Sleep is one of the most underrated factors that aids your well-being. A good night’s sleep includes these stages: light sleep when your body and brain just start to relax, the second stage where your body temperature, heart rate and breathing slow down, the third stage of deep sleep which is restorative, giving your body time to repair. The most important aspect of sleep is REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is when most of your dreams occur and your brain activity increases. This sleep helps memory and learning as well. The REM cycle happens after your body has gone through each stage of non-REM sleep.
How do you hack your way to better sleep? Here are a few tips:
Imagine or recall a memory of something that’s serene. It could just be looking at a beautiful waterfall, sitting by the sea on a holiday or any favourite setting or memory — remember or visualise every detail, from the sounds to the colours of the setting and patterns. This gives you an immersive experience and you may finding yourself nodding off.
How about playing a soundtrack easily available on apps that helps you calm down? Most sleep apps provide a vast library of sounds.
Meditation is known to help you fall asleep; guided meditation allows you to focus on your breathing and scan your own body, noticing sounds, feelings and your emotions.
An important approach is boosting sleep hygiene. Sticking to a routine; going to bed and waking up at the same time helps in resetting your body clock. Also, switch off all sources of light and noise so there is no overstimulation. Ensure you have invested in the right mattresses and pillows.
Have an early dinner and take a short walk — stretch and relax your muscles so all the stiffness goes away.
Stay away from screens at least a couple of hours before you go to bed. The light from blue screens hampers sleep and will keep you buzzed the same way caffeine does. Also, avoid watching shows or reading news that may disturb you or trigger too many emotions.
Do you overthink, feel anxious as thoughts keep swirling in your mind? Try journaling and clearing your mind before you try to sleep. Also, if you are unable to control your anxiety or worry loops, seek professional help.
( Biohack of the Week offers actionable tips to optimise your wellbeing.)