We tend to stress when we wake up in the middle of the night– watching the clock and panicking about being tired the next day. But in many instances, waking up in the middle of the night is actually a normal physiologic occurrence called middle sleep. This is a break between two segments of sleep, our “first” and “second sleep.” It’s a time to pee, read, journal, reflect on our dreams, and have sex. The only critical thing is that we do all this by candlelight, in the dark, or wearing blue blocking glasses. Middle sleep is normal, but exposing the brain to artificial blue spectrum light in the middle of the night can confuse our circadian rhythm. So next time you wake up in the middle of the night, consider if this may be the break between two ~4-hour blocks of sleep. Rather than stressing, simply protect yourself from blue light (i.e., don’t look at the phone), and enjoy the hour without pressure to fall back asleep. Most of the time, you’ll get naturally sleepy after about 45-60 minutes.
Search Results for: sleep
Is Temperature Affecting Your Sleep
Originally published in mindbodygreen
On the proverbial Savannah of evolution, the temperature drops at night. That temp drop is one of several contextual factors that cue us to feel sleepy.
The optimal temperature for sleep is 65 degrees Fahrenheit. I find that anything in the mid to high 60’s works well.
In the spring and fall, my favorite way to keep the bedroom cool at night is to open a window. Added benefits: fresh air, lower electric bill, and better for the planet.
3 Tips to Prioritize Sleep and Avoid Burnout
Originally published in Epsom Salt Council
While both stress and anxiety can contribute to difficulty sleeping, what’s more important is to understand that lack of sleep, which can be due to preventable factors, can dramatically contribute to anxiety and poor stress tolerance. In other words, when we don’t make sleep a priority, we’re contributing to our anxiety and burnout.
Getting a good night’s sleep is the ultimate form of self-care. It’s free, it feels good, and it does more for your health and sense of well-being than any self-care practice out there.
Sleep Procrastination — How I Finally Stopped
I used to be an epic sleep procrastinator. I knew I should be going to bed around 10pm, but I often decided to finish “one last thing” for work before bed, and I would inevitably stay up just late enough to ensure I would never get enough sleep.
I finally fixed my sleep procrastination with this one simple realization:
That last 30 min of productivity late at night translates to feeling tired the entire next day. Thirty minutes of productivity in exchange for an entire day of squandered productivity. It’s simply not worth it.
With that thought, I have finally learned to shut it down, crawl into my cozy bed early, and feel energized, focused and inspired the entire next day. Try this tonight.
Optimize Your Sleep
Originally published in MotherEarthLiving
An earlier bedtime is the secret ingredient that helps strengthen your biological clock and cue your brain when to rest.
My #1 Sleep Tip
This one seems hard to do, but it’s really not. And once you do it, you never look back. Here’s to better sleep!
This Is How Many Hours Of Lost Sleep It Takes To Negatively Affect Blood Sugar, According To Science
Originally published in mindbodygreen
According to a new study published in the American Journal of
Here are a a few tips on how to improve the quality of your sleep if losing it
- Get the phone out of your bedroom.
- Go to bed earlier—think 10:00 p.m.
- Try supplementing with magnesium glycinate.
- Take an Epsom salt bath.
- Stabilize your blood sugar by avoiding sugar, refined carbohydrates and alcohol and getting plenty of healthy fats and protein.
I’m A Sleep Expert. Here’s The Nighttime Routine That Lulls Me Into Slumber Every Time
Originally published in mindbodygreen
You might think the doctor who treats everybody else’s sleep problems would be a “holier than thou sleeper,” but now it’s time for a moment of truth. Anybody out there who knows me has probably seen me stay out until 4 a.m., sleep in to 11 a.m., or embark upon a house organization project at midnight. I did not come into this world as a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. picture-perfect sleeper. It’s quite the opposite: I’m the preacher who has sinned. But as a notorious sleep procrastinator and night owl dealing with racing thoughts at bedtime, I’ve had to work hard at cracking the sleep code. This struggle has forced me to understand the barriers to sleep, and now I can better understand how to help my patients. Here are a few tips that have helped me so far, plus a “night in the life.”
The Magic Bedtime Window For A Restful Night’s Sleep
Originally published in mindbodygreen
One recurring problem I hear over and over again from my patients is that they have difficulty falling asleep. More specifically, they can’t shut off their minds. Thoughts are racing, preventing them from relaxing or falling asleep. What inevitably follows is the vicious cycle of stressing about not falling asleep, which amps up anxiety and makes it even harder to fall asleep. Sound familiar?
I could tell you the key to slowing the mind at bedtime is to reduce stress in your life (which is true), but I know firsthand that managing stress is easier said than done. We’re not going to solve the multidimensional problem of daily stress this moment. But there’s another cause of racing thoughts at bedtime that is much more easily remedied: being overtired.
4 Simple Room Changes To Make For A Great Night’s Sleep: A Doctor Explains
Originally published in mindbodygreen
How you set up your room can make or break a good night’s sleep. In short, if you want your bedroom to promote good sleep, it needs to be pitch-black dark, cooler than you think, quiet, and it should feel minimal.
Here’s a crash course on how to create the perfect bedroom for deep sleep: