Set yourself up for getting your best night’s sleep using some tried and true tips for falling asleep easily and staying in the zzz’s zone.

In addition to a nutritious diet and daily physical activity, getting good-quality nighttime sleep is essential for our overall well-being. Sleep is not something we do just to rest; it is crucial for maintaining our physical and mental health.

The two phases of sleep

We’ve all heard of the REM (rapid eye movement) phase of sleep, which is when we do most of our dreaming. The other phase of sleep is called non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. NREM is comprised of three stages:

N1 – the lightest stage of sleep during which we are easily awakened;

N2 – the stage in which relaxation sets in; and

N3 – the deepest stage of sleep. This is Slow Wave Sleep, which is the hardest to wake up from.

These two phases of sleep constitute a sleep cycle, which lasts around 90 minutes. Each sleep cycle starts with the three NREM stages and finishes with REM sleep. On average, we experience four to six sleep cycles a night.

Slow Wave Sleep aka Deep Sleep

Our bodies are hard at work during the N3 deep sleep stage to accomplish the following regulatory and restorative tasks:

• Consolidating memories in our brains (also happens during REM sleep);
• Helping our brains to improve our attention and maintain cognitive resilience;
• Clearing out toxins in our brains and recharging the brain’s neural circuits;
• Supports the brain’s ability to regulate emotions, reducing our stress and anxiety;
• Improving cardiovascular health;
• Assisting in metabolic regulation;
• Repairing our body’s tissues; and
• Strengthening our immune function to help us stay healthy.

Who knew we were so “busy” when we’re sound asleep?

Neurologist Dr. Anne Marie Morse is a sleep medicine specialist who founded DAMM Good Sleep. Dr. Morse says that neurodevelopment takes place during the N3 deep sleep stage along with the production of growth hormone. It’s no wonder, then, that children spend more of their sleeping hours in N3 than adults since they are actively learning and growing.

What are the signs of not getting enough deep sleep at night?

When you’re getting an insufficient amount of slow wave sleep at night, you may find yourself inordinately hungry the following day and consuming extra calories.

Dr. Roger Washington, founder of Sleep to Live Well Foundation, says a lack of deep sleep can leave you feeling more moody or depressed than usual and your cognition may not be at its best.

A lack of deep sleep will likely have you feeling exhausted the next day – far from feeling well rested. If you seek out caffeine during the day to help keep yourself alert, you’re likely deep sleep deprived.

There is a way to catch up on deep sleep

Although a power nap has its place, it’s not the best solution to address a lack of deep sleep.

So, what’s the best way to catch up on deep sleep? Dr. Washington says that going to bed earlier at night when you’re sleep deprived signals to the body to replenish that deep sleep deficit as a priority. He remarks that the beginning of our sleep at night is when we experience the longest N3 deep sleep stages, with subsequent sleep cycles providing shorter and shorter N3 stages. This is the body’s innate efficiency at work:  making sure that we have the best chance to get that much-needed deep sleep before it’s time to wake up.

How many hours of sleep should I get per night?

Both the National Sleep Foundation in the United States and the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology recommend adults aged 18 to 64 get 7 to 9 hours of good-quality sleep per night, while older adults aged 65+ need slightly less sleep – 7 to 8 hours is recommended. There are obviously exceptions. Some people may need up to 10 hours’ sleep or only 6.

You may find it helpful to determine what amount of sleep per night is ideal for YOU such that you feel rested and energized the next day, having gotten a sufficient amount of restorative deep sleep the night before.

A consistent wake up time can lead to improved sleep

As Brandon Peters, MD, explains in his article entitled First Step to Better Sleep:  Wake Up at the Same Time Every Day published on verywellhealth.com, having a consistent wake up time helps to reinforce your circadian rhythm which can lead to improved sleep. Choosing a wake time that works for you every day of the week will then allow you to choose a going to bed time based on how many hours of sleep you need. It may take a bit of time to adjust to a regular wake up time, but once you’ve got it established it can help ward off insomnia.
Dr. Peters states that having a fixed wake up time helps your body to build a strong desire to sleep throughout your waking hours enabling a good night’s sleep to follow.

The Sleep Regularity Index (SRI)

The SRI is a probability measurement that an individual is in a wake state and a sleep state consecutively over 24-hour periods. Basically, it’s a scale that evaluates if someone is going to bed, sleeping, and then waking up at consistent times day-to-day. If these times are consistent, the score would be 100%; if times are completely random, the score would be 0%.

Findings from a study published in 2024 in Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health revealed that those receiving a low SRI score were at a higher risk of experiencing a severe cardiovascular event such as heart failure, heart attack or stroke. Irregular sleep patterns appear to negatively impact heart health even more than not getting the recommended 7+ hours’ sleep a night.

Sleep Hygiene (or Preparing for Bed Routine)

Having good sleep hygiene can signal to your body that it’s time to wind down for sleep. You can think of your bedtime routine as your time to pamper yourself as you start to relax before sleep. You deserve this time for you!

