6 simple sleep fixes

No matter what your health goal it’s important to pay attention to your sleep. Both the quality and quantity have a significant impact on your body composition, energy, hormones, mood health, digestion, exercise recovery and immune system. 

1) Get outside first thing 

Your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep are influenced hugely by numerous activities in the day, especially the time and frequency of your daylight exposure and exercise.

The hormone that wakes you in the morning is called cortisol, it is enhanced by both light exposure and movement. 

Cortisol helps you feel more alert, so getting outside and doing some exercise early will support better energy levels. Cortisol also works in a relay pattern with your sleep hormone melatonin. 

It decreases as the day progresses and by the evening melatonin takes over and you begin to experience a pressure to sleep. This is why it’s helpful to make sure your daytime routine supports your evening one. 

If you don’t have time for a walk or some exercise outside, simply step outside briefly and look up at the sky. Repeat this around midday or early in the afternoon. As your eyes detect natural daylight it triggers the release of cortisol and other energising chemicals from the brain. 

2) Eat more protein

Another important aspect of sound sleep is healthy blood sugar regulation. Struggling to fall asleep or waking up in the night can sometimes be linked to the fact your body can’t fuel itself efficiently when you’re not eating.  

Sleep requires you to be able to fast overnight, if you’ve kept your blood sugar levels stable in the day this happens easily as your hormones are optimised to use stored body fat and create new sources of energy through the night. 

Blood sugar balance is influenced by all your meal choices, so even breakfast impacts your sleep health. Consuming nutritious, protein rich meals over the day and limiting processed food is the key to this. 

Aim to include a serving of protein with every meal (e.g. eggs, meat, fish, dairy, tofu, lentils) 

Something along the lines of eggs or a protein smoothie for breakfast, salmon salad or lentil soup for lunch and a tofu or chicken stir fry for dinner. 

Pair your protein with wholefood carbohydrates (e.g. rice, potatoes, quinoa or oats), some veggies and healthy fats (olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds). 

This meal template will stabilise your energy in the day and help you grab some quality sleep at night. 

3) Lower the bright lights 

The light environment within your home is significant when it comes to securing a good night’s sleep because your sleep hormone melatonin is light-sensitive. 

Bright lights and blue lights should ideally be avoided in the evening to ensure your body experiences a steady increase in melatonin. There are several ways to do this including using blue light blocking glasses and applying blue light filtering apps to your phone or laptop. 

Using lamps or candles in the evening is helpful, especially in the bathroom so you don’t have to stick on a bright light to brush your teeth. 

Ideally ensure your bedroom is as dark as possible and use blackout blinds or an eye mask if needed. 

4) Power down and ditch the tech

One the most effective things you can do for sleep is factor in some short relaxation breaks across the day. This allows your brain to process activities and offset increasing stress levels. If you’re constantly in doing mode and working your mind at top speed, it’s harder to drop down a few gears in the evening. 

Taking 10-15 minutes breaks mid afternoon or at the end of your day could make a difference. Use it to relax, walk, lie down, breathe deeply, read or sit outside and rebalance yourself. 

Another helpful habit is to ensure you step away from the technology and stimulation in the last 30-60 minutes of your day. It goes without saying that dealing with work emails and ticking off tasks just before your head hits the pillow will have a negative impact on your sleep. 

Nattering on WhatsApp and mindlessly scrolling are also forms of stimulation that are wiring your brain to think rather than nod off. 

Spending the last moments of your day relaxing mentally and physically with activities like reading, deep breathing exercises, sleep meditations or Yoga Nidra can really help switch off your mind and ease your body into sleep mode.

5) Time your carbs right

It may help to fine tune your carbohydrate intake to support your sleep. 

Some people find that some slow release carbohydrates with dinner, like sweet potato, brown rice or quinoa, are beneficial. They can help to lower stimulatory hormones like cortisol making you feel more calm and relaxed. 

This maybe especially helpful if you exercise in the evening.  

For some people eating carbohydrates in the evening may cause changes in blood sugar levels overnight and disrupt sleep. In this case opting for protein, healthy fats and plenty of non-starchy vegetables may work best for you. It can help to keep a sleep diary, recording meal choices and sleep quality and see what works best for you. 

6) Cut back on caffeine 

Whilst caffeine maybe your best ally from a productivity and energy perspective in the day, it can be a real enemy of sleep as it can take your body several hours to clear caffeine completely. 

Avoiding caffeine after midday will allow you to benefit from the stimulation and limit the impact on sleep quality. 

If you enjoy the taste of things like tea or coffee simply swap to decaf varieties in the afternoon. In the evening opt for teas blends that can help you sleep with herbs like chamomile, valerian, passionflower and lavender.