Aug 30 • Coach’s Corner (Expert Drops)
How to SLEEP BETTER.
Light & Darkness
Melatonin is the hormone that signals your body to feel drowsy, but it also has other roles. Darkness allows melatonin to rise and tell your system it’s time for sleep. Exposure to bright light — especially at night — blocks melatonin, which makes it harder to feel tired and lowers sleep quality.
In the evenings, dim household lights to cue your body it’s time to slow down. Use lamps lower to the ground rather than overhead, and if possible, swap bulbs for yellow or even deep orange/red — they’re much less stimulating. Limit screens at night, and if you use them, keep brightness as low as possible. Many devices now shift colors warmer at night, and apps like f.lux can help.
For the bedroom, blackout curtains or an eye mask will maximize darkness. When you wake, aim to get outside for 10–15 minutes of daylight. Sunlight lowers melatonin and resets your circadian clock while also triggering cortisol release, helping you wake up and stay alert. Even cloudy days provide enough light, so you don’t need direct sun exposure. If real sunlight isn’t possible, bright SAD lamps can be a decent stand-in.
Temperature
Body temperature is central to sleep regulation.
To drift off, your core needs to drop by about 1°C (2–3°F). Keep your room cool, ideally around 67°F (19.4°C), or use a cooling mattress topper. Exposing your hands or feet from under the blanket can also help your body cool faster. A warm bath or shower before bed is surprisingly effective: it raises core temperature briefly, but as you cool down afterwards, sleepiness sets in more easily.
Food & Timing
Meals impact sleep depending on appetite, rhythm, and preference. Experiment to see what works best. For most people, eating about two hours before bed doesn’t cause issues. Eating much closer can increase the risk of reflux and disrupt rest. If you do eat late, keep it smaller — but also don’t go to bed uncomfortably hungry. Minimize fluids near bedtime to reduce waking at night.
Caffeine
Caffeine doesn’t reduce your need for sleep, it just delays fatigue signals. When it wears off, adenosine builds up, often leading to an afternoon crash.If sleep is an issue, avoid caffeine within 8–10 hours of bedtime, and keep intake earlier in the day. Some people can tolerate late caffeine, depending on genetics and tolerance, but research shows it can still alter sleep structure, including REM cycles.
Wind-Down Routine
Think of bedtime like slowing a car before parking — you need a gradual slowdown. A routine helps your body and mind prepare.Good options include meditation, quiet music, podcasts, sleep stories, or reading. Avoid stimulating activities before bed such as news, TV, intense workouts, or social media scrolling.
Alcohol
Alcohol works as a sedative, not a true sleep aid. While it may help you fall asleep fast, it disrupts sleep architecture and causes fragmented rest.
Trouble Falling Asleep?
- Get up: If you’re awake longer than ~20–25 minutes, leave the bed and do something calming until you’re truly tired. This prevents your brain from linking “bed” with “wakefulness.” Return only when sleepy, and avoid dozing off elsewhere.
- Avoid compensation: After a rough night, don’t oversleep, go to bed super early, overload on caffeine, or nap too long — these throw off your circadian rhythm and make recovery harder.
- Visualization: Try a “mental walk” — picture yourself walking through a familiar route. Research shows this works far better than “counting sheep” for falling asleep.
- Limit naps: Keep them short (20–30 minutes) and earlier in the day to avoid hurting nighttime sleep.
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How to SLEEP BETTER.
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