Sleep and Rest

Introduction to Sleep

Sleep is critical to our health and well-being. This is when our body takes out the trash and cleans and organizes the house. This is also when we put helpful information into long-term storage, repair cells, fight infections, and restore energy levels. Sleep is like a reset to clear out waste, tune your body, and help you get ready for another day. These skills are obviously essential and help keep our body going. When we take sleep health seriously, our bodies will benefit and will be able to carry us further in life. Here are a few strategies that will strengthen your sleep health.

Tired all the time?

  1. Strategy #1 Get Restorative Rest

  2. Strategy #2 Try Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) Protocols

  3. Strategy #3 Manage Stimulants and Depressants During the Day

  4. Strategy #4 Establish a Consistent Routine, Particularly in the Evening

  5. Strategy #5 Nutrition and Sleep

  6. Strategy #6 The Mechanics of the Sleep Environment

  7. Special Strategies for Sleep

Strategy #1 Get Restorative Rest

Better rest impacts every aspect of our lives. It helps with our careers, relationships, and physical and mental health. And you take better care of yourself when you feel better. The real challenge is to go beyond just getting a certain amount of sleep and to discover how good it can be when we're really rested. What could happen to our relationships, our creativity, or our purpose in life? We need to be able to pour from a full cup. Having the energy to confront the problems we all face in life comes from learning how to rest.

There is a difference between sleep and rest. Sleep is a type of rest. Rest has several different components. In the book Sacred Rest, Dr. Saundra Dalton Smith describes seven types of rest. These include Physical, Mental, Spiritual, Emotional, Social, Sensory, and Creative.

Rest is about getting to a quiet space in your mind. Rest is about restoring the one thing that you need most, the thing that's really affecting how well you are enjoying your life, your relationships, and your world. Many people don't know what rest is.

Physical rest has two components: an active and a passive component. The Active component is sleep or napping, but the Passive type of rest includes things that help your muscles, like relaxing or stretching actions that help your circulation and other stress reduction skills. A body that is painful and tight or tense is not going to get as much high-quality sleep as a body that's been stretched or relaxed. Physical rest is enhanced by exercise and physical activity that will improve blood circulation and help the body move into a more rested state. Most experts recommend twenty minutes of movement at least five days a week. This might include yoga, pilates, resistance training, walking, swimming, or intervals during the workday dedicated to some movement, even if it’s just getting up from a chair and walking around the house or office to keep your mind moving during the day. Try to keep naps for less than 30 minutes.

Mental rest refers to clearing your mental space and having clarity, focus, and concentration. When you lay down to sleep at night. And your mind is racing. You think of all the things you've done during the day of conversations that you've had or things that bother you. Some people call this busy brain syndrome. When you manage that and clear your mind, you can get to a quiet place; cerebrally, then you sleep better. When you do a to-do list, jot down a note. It's like a brain dump, so you don't have to keep trying to remember or think about it, which drains mental energy.

Spiritual rest is different; we all must feel that our life has a purpose. That it has a human or “less than all” element to it. Our humanity is compassion, connecting with people and those things bigger than ourselves and humanity in general.

Emotional rest is to let emotions out. It Is sharing what we felt about our day. Not the details. The details can be more like emotional trauma. The important thing is sharing how you feel. Spending time eye to eye. It takes a bit of courage to say how you are feeling right now.

Social rest is being around uplifting and life-giving people who are motivational and feed you. Some of our relationships pull energy away from us socially but can also pour back energy. It doesn't matter how much you love them. You have to be mindful of what relationships pour back into you and fill that bucket that gets poured out daily when dealing with the kids, customers, clients, or however you're pouring out social energy. If you need social rest and restoration, eight hours of sleep may not fulfill your need. Being around lots of people and surface-level conversation is extremely draining for some people. For other, more extroverted people, this can be socially fulfilling.

Sensory deficits are when people experience sensory overload syndrome. You become sensory overwhelmed throughout your day. You may find that you become more agitated as the day goes on, and toward the end of the day, what you need most is a low-sensory environment. Sensory rest is coping with our surroundings and being mindful of the sensory input you allow into your brain. Whether it's the gadgets you're using, the lights, the sounds, or the office space where you work. It's how many notifications you have on your phone. All those sensory inputs affect us and affect our behavior.

Creative rest. It is allowing yourself to be inspired. To find moments in the day. When you imagine desired and exciting or interesting outcomes, creative energy is expended when you think outside the box, problem-solve, or are innovative. Many people experience creative rest around bodies of water, in nature, or in the natural beauty of things like art, music, dance, and theater. These things. Pour back into us so we don't experience those rest deficits.

