It is widely accepted that sleep is the most important aspect in the lives of all living organisms, not just humans. Most of our entire wellbeing is completely dependent on good sleep where our body recovers and rebuilds. In this article, we will discuss 8 habits that will help you sleep better.
Andrew Huberman’s Sleep Toolkit
Andrew Huberman is a scientist at Stanford and hosts a podcast called “Huberman Lab”, where he has discussed scientifically proven ways to help you get better night of sleep.
Here are the 12 tips from Dr.Andrew Huberman’s Sleep Toolkit:
- Morning Sunlight
View Sunlight for 30-60 minutes when you wake up so that your body releases “Cortisol” early in the morning, so that it fades off when it’s about to sleep. Morning sunlight has also been proven to help product serotonin: which helps with production of melatonin at night and improves your mood. - Caffeine & Alcohol
Do not consume caffeine 8-10 hours before bed time. Avoid alcohol completely if possible. You should have no more than 2 drinks in a week if drinking fits into your lifestyle. - Yoga Nidra or Non-Sleep-Deep-Rest (NSDR) Sleep
On days that you don’t get enough sleep, try doing Yoga Nidra, which is usually 20-30 minute of body scanning meditation which has been proven to to help you feel rested and alert even if you did not get enough sleep. Your focus should be to get full 7-8 hours of sleep but use this as a tool when you can’t. - Same Bed and Wake Time.
Go to bed when you start to feel sleepy, avoid pushing through the night when you start feeling sleepy and wake up at the same time each day. - Bright Lights
Avoid bright lights, particularly overhead lights between 10 pm and 4 am. - Limit or Avoid Naps
Reduce overall nap duration to less than 90 minutes or avoid taking a nap at all. - If you wake up in middle of night
Waking up in the middle of the night is pretty normal according to Dr.Huberman, He suggest you try NSDR or simple Yoga Nidra if you ever wake up in the middle of night. - Room Temperature
Keep your room dark and the room temperatures ideal. Make bed has extra layers of blanket so that you can adjust your body temperatures as you sleep.
You can find more details on Huberman’s Website here.
