Practical Tips - 5 Tips To Get Better Sleep that are Free

    Most people know that sleep is vital to health. However, in Singapore most do not sleep well. In an article by SleepSeeker published in 2021, they found that Singaporeans were the most fatigued. Not only can sleep deprivation lead to serious health conditions such as heart diseases, diabetes and hypertension, it may also lead to accidents on the road and at work. Sleep also affects immunity and during this pandemic, it is more crucial now then ever that we target this issue. Although the solution seems obvious, for us living in a busy city like Singapore, it is anything but easy. Here are 5 tips on getting better sleep. 

(We all lead busy lives. If you’re pressed for time, scroll down to the bottom for the summary)

1. The first would be to watch what we eat and drink and the timing of food intake. Most people would know that caffeine keeps us awake and consuming caffeine too close before bed would affect sleep. Different people have different levels of sensitivity to caffeine. Some can’t take them at all whilst others can handle copious amounts of coffee and still sleep like a baby. Experiment with yourself and see what works best for you. Higher intake of alcohol has also been found to be associated with poorer sleep quality, shorter sleep duration and higher odds of snoring in a study by Zheng et al 2021. This would not surprise me as alcohol is a diuretic and how can you sleep well if you’re waking up in the middle of the night to urinate. Hence if we are serious about dealing with sleep issues, it may be wise to cut or reduce alcohol intake. In another study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, they found that there was a correlation between late dinners and late night snacks and poorer sleep. So if you’re having late dinners, you may want to try to have it earlier and see how much better you sleep. 

2. Humans have a natural biological clock and no one is immune to it. When our circadian rhythm gets disrupted, we may get tired in the day and have poorer sleep at night. It is imperative that we live according to our chronobiology to improve health and work performance.  Exposure to sunlight helps us to increase our body’s cortical levels which can help us feel more awake. It also increases our melatonin levels which helps us sleep better at night as found by Lee et al in 2014. Many city dwellers have insufficient day time sunlight exposure and ultimately leading to a disrupted biological clock. Getting sun exposure is free, so why not make use of what nature has to offer and get some sun. 

3. The next tip is physical activity. Along with sun exposure, the same study conducted by Lee et al in 2014 found that exercise performed with sun exposure improved melatonin levels the most significantly when compared to the control group that had neither. Parents can attest to this when their kids have sufficient physical play vs when they don’t. They sleep better and are better behaved. This is because humans are made to move. In adults, when we do not have not sufficient physical activity at the right time of the day, we not only get worse quality of sleep, we may be more irritable in the day and tend to engage in negative health behaviours.  If you’re pressed for time, try embedding physical activities in your day by perhaps taking the stairs instead of the lift or walking to commute to work. 

4. Winding down can take various forms but the main idea is that we should be turning on our parasympathetic system which is also known as the rest and recover state of the body. From an environmental aspect, we can dim the lights, play relaxing music,  reduce use of electronics or light some scented candles. From an emotional and mental point, we should avoid activities or situations that cause our “ blood to boil” and increase activities that allow us to relax. This may be not checking your work email at night or having meaningful conversations with our loved ones. From a physical point, we can avoid doing high intensity exercises close to bedtime which increases our stress hormones and shuts off our parasympathetic system. We may also choose to perform breathing exercises to help calm the body and ultimately the mind. All in all, by winding down well, it prepares the body for a good night's sleep. 

5. Last but definitely not least, the final tip is to keep the room dark. This can be done by installing blackout curtains, tinting the windows, but one of the most useful things I've done is to use an eye mask. There are plenty available in the market from simple padded clothes with elastic bands to soft cushiony ones that cup your eyes all so gently. One that I found the most comfortable are face masks. The cloth masks block out more light than the reusable masks. Don’t take my word but try it out for yourself. 

With these tips, I leave you the summary as promised and wish you a good night!

Summary 

1. Watch what you put into your mouth and when you do it. 

2. Get exposed to sunlight during the day.

3. Engage in physical activity in the day 

4. Wind down well 

5. Keep your room dark

References

1. https://www.sleepseeker.co.uk/blog/fatigued-cities 

2. Dandan Zheng at el, Alcohol consumption and sleep quality: a community-based study.Public Health Nutrition , Volume 24 , Issue 15 , October 2021 , pp. 4851 - 4858

3. Crispim CA; Zimberg IZ; dos Reis BG; Diniz RM; Tufik S; de Mello MT. Relationship between food intake and sleep pattern in healthy individuals. J Clin Sleep Med 2011;7(6):659-664.

4. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/emres/longhourstraining/light.html

5. Lee H, Kim S, Kim D. Effects of exercise with or without light exposure on sleep quality and hormone responses. J Exerc Nutrition Biochem. 2014 Sep;18(3):293-9. doi: 10.5717/jenb.2014.18.3.293. Epub 2014 Sep 11. PMID: 25566466; PMCID: PMC4241899.