Sleep is a manifestation of what has been happening or not happening during the day. Our habits and routines during the day impact what happens at night. You cannot sleep well when experiencing a rest deficit, so taking care of yourself during the day and getting needed rest will set you up for a restorative sleep.

Visit our strategies sections for tips and techniques to help you manage Thoughts, Emotions, Attention, Connections, and Health.

Strategy #2 Try Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) Protocols

NSDR includes strategies like meditation, yoga nidra, and hypnosis that support better brain and body health. This type of rest is deliberate and directed toward a state of deep relaxation, which is very beneficial. Hypnosis, naps, or yoga nidra is unique because it's straightforward, allowing you to guide your brain toward a particular outcome. These strategies increase plasticity and open pathways that allow you to change your brain in helpful ways. There are multiple videos on YouTube about this, but Dr. Andrew Huberman has an excellent 10-minute NDSR protocol.

Keep your stress level under control and try not to get overtired before you sleep. This will cause the release of stress hormones that will interfere with sleep and lead to tossing and turning for hours and disrupted sleep habits that might shake your confidence in your ability to go to sleep.

Strategy #3 Manage Stimulants and Depressants During the Day

Be careful about the products you use to stay alert or focused during the day. Caffeine helps you get going in the morning, but it has a 6-hour half-life, which means that about half of the caffeine you take in is still in your system after six hours, or it will take 10 to 12 hours to get most of it out of your system. It is better to avoid any stimulants after noon. Using high-caffeine products like 5-hour energy, high-caffeine energy drinks, or energy supplements can interfere with sleep. The half-life of nicotine is 2 hours, while the half-life of cotinine is approximately 16 hours (Cotinine is a metabolite of nicotine and is typically used as a biomarker for exposure to tobacco smoke). Certain medications like Excedrin or stimulants used to treat ADHD or Narcolepsy can also interfere with sleep. Be careful about what you take into your body and check labels or call your physician’s office to determine if products might interfere with sleep. Depressants like Alcohol also interfere with sleep by reducing the amount of REM sleep. Antidepressants that block the reuptake of serotonin can also have a negative effect on REM sleep.

Strategy #4 Establish a Consistent Routine, Particularly in the Evening

Try to get up and go to bed at roughly the same time every day. Even if you stay up late, try to get up simultaneously. Start planning for a good night's sleep as soon as you wake up in the morning; develop healthy wind-down and gear-up habits. Your body will learn these and adapt. Pay careful attention as you go through the day to engage in more active mental and physical activities early in the day, and practice calming down as you move into your evening routines. In the early morning, a lot of light exposure is good first thing. Go outside if possible, walk early, or expose yourself to natural light in the morning, stimulating the release of cortisol and adrenaline and regulating melatonin, giving you more energy and a better mood.

The evening routine should gradually decrease stimulation. You might try an after-dinner walk with you without your phone. Remember to notice how you might need rest (Physical, Mental, Spiritual, Emotional, Social, Sensory, and Creative) and take care of these as the evening routine unfolds. If needed, do a guided meditation or take a sensory reprieve from the world. Our body constantly tries to help us by letting us know when something doesn't feel right. It's important for us to know when we need to take action to help us deal with emotions or something social or sensory that is left over from the day. Early in the evening is a good time to take walks, breathe, commune with pets or a person, or be good with yourself or nature as you try to relax into the evening. Different people have different types of needs for rest. For example, music is very resting and relaxing for some, but for others, jogging might help with physical rest, but it will not help with mental or creative depletion. Do things that might inspire or restore you as you get your brain ready for sleep. Talking with someone or dealing with an issue at this time of day might keep you from tossing or turning with the issue when trying to sleep. Getting five to thirty minutes of sunlight in the late evening hours helps maintain an appropriate level of the sleep hormone melatonin, which helps to optimize sleep and mood.

Movies or any stimulating screen time should end at least an hour before bedtime. Eating or exercise should end a few hours before bedtime. The last hour might include listening to quiet, soothing music, reading a book, or listening to a meditation or sleep app like Calm, Headspace, or Ten % Happier. Some people use sleepy-time tea such as Chamomile. Stretching, breathing, or finding a quiet place for prayer or meditation for five to ten minutes before sleep might help. When you relax and feel safe, adrenaline and cortisol levels decrease, which helps you get to sleep. Going to bed earlier can offset waking up in the middle of the night due to the earlier release of melatonin.

Strategy #5 Nutrition and Sleep

Dinner comprised of starchy carbohydrates can support rest and deep sleep by increasing serotonin levels. Refined sugars can trigger sugar cravings and disrupt metabolism. Simple habits such as getting natural light and eating healthy foods. Carbohydrates enhance the amount of serotonin in the brain, which is necessary for a good night's sleep. Fasting and low-carb diets can interfere with sleep. At some time of the day, ingesting starchy carbohydrates for relaxation is a scientifically rational protocol to enhance the transition to sleep.

