances caused by traffic outside your window or a snoring partner can significantly hamper the quality of sleep.
The effect of air quality on sleep can also be significant.
For restful sleep, ensure that the air is well circulated (for optimal oxygen level) and is free of smell and excess humidity.
Bottom Line:
For deep restorative sleep ensure that your bedroom is kept cool, dark and quiet with fresh air ventilation.
3. Sleep Equipment
Sleep equipment is an essential factor to help you get a good night’s rest. This includes your mattress, pillow and blankets.
In a poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, 92 percent reported that a comfortable mattress is important for quality sleep.
An old or uncomfortable mattress can do you more harm than just a crick in the neck.
A worn-out mattress can be home to allergy-causing dust mites. A mattress that is not right for your body type could lead to an incorrect sleeping posture, leading to future spine-related health issues or nagging back pain.
Similarly, it is very important to select a good quality pillow. Make sure you test the pillow to see if your neck and shoulders are well rested and that it does not cause any discomfort.
Choose warm and cozy blankets that give you a feeling of warmth and comfort throughout the night.
As part of monitoring the quality of your sleep, there are many gadgets available that are either placed under the bedsheet or worn as wristbands.
Beddit is one particular sleep tracker that is placed under the bedsheet that tracks your sleep by monitoring your movements and noise during the entire night.
Other sleep trackers such as those of Fitbit and Basis are wristbands that monitor your light sleep, deep sleep and REM cycles. These gadgets also offer online charts that can be used to track sleep patterns over time.
One of the latest sleep trackers currently available is Withings Aura. It consists of a mattress sensor, a bedside device and a mobile app. The mattress sensor records the sleep data and sends it to the mobile app. The bedside device projects light, has an alarm clock and a white noise machine. All of these features can be synchronized with your sleep cycle.
Using these gadgets can help you gauge the effects of different factors such as sedentary activity or dietary change on sleep duration and quality.
Bottom Line:
Using comfortable sleep equipment can be invaluable in helping you to induce sound sleep. Also, make use of different sleep trackers to monitor the quality of your sleep.