Restless nights can become more frequent as we get older and our sleep patterns change.
Hence it is important to get enough sleep.
You must have heard countless times that you need to regulate sleep to enhance your fitness journey. But how do we do this? There are certain factors involved in this.
Most of the time, it is usually medicinal therapy which is advised for people who have difficulty falling asleep.
But there are natural ways in which you can set your circadian clock right.
So what are the tools to optimise sleep?
The first is light. Exposure to light (photons) is critical for getting optimum sleep at night. How does this work? When you expose to early morning sunlight, the rays reach your retina inside the eye and release cortisol. It is a stress hormone but this particular release of this hormone is released in a good way. This sets a timer for melatonin release approximately 15 hours later. Melatonin is an important sleep hormone which regulates sleep.
Next is temperature. Cold temperature exposure is important to regulate sleep! How? Jumping into a cold tub or shower for 1-3 minutes in the morning releases adrenaline which wakes you up. There are certain neurons in the brain which act as a thermostat. When the brain senses that the external body surface is cold, the body will decide to store heat inside the body thereby increasing the temperature.
Moving more in the morning will also get your temperature to rise. Moreover, it’s been found that exercise can be just as powerful as sunlight when it comes to engaging your circadian rhythms. Primarily this is because it releases melatonin.
Last but not the least, timing your caffeine intake affects your sleep more. Having caffeine right after you wake up leads to an “ afternoon crash”. So delaying your caffeine intake by a few hours after waking up will help in avoiding this afternoon crash. Although you will feel a slight dip in energy, it will be less comparatively.
Timing your food also plays a major role, in regulating your sleep. You should try to eat at the same time each day. Moreover, it’s best to consume heavier meals earlier.
Stress can throw off your circadian rhythm. So identify your stress triggers and eliminate them. For example, if you’re anxious about an upcoming presentation, write down why you’re so worried. Seeing your thoughts on paper can help you develop ways to resolve this problem!
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