Strategy #6 The Mechanics of the Sleep Environment

Remove unnecessary devices or noises and make your bedroom a sleep sanctuary. Keep the room temperature cool (most people recommend below 68 to 70 degrees). Reduce light gradually as you get ready to sleep, and when you go to sleep, try to have the room dark and quiet, like a cave. A plush carpet in the bedroom might help reduce noise, but some people prefer a noise machine or fan drone. A warm shower before bed is associated with a shorter time getting to sleep (note, cold showers increase dopamine, which might keep you up) because the warm temperature accelerates the drop in temperature necessary for falling asleep easily. Exposing palms, face, and feet to cool air also helps bring down body temperature, helping with sleep onset. Consistent darkness will stimulate the release of melatonin, which signals the body to sleep. Any artificial light exposure during the night will suppress melatonin. Blue light interferes with sleep, so limit digital or screen time later in the evening or use a night or low-level screen setting. Some people use blue light-blocking glasses to reduce light exposure if they work late. It is better to keep cell phones or other distracting electronics out of the bedroom, but not always practical. Be aware that they can disrupt sleep patterns and be more problematic than helpful.

Waking Up During the Night:

Our body goes through sleep cycles during the night. We go into deeper levels of sleep, and then we regain consciousness or partially wake up and then go back into deeper sleep. The deepest cycles occur around three or four a.m. (unless you work a night shift). This is when your body temperature reaches the lowest point, and your brain wave activity is slowest, giving you the most helpful sleep. It is natural to wake up at times during the night when transitioning through sleep cycles. If you do not activate the thinking or conscious brain or expose your eyes to a lot of light, your body will typically go back to sleep in a few minutes. Trust your body and let it be in charge of this process. Your body will tell you when you are getting enough sleep. If you try to take charge of your sleep or some other area of your life and start thinking or worrying about things, you will disrupt the natural rhythms, and it may be difficult to get back to sleep.

Special Strategies for Sleep:

If you are having a hard time getting to sleep, here are some special strategies that people have shared:

  • Keep a journal next to your bed. Before you sleep, write down something about the day you are grateful for or three good things that happened during the day. Savor these things as you drift into sleep. You can also use the journal if you think of something you want to remember or do later, write it down, and let it go.

  • If you have difficulty getting to sleep and are bothered by complex thoughts, try not to get upset with yourself because you are thinking too much; this increases stress hormones and further interferes with sleep. Be aware that you are having difficulty, but tell yourself you are fine, you will get through the next day, and try to let the thoughts pass. Some people do fine on as few as four hours per night. Your body will tell you when you are getting enough sleep.

  • If your thoughts bother you, some people try to think of something less stimulating or try to keep their attention on a specific topic to avoid distressful thoughts. Be kind to yourself and practice self-compassion when you have difficulty getting to sleep; tell yourself this is normal and everyone has a difficult time occasionally, and let these thoughts pass like clouds in the sky. A meditation practice helps you learn how to notice thoughts and let them go without getting caught up in them.

  • Focus your attention on comfortable feelings in your body or how good the bed feels. Try not to review the events of the day. Concentrate on your intention of going to sleep and how good it feels to lie down and rest. You might count your breaths from 1 - 4, then start counting blocks of four breaths again. Some people try to visualize the numbers.

  • Sleeplessness is often caused by internal self-talk, a kind of mental chatter, which can interfere with relaxing your body. The Headway website has an entire section on strategies for dealing with unhelpful thoughts. It is not advisable to tackle this when you are trying to sleep, but many tips and techniques might help if you look into these strategies at other times.

  • Be patient with yourself. Sleep patterns are habitual, so you might need to work consistently on good sleep habits and savor any small signs of progress while ignoring setbacks. Watch for anxiety or feelings of anger or fear, which would make sleep unlikely or impossible. If you do struggle with anxiety/fear or resentment/anger, discuss these with a therapist who can help you work out a more stress-free view of life.

  • One person shared a finger-tapping strategy. She tapped her index finger on the bed slowly and repetitively when she had difficulty sleeping. This helped her let go of disturbing thoughts. Other people have shared a strategy of naming things in the environment. If you are lying in bed and cannot sleep, you might name three things in the room. Focus on these three things for three breaths each and then start over, maintaining deep and focused attention on the items and relating them to your intention of going to sleep.

  • Many people recommend using a mask to keep light out of your eyes.

Please send us your suggestions.