Some people like to have a warm bath soak or shower before getting into bed, while others prefer taking a shower in the morning to help them wake up. Changing into cozy fresh pajamas and brushing and flossing your teeth can be part of your bedtime routine as can cleansing and moisturizing your face, taking out your contact lenses or putting in your dental retainers. I like to apply lip balm, fragrance-free hand lotion (taking care to also apply it to my elbows, as I once read that Barbra Streisand does this which encouraged me to follow suit ) and sometimes a heel balm (along with wearing heel socks or light socks) before bed.

The following are some helpful practices for creating the best environment and conditions for getting a good night’s sleep:

• A dark bedroom created by the use of blackout curtains and covering up any small lights from bedside clocks or routers if they’re within your peripheral vision (eye masks can help enormously in a pinch) – Why? Light exposure disrupts our circadian rhythm which alerts our bodies as to when to feel tired. Darkness activates the pineal gland in our brains to produce melatonin which makes us feel sleepy.

• A cool bedroom: lower the thermostat (between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit or 15 to 19 degrees Celsius is considered ideal – although older adults may require a slightly higher room temperature) and use a fan if you desire – Why? Our bodies naturally cool as bedtime approaches, so a drop in the temperature of the room we sleep in works with our body’s temperature regulation and helps us to achieve non-disruptive sleep.
  
  
• A comfortable and supportive mattress that is not too soft (Why? Your lower back needs support to help prevent pain) or too hard (Why? A very firm mattress can create pressure points on the parts of your body that press down on the mattress leading to aches and pains); A medium-firm mattress can provide the right balance for most people; A sagging or a worn mattress older than 10 years should be replaced with a new supportive mattress. This is a worthwhile investment in you getting a restful, healthful, restorative night’s sleep.

• Clean, breathable, soft (not scratchy) sheets and bedding; Change sheets regularly (every one or two weeks as need be and, of course, when obviously soiled)

• Avoid eating large meals or drinking alcohol in the hours leading up to bedtime

• Avoid caffeine 6 to 8 hours before bedtime – This is just a guideline, everyone is different, adjust accordingly
  
  
• Avoid sugary drinks and desserts 2 to 3 hours before bedtime – This is just a guideline, everyone is different, adjust accordingly
  
  
• Avoid intense exercise 1 to 2 hours before bedtime to allow time for your body temperature to cool down and your mind to relax
  
  
• If you indulge in taking a nap during the day, aim for a power nap of less than 30 minutes before 2 p.m. to have the best chance of not negatively affecting your sleep that night (see my Blog Article:  Sleep Tips Part I – The Power Nap)
  
  
• Turning off your phone, computer and TV (especially if you’re watching an action program or suspenseful drama) an hour before sleeping
  
  
• If you have a busy work schedule, jotting down a few of your key must-dos for the next workday – that you don’t want to forget – will help clear your mind so you likely won’t think about these tasks as you fall asleep

• Ensure you are sufficiently managing your stress during the day, otherwise your ability to get a good night’s sleep can be disrupted. Seek out mental health supports if you find your stress to be overwhelming – there is good help available.
  
  
• Listening to soothing music or calming nature sounds OR reading or listening to an audible book in bed before falling asleep. I find this helps put me in a relaxing state that is away from the thoughts and worries of the day.

If you are still feeling constantly exhausted…

If the aforementioned tips to getting the best sleep still leave you feeling tired during the day, you may wish to visit your family doctor to rule out any medical issue that is causing your fatigue. Your family doctor may refer you to see a sleep specialist doctor.

Often when I was talking to my Mom on the phone after the end of a workday (and even on the weekends!), I would complain to her how tired I was. I was also noticeably more irritable and my concentration was occasionally fuzzy. I complained about being tired so much that my mother remarked to me that I was always saying this and wondered why. Well, it turned out there was a reason why I constantly felt tired, more irritable and sometimes had trouble concentrating. I have a common condition that impacts sleep called Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).

OSA is when your breathing stops for brief periods many times during the night, interrupting your sleep cycles. Sometimes snoring or getting morning headaches can be a sign that one has OSA. Doing an overnight objective sleep study, called a polysomnography, overseen by a doctor who specializes in sleep disorders, will reveal whether or not OSA (or narcolepsy or insomnia) is causing one to be very tired during the day. An effective treatment to alleviate OSA is to use a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine while sleeping. While it may not look very sexy, this machine works wonders in resolving one’s OSA. Not long after I started using a CPAP machine, my overwhelming daytime fatigue vanished and my mood and concentration improved.

If you are feeling constantly fatigued, it is wise to see your family doctor. Undiagnosed sleep disorders or continually experiencing poor sleep not only make you feel miserable but can lead to serious health issues.

Getting the Best Sleep is attainable!

By making the effort to ensure you are getting sufficient deep sleep within a regular sleep-wake schedule, you are investing in your overall health and well-being. You deserve a good night’s rest. You are worth it!

You are the Light of your own Life.