Sleep Resource | General Sleep Tips

We've gathered top sleep tips from a variety of sources and organized them for you below.

Most of the tips below have been promoted by Matthew Walker, PhD, who is a fantastic resource and advocate for sleep health.

If you have any other tips you've found helpful, please let us know via the form on our About & Contact page!

I. Routine and Timing

Maintain a regular sleep schedule - focus on QQRT
- Quality, Quantity, Regularity, Timing
  - Quality: Quality sleep supported by good diet and exercise choices
  - Quantity: 7-9 hours of sleep each night
  - Regularity: Consistent daily practice, including weekends
  - Timing: Same or similar sleep and wake times each night and day
Start the Day, and Your Circadian Clock
- Expose yourself to bright light in the morning to reset your circadian clock and stop melatonin production.
- Use cold exposure in the morning (like cold water on the face) to help raise core body temperature and improve alertness.
Stay Active‍
- Regular exercise is recommended, but avoid strenuous exercise starting 4 hours before bed. ‍
- Avoid napping during the day, which can impact ability to sleep at night. If planning to nap, one nap for 20 minutes or less has been suggested as the maximum one should take during the day. Longer or more frequent napping can disrupt night time sleep.

Eating & Drinking
- A healthy, balanced diet will help you sleep well, but avoid eating starting 3 hours before bed.
- Keep drinking, including water, to a minimum in the hours before sleep in order to avoid needing to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
Supplements (30-60 min before bed):
- Magnesium (145mg Magnesium Threonate or 200mg Magnesium Bisglycinate)
- L Theanine (100-400mg) - Note: Taken with coffee during the day, can help prevent post-caffeine crashing
- Melatonin (2mg-10mg per night; most users see benefit from 5mg)
On caffeine and alcohol:
- Avoid caffeine at least 10 hours before bed, as it can delay sleep onset.
- Limit alcohol intake; though it may help you fall asleep, it fragments sleep and reduces REM sleep.

Dim lights by at least 50% an hour before bed to promote sleepiness. Avoid using any overhead lights at night, if possible.
Use low light, deep orange or red light in the bedroom to support melatonin release.
Keep the room cool (around 67°F or 18.5°C) to help lower core body temperature, which promotes sleep onset. Taking a long, warm bath/shower before bedtime can also help lower the core body temperature.
For people in potentially noisy environments, use white, pink or brown noise to block out disruptive sounds.
Use blackout curtains or an eye mask to block external light.

Engage in guided meditation or deep breathing before bed to calm the mind.
Helpful breathing exercises:
- Physiological sighs (full chest inhale followed immediately by a small additional inhale without exhaling in between, and then a long, relaxed, slow exhale)
- 4-7-8 breathing (Breathe in silently through your nose for 4 seconds, Hold for 7 seconds, breathe out of your mouth with a "whoosh" sound for 8 seconds)
- Box breathing (breathe in for e.g. 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds before inhaling again - once this is comfortable, move to 5 seconds etc.)
Use body scan techniques to focus on physical sensations, reducing nighttime rumination. There are tons of quality body scan techniques available on the web and guided videos on YouTube.

V. Problem Falling or Staying Asleep? Get out of bed!

Avoid looking at the time in the middle of the night. Consider covering up clocks/watches.
If you can’t fall asleep after 20-25 minutes of trying to fall asleep, get out of bed and do something calming in dim light (e.g., reading, listening to a podcast) and then if/when feeling sleepy, return to bed to sleep.
Avoid reading/scrolling/emailing/watching TV in bed in order to prevent associating being in bed with being awake.
When you can’t sleep, return to guided meditation or breathing techniques to shift focus away from any anxiety that might crop up.

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Wrap-Up

Let us know if there are other areas/tips you think we should include. You can contact us using the form on our About and Contact page.

Sweet Dreams!

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