While working from home, you may have noticed your sleep schedule has changed. We are all dealing with at least one of the many unique challenges or added stressors of working from home, including homeschooling kids, staying on-task & focused while working in a new environment, maintaining a fitness routine and more.
Regardless, sleep is an important pillar in our overall wellness and here are a few tips to help you achieve a more restful sleep:
1. Keep a Schedule
Keeping a consistent sleep schedule will help to regulate your body’s hormones & internal clock, known as Circadian Rhythms. A consistent sleep & wake schedule is crucial to make sure that your hormones are at their correct levels at the appropriate times.
2. Limit Screen Time Before Bed
Blue light found in phones, laptops and tablets tend to make our bodies release hormones to wake us up. The Cleveland Clinic has found that screen time before bed can lead to the following: suppressing melatonin levels, delaying REM sleep and keeping your mind psychologically engaged. Tip? Try to set a blue light curfew about one hour to thirty minutes before bed to ensure that you get the most out of your sleep!
3. Turn Off Phone Notifications
There is nothing worse than waking up in the middle of the night to a Facebook notification! If your job allows you to, turn off your phone notifications before you go to bed. It takes roughly 90 minutes to 2 hours to reach your deepest stage of sleep where your body regenerates, so it is important to not disrupt your REM Cycle!
4. Find The Right Amount of Sleep
The recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult ranges from 7 to 9 hours. However, telling everyone they need 8 hours of sleep per night is like saying everyone needs to eat 2000 calories a day. There is not a one size fits all for diet and there isn’t one for sleep. The quality of your sleep matters! Listen to your body and try different amounts of sleep time to figure out your optimal amount.
5. Start Your Day with an Outdoor Walk
Circadian Rhythms aren’t just important for setting a bedtime! Believe it or not, sun exposure in the first hour of waking up can help reset this internal clock and give you a much needed energy boost. Bonus: It is the perfect way to help reach the recommended 10,000 steps a day!
6. Avoid Napping
Napping can be helpful if it is only 20-30 minutes long. However, if your nap is too long, it can leave you feeling even more tired than your were before. It is also important to be mindful of when you nap. Napping late in the day can make it hard to fall asleep at night.
7. Exercise Daily
It should be no surprise that exercising will help aid in sleep. Physical activity has been shown to improve your sleep quality, sleep duration, self-esteem and your overall health! It has also been proven to help relieve your stress & anxiety.
To learn even more, Ryan Robertson of the Cardinal Health Fitness Center will be presenting a webinar on Sleep, Wednesday April 8th from 12:30-12:45pm. Please reach out to kristen.wakeford@cardinalhealth.com to receive a calendar invite.
Well now that you have some advice to achieve better sleep let’s get started.
On your marks. Get set. SLEEP!
Written by: Kristen Wakeford & Ryan Robertson
hfitcardinal.com 