Why Your Bedtime Routine Isn’t Working

First the Facts

• For the best sleep, you should be preparing your body throughout the day
• Good sleep starts with supporting your natural circadian rhythm, or internal clock
• Here are five routines you can do to physically prepare for a restful night’s sleep:
  
  • Wake up at the same time every day
  • Get in the sun so your body can make vitamin D
  • Exercise
  • Stay hydrated throughout the day
  • Eat foods to keep your blood sugar balanced

If you have kids, then you’ve probably heard that a bedtime routine sends a signal to their brain that it’s time to sleep. The same is true for adults! Your body appreciates having a series of events to communicate that it’s time for lights out. But what are your daytime habits doing for your ability to catch those Z’s at night?

The truth is that if you’re not doing things throughout the day that support your physical health, even the best bedtime routine will never help you sleep. Here are five physical routines that will help you sleep more and better every night!

Wake Up at the Same Time Every Day

Ever notice how when you’re forced to wake up early for school or a job that over time it gets easier, and eventually you just wake up at that hour even when you don’t have to?

Waking up at the same time every day helps set your circadian rhythm (aka your internal clock)! Your circadian rhythm is mostly affected by light and darkness; in other words, sun’s up = time to be awake! Sun goes down = time to go to bed!

Your circadian rhythm can impact your body in several essential ways:

• Hormone (melatonin) release
• Body temperature
• Metabolism

Your body clearly appreciates when you set a predictable pattern for it to follow! So if you’re already following a bed time routine, consider coming up with a wake up routine, too.

Get in the Sun

… and not just a sunny spot in the office, get outside!

Exposing your body to the sun has several health benefits, including the production of vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with sleep disorders, shorter sleep duration, and frequently waking up at night.

Scientists are still studying this link between vitamin D and sleep, but many believe that the production of vitamin D regulates your circadian rhythm. So, if you want to promote a healthy sleep cycle, soak up some rays during the day!

Move Your Body

Makes sense, right? Physical activity makes you tired. But there’s an even deeper connection between exercise and sleep.

Exercise helps establish that ever-important sleep-wake cycle. A 2021 study found that exercise one hour before bedtime could enhance your slow-wave sleep phase.

Slow-wave sleep is the deepest phase of non-rapid eye movement (REM) sleep; you probably know it as “deep sleep” and you likely know when you aren’t getting enough of it. 😓Non-REM sleep is the most restful phase of your sleep. 

Just 30 minutes of daily moderate exercise can help support your body’s ability to sink down into that deep, slow-wave sleep!

Stay Hydrated

If you’re one of those people who starts decreasing the amount of water you drink as bedtime approaches in order to avoid overnight potty breaks, you might want to rethink your strategy.

You see, hydration helps regulate your body’s core temperature.

Research suggests that your body’s core temperature could play an important role in inducing sleepiness! As your body prepares to sleep, your core temp starts to drop. This is because the best quality sleep happens within a particular range of temperature.

If you’re not drinking enough water, your body is less capable of making sure your temperature is within that comfortable range, so remember to stay hydrated, even up until bedtime!

Eat for Blood Sugar Balance

Did you know that every single night, whether you sleep or not, your blood sugar increases? This is simply a part of the natural circadian rhythm, so it’s out of your control! But you can certainly help support your body in this process.

Both low and high blood sugar levels can disrupt sleep. When your blood pressure is high, your kidneys overcompensate by producing high amounts of urine. No bueno for a solid-night’s sleep unless you’re wearing a diaper! Low blood sugar could cause you to experience insomnia, excessive sweating, nightmares, and screaming or crying in your sleep.

To avoid any of this mess, you should eat to support your blood sugar levels throughout the day. Just eat a balanced diet that includes:

• Non-starchy veggies (e.g., cucumber, broccoli, carrots, etc.)
• Whole grains (e.g., quinoa, whole wheat pasta, popcorn)
• Healthy fats (e.g., avocados, pumpkin seeds, almonds)
• High protein foods (e.g,, turkey, lentils, fish)
  

Remember that many factors can play a role in your blood sugar levels, including high levels of stress. Stress releases a hormone called cortisol, which raises your blood sugar.

If you suspect elevated levels of cortisol are behind your blood sugar—and perhaps sleep—issues, then check out our Own Your Hormones course! A comprehensive functional lab panel will provide REAL answers to your questions about why you’re not feeling your best. Let’s get you there!