Alaska Sleep Education Center

Get the Deep Sleep You Need at Night

Even though getting quality sleep is a key part of having good health, there are still many who struggle to get the sleep they need at night. There can be many reasons for this, whether stress is sabotaging your sleep, or you have habits that prevent you from getting the quality of rest you need.
No matter what the cause of your lack of sleep, the good news is that there are many simple things that you can begin doing that will help improve the quantity and quality of sleep that you get.

Eat a Nutritious Diet

One of the first things you need to think about when it comes to getting better sleep is the kind of diet that you are eating. Not only can the times that you eat impact your sleep, but what you eat can have an impact on your sleep as well. When it comes to the times that you eat, it is important to make sure that you are eating on a regular schedule, and that you avoid eating large meals the closer it gets to nighttime.
If you are hungry, then it may be best to eat a small snack with healthy ingredients, rather than a large meal if you want to be able to fall asleep easily.

Additionally, the kinds of foods that you eat can have a significant impact on your ability to fall asleep at night as well. This is because foods like those that are high in refined sugars and carbs can cause your blood sugar to spike and crash, which can mean you might feel exhausted when you should feel energized, and that you may be wide awake when you should be getting ready for sleep. By cutting down on eating these foods you can help avoid this.
Beyond that, it can also be beneficial to include more healthy and nutrient-dense foods in your diet as well. If you struggle to do this, though, including a supplement and reading about things like Thrive side effects can be a good idea as well.


Cut Out Sleep Disrupting Beverages
While you are working on fine-tuning your diet to get better sleep, you should also be keeping track of the beverages you drink as well. This can be especially true when it comes to caffeine and alcohol. Even though caffeinated drinks can be great for getting you up and going early in the day, the reality is that because they stimulate the nervous system they can end up keeping you up late at night, too. This is particularly true if you drink them late in the afternoon, or the evening.

When you drink caffeine late at night, it will keep you up and prevent you from getting deep sleep, which will cause you to be tired the next day. In this case, many may reach for more caffeine to give themselves an energy boost, only to repeat the cycle again. By cutting down on your caffeine intake you can not only get better sleep but end up having more energy in the long run.

Alcohol is another big sleep disruptor that is best limited if you truly want to be able to sleep well at night. While a couple of drinks may not have a significant impact, larger amounts can disrupt your sleep cycles, and result in you being able to fall asleep, but not able to stay asleep throughout the night. By limiting your alcohol intake when possible, you can better avoid disrupted sleep cycles and poor sleep.


Get Regular Exercise
Along with watching what you eat and drink, it can also be a good idea to make sure that you get regular exercise, as well. This is because increasing your exercise level not only helps you to burn off excess energy and feel more energized throughout the day, but it also helps boost hormones that can help improve your mood and the quality of sleep that you get at night. The good news is that it doesn’t typically matter what kind of exercises you are doing, as long as you can manage to get about 20 to 30 minutes of exercise into your day.


Get Your Vitamin D
Something else that is key when it comes to getting good sleep is making sure that you get enough sun exposure during the day. This is because sun exposure during the day helps your body to regulate its internal clock, which allows you to more easily feel tired when it is time to sleep, and feel energized when it is time to wake up. Additionally, it also helps your body to produce more of the hormones it needs to help you sleep well at night, too.


Have a Relaxing Sleeping Environment
One important component of getting good sleep is making sure that you have a relaxing sleeping environment. If your bedroom isn’t conducive to good sleep, then all of the good habits in the world may not help you rest well when it is time for bed.

One of the first things you should do when assessing your sleeping space is to make sure that it is completely dark at night. Even though you may not realize it, small amounts of light can send signals to your brain to stay awake. Something else you need to check for is how quiet it is. If your bedroom is noisy or loud, then you may find it difficult to drift off at night.

Another thing you need to be aware of is the temperature of your bedroom. If it is too hot, then you may struggle to get comfortable, so adjusting the heat and lowering it before bed may be a good idea.


Start a Nightly Ritual
Something else that can be great for helping you get to sleep is starting a calming nightly ritual. When you start a bedtime routine, it helps tell your mind that it is time to wind down, and helps make the process of falling asleep easier.
Some great things to try before bed can include taking a hot bath, reading a book, journaling, or practicing deep breathing or meditation. All of these activities can be great for releasing some of the stress of the day and getting your mind in the right place to drift off.
 
Parting Thoughts
While getting quality sleep may be important. The reality is that there are many who still aren’t getting the sleep they need. However, the good news is that there are many simple ways that you can take control of your health and start improving your sleep quality tonight.
Deep sleep will improve your performance and effectiveness over the long run while reversing conditions that are caused by sleep deficiency. Sleep deprivation is affecting a significant number of people across the world. If you are one of them, practicing what you’ve read here will change your life completely. Start today by calling Alaska Sleep Clinic
@ 907-770-9104
@ 907-770-9104 .You have nothing to lose.
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Alaska Sleep Clinic's Blog

Our weekly updated blog aims to provide you with answers and information to all of your sleeping questions.

Brent Fisher, MBA, FACHE, FACMPE
President and Chief Executive Officer

“Alaska Sleep Clinic has a history of providing the most comprehensive sleep medicine services in the state of Alaska. Its potential has only begun. I am here to take these high-quality, comprehensive services to all Alaskans.”

Experience

Brent Fisher has held leadership positions spanning a wide variety of complex and start-up organizations: manufacturing (pharmaceutical & medical device), software development, hospitals (academic and community), medical groups, consulting, hospice, military, engineered devices, engineered plastics, and private equity.

Publications and Organizations

His writings have been published in various magazines, trade journals, and medical journals, including the Physician Executive Journal, Healthcare Executive, Modern Healthcare, Group Practice Journal, New England Journal of Medicine, and Journal of Healthcare Management (Best Article Award).

He has served on the Board of Directors of professional associations, civic organizations, and businesses.

Hobbies and Activities

Brent enjoys being with his family, serving in the community, hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting.