Whether you're lying awake in the middle of night or fighting off the tiredness at during the day, you're likely to be asking yourself a simple question... How do I get more deep sleep?
CosyCo will guide you through all the various ways you can get the best night's slumber possible, bit first, let's discuss the importance of deep sleep.
Why Do We Need Deep Sleep?
To enhance your performance, cognitive sharpness and overall mood you need to understand the secret to sleeping better: improving sleep quality.
Deep sleep is different from dream sleep, and far more elusive in its explanation. Deep sleep is a sleep stage where the individual becomes completely divorced from the external world, right at the end of non-REM sleep, where the brain waves reach their lowest frequency. If you've ever woken up and felt that awful 'half-asleep', groggy feeling, you've probably been prematurely disturbed from deep sleep.
During deep sleep your body is literally healing itself; it's recovering, strengthening and repairing the body from all the physical and cognitive stresses and strains of the previous day. Those who want to get the most out of their life and gym workouts will need to harness the power of deeper sleep.
How Do I Get More Deep Sleep
#1. Go To Bed At The Same Time Every Night
Yes that does mean even on weekends! We all love a lie-in, but deep sleep is best achieved when you're sticking to a routine. Keep your body in as perfect a cycle as possible and you're you will help to improve the quality of your sleep and the alertness in your waking life.
#2. Climate Control Your Bedroom
Hot or cold: which is right? When it comes to finding the right temperature for your bedroom, it really is down to your own personal preference. But if you're interested in the science, sleep experts reckon a colder room is better than a warmer one. Aim for no higher than 20 degrees Celsius for the best results.
#3. Don't Eat Or Exercise Close To Bed
Active evenings often equate to late mealtimes which encroaches on sleep and can impede restful shuteye due to the disruptive digestion process. Make sure you eat and also exercise at least 2 hours before you plan on going to bed to prevent that post-gym buzz from keeping you awake longer than you'd like.
#4. Avoid Technology & Bright Screens Before Sleep
Staring at laptops, smartphones and tablets could be harming your quality of sleep. We all live our lives in a constant state of technological engagement and the bright screens can prevent your body from producing melatonin - the 'restful sleep' hormone - which is naturally produced when the day turns into night. When melatonin production is disrupted by that bright blue backlight it will make it harder to get to sleep, so always switch your smart phones to a 'night-time' mode which will naturally darken the light, or simply put your technology away at least an hour before you fall asleep.
#5. Relax, De-stress & Wind-down
The modern world is a stressful; we're constantly working and connected to technology and yet there are very different coping mechanisms in place to deal with our overloaded lifestyles. Because of these reasons, sleep tends to suffer. Taking the time to wind-down, meditate and stretch, while training your mind to enter a restful and calming state will pave the way to a deeper sleep.
