I was painfully reminded the other day one of the reasons sleep is so important. I had a headache painful enough to make me feel nauseated and to stand up to any painkillers in my cabinet. It was a full on open the vise, insert head, and tighten, headache. I will also not call it a migraine, or even the worst headache I have ever had, but it was a doozy. I have friends who suffer from recurrent diagnosed migraine headaches. This post is not about those folks (although I certainly empathize with them and hope that they can find some sort of helpful treatment). This is about those of us who have odd sleep schedules due to work, kids, stress, too much Facebook at night, gaming into the wee hours, etc...
My particular headache was likely the product of lack of sleep from work, trying to start a new career, and all the normal activities of life. Those of you who know me, are aware that my career as a firefighter/paramedic does not lend itself to great sleep at night while on duty. Then the next two days and nights off are spent trying to catch up on sleep before it starts all over again. When you have small children, a lot of projects at home, and an overdeveloped need to accomplish things, catching up can be a real challenge. Actually, those who study sleep say you really can't make up for lost sleep by "catching up" anyway. And as you have probably heard or read by now, consistent sleep deficiencies can have a negative impact on overall health, including weight loss and fitness goals. I have recently spent some time researching sleep and wanted to share a few helpful tips for improving this aspect of health.
Increase melatonin production.
This happens when it is dark! What this means, obviously, is that you should eliminate sources of light. At my house this means put a piece of black paper over the glaringly bright light of the video baby monitor. Don't get me wrong, every overly paranoid parent, especially those who have seen too much in their line of work, should have one of these fabulous devices. But maybe just being woken up by the audible noises that the little one makes is enough. Turn your cell phone upside down or off. Turn off all other lights, at least in your sleeping space, if not in the whole house (if you have a sleepwalker you might need a night light in the hall so you can help him find his way back to his room). Other sources of light can be taped over with black electrical tape if needed.
White noise.
A quiet air filter helps drown out the noise of the baby monitor (the normal night time noises they make in their sleep, not the actual crying if they wake up). Plus it cancels out the tinnitus in my left ear! There are also several great apps on your smart device that can help, some will even fade out after a predetermined amount of time.
Put away all electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
Hmm...that's a tough one for me, and I suspect a lot of you. When else is a dad of two great, energetic kids going to work on getting his business off the ground, or do one of the other twenty things that need to be done on the computer? Certainly not when those little fingers are trying to push all the buttons! Stats show that the time most people are on Facebook is late in the evening (don't check the time of my most recent post). Seriously though, creating a bed time transition period of 30 minutes where you are turning off the lights, electronics, and winding down can help immensely.
Brain DumpThis is probably one of the best tips for very busy people. Basically, take 5 minutes prior to winding down for bed to write out 3 to 5 of the most important things you have to do the next day. This will help clear your head so you can rest without your mind spinning and keeping you awake longer (this one is so me!). It will also help with your productivity the next day.
Technology to help sleep? What?
First is a wake-up light. One I have read about is Biobrite, but I'm sure there are others out there. They basically work on the premise that being slowly awoken by steadily increasing light will cause a person to be more alert and relaxed. I am very intrigued by this idea and think I'll put it on my Christmas list!
There are also apps for your smart phone that claim to sync with your natural sleep cycle by monitoring your body movement as you sleep and correlating that to your depth of sleep. The app then wakes you during one of the lighter parts of your sleep cycle. This sounds promising. However, in my house, between the air filter and the baby monitor, I'm not sure that the 'ultra sensitive' accelerometer in my smart phone would even be able to detect a small explosion. Tonight may be the night the baby monitor gets unplugged...
I have not tried any of these options yet but am intrigued to find out if any of you have and hear about your experience.
For more on this topic, head on over to Precision Nutrition blog link posted below. Thanks for reading and have a better night sleep.
Jon
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/hacking-sleep
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