Do you wake up well-rested and energized or do you wake up groggy and tired? Do you have trouble falling asleep or maybe even staying asleep? Or maybe you’re staying in bed for recommended 7-9 hours every night but you’re still not feeling well-rested or waking up energized.
Getting a good night sleep seems to be hard to get these days. According to the American Sleep Association, sleep problems affect up to 70 million American adults. Sleep is essential for our physical & mental health— at every age, from childhood to adulthood. And study after study tells us how sleep deprivation causes us to eat more, it shrinks our brains, can cause false memories, and is linked to type 2 diabetes and other diseases. Not to mention that not being well-rested leads to slow reaction time, that can impair even driving. Sixty percent of adults in the US have gotten behind the wheel while feeling drowsy and one third of people have fallen asleep while driving. No good!
As a leader, it is important for you to get plenty of sleep. I would even go as far as to say that it is your ethical responsibility. Your organization, your colleagues, and even your family (of course!) depend on you to be well-rested so you can think clearly, make decisions quickly, and show up to be a positive presence. People don’t want to be led by someone with bags under their eyes, yawning in the middle of the meeting, while clutching their fifth cup of coffee.
And sure, everybody has an unpredictable night now and then— says a mother of a toddler who visits them at 5 am. But outside of the occasional anomalies, there are some things that we can all do to to get a better night sleep. So here are my top 3 ways...
SLEEP IN COMPLETE DARKNESS
Melatonin is a hormone that rises at night and helps us go to sleep and stay asleep. However, it is very light sensitive. For it to rise and be effective, your surroundings have to be completely dark. So make sure your bedroom is totally dark so that melatonin can do its job. Turn off nightlights, cover lights from electronics, and get room-darkening shades. If you need a nightlight, choose one with a red bulb. Red light doesn’t interfere with melatonin production. It should be so dark that you cannot see your hand in front of your face.
UNPLUG BEFORE BED
Remember that little hormone melatonin I just mentioned? Staring computer or your phone before bed also obstructs melatonin from rising. Your bedtime Facebook scrolling could be the cause of your sleepless nights. So turn off electronics at least an hour before bed to get your body ready for sleep. Instead, read a book, do some stretching, or enjoy a cup of tea.
Next, get a real alarm clock. The kind that you plug into the wall and has numbers on it… that round thing. They still sell those antiques at most stores. (Ha!) That way you don’t have to use your iPhone as an alarm clock and be tempted to check it. Instead, charge it overnight in a different room so you’re not tempted to look at your email or Facebook and then compromise your melatonin production.
CREATE A COMFORTABLE BED & BEDROOM
It seems obvious, right? Your bed should be a place you look forward to relaxing and sleeping in. If there is something about your bed or your bedroom that is not comfortable, change it! Is your mattress old and uncomfortable? Are your sheets too hot or too cold? Maybe your pillows are lumpy or too flat? Change it.
My husband and I made a recent change to our bed that has made a remarkable difference in how each of us sleep. We are both cover hogs, maybe you can relate. I roll over and steal them. He has no problem countering with his own cover-stealing move. And it’s hard to sleep when you feel like the covers are flying off of you constantly and you might get a little ticked about that too. So, on a recent trip to Europe, we slept like babies. We realized that one of the reasons was that all the beds had two blankets or covers on them. One for each person. Seems really obvious. When we got home, we immediately bought two twin-size duvets for our big bed and neither of us has had been cold or irritated at 2 am. It made a huge difference.
So there, they are my top 3 ways to get a better night sleep that you may not have heard of recently.
Now I want you to tell me, do you have any tricks for getting a good night sleep? I want to hear them. I need more.
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