Three Ways to Improve Your Sleep

There is something about the start of fall that has us thinking about new beginnings. A cool misty morning reminds so many of us of our first day back to school. Even if we didn’t care for the quizzes or the homework, even the most stubborn kid would be a bit excited to head back and see their friends. Fall reminds us of the new and the possibility of potential and it can be so exciting. 

Knowing that, it shouldn’t be too surprising that many people try to instill new habits and revisit old New Year’s Resolutions. One of the most popular of those resolutions is getting more sleep. 

The CDC reports that “about 70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep problems.”

Having difficulty sleeping is a big and nuanced problem. Below are some suggestions on how to have a good night’s sleep more often than not. 

1. Put the Phone Down

Well, you might want to put the phone down later after reading this. The human brain is astonishing and brilliant, but also wasn’t necessarily programmed for the tech-driven lives we currently lead. When our eyes and then our brain processes the blue glow of our phones and devices, it stops producing melatonin. Obviously, the phone is not the sun, but unfortunately our brains and circadian rhythm can’t understand that. 

A study from Harvard can explain this further: “While light of any kind can suppress the secretion of melatonin, blue light at night does so more powerfully. Harvard researchers and their colleagues conducted an experiment comparing the effects of 6.5 hours of exposure to blue light to exposure to green light of comparable brightness. The blue light suppressed melatonin for about twice as long as the green light and shifted circadian rhythms by twice as much (3 hours vs. 1.5 hours).”

To avoid being awake late into the night, it’s important to put the phone down and avoid screens at two to three hours before bed. 

I know thats a bit like torture, but another option is using an app (or sometimes a built in feature on your phone) to add a red filter and stop the blue light. The red dimness reminds the brain of a sunset and therefore won’t interfere with melatonin. 

2. A Sunrise Alarm Clock

Really? An alarm clock? While the classic analogue alarm clock does a great job of waking you up with a blaring alarm, it can be really frustrating waking up with a jolt. A number of new alarm clocks have entered the market and are created to help you ease out of sleep in a gentle and more natural way. 

Since light is a big part of our circadian rhythm, sunrise alarm clocks simulate a sunrise with a gradual change of light before your determined wake up time. Building from a dim red to a brighter light, your body will wake up slowly. Not only will this help with your morning mindset, but also physically. Jolting awake in the morning causes our bodies to build up higher cortisol levels to adapt. Sure, we might love to start the day with coffee, but we don’t like it with a side of adrenaline.

With some of these sunrise alarm clocks, you can also decide the type of sound to also gradually wake you up. Instead of a one note, high volume alarm, the sunrise alarm clock will start the sound softly and again gradually move it to a louder volume right when you set the clock to wake you up. Some clocks allow you to adjust so many perks and even have a wind down feature! For example, the Hatch Sunlight Lamp has this function which encourages good sleep hygiene by creating a consistent wind down routine that will ease you into a peaceful slumber. 

3. A New Mattress

When you’ve tried everything to make your bed feel comfy and cozy, but you end up wide awake because a spring is poking into your back, it’s time to admit the truth — you need a new mattress. 

While box mattresses seem like a great deal with easy shipping, the reality is that many box mattresses could have more negatives than positives. 

Put an end to the tossing and turning and consider investing in a Gardner Mattress that can be customized for you and your goals. Learn more about how we can help you improve your sleep by visiting one of our three showroom locations or giving us a call at 1-800-564-2736.