How to get better sleep

Along with autumn and winter comes the darkness, which makes it harder for most of us to get up in the morning. A good sleep is a prerequisite for the body to recover, being able to process impressions and stay healthy.

Text: Camilla Åsedal
Illustration: Ebba Lundberg

Julkaistu 25.10.2022

A good night’s sleep is required if you want the day to be filled with positive energy, performance and motivation. If you lie tossing and turning all night without sleep, it will affect your everyday life and your concentration. However, being tired in the morning or lying sleepless a few nights, should not be confused with lack of sleep. If you are more tired than usual when you wake up, it may depend on the stage of sleep you wake up during. For example, if you wake up during deep sleep, you will experience greater fatigue than if you wake up in the falling asleep phase, which is a more easily awakened stage. Not being able to sleep for a few nights is nothing dangerous, and it happens to all of us from time to time.

If you have trouble sleeping at night, it can be due to several reasons; including stress, too little exercise or that you process too many thoughts in your head. In the end, lack of sleep can lead to a weakened immune system, mood swings and memory effects as well as affecting your sugar balance, which leads to increased sweet cravings and increased feelings of hunger.

We are not sleep experts at Care of Carl, but here are some very basic tips on how to improve the quality of your sleep.

Regular bedtimes

The amount of sleep each individual needs varies. Different lifestyles require different sleep needs. Some can get by with fewer hours, while others need a little more. 6-9 hours a night is a normal sleep pattern.

Movement

It is no news that exercise and training contribute to a healthier lifestyle. You use up energy that allows you to sleep well at night. Even if you have a lot to do and feel too stressed to go for a run or a walk, it can be just what you need to balance your body and mind.

Related: How to get started with running

Cool and dark bedroom

Our internal circadian rhythm with daylight and night darkness comes from nature. Lowering the temperature in the bedroom is good for both sleep and electricity consumption.

Get to bed on time

If you have to get up early, it is not a bad idea to listen to your inner parent - go to bed on time. Get ready for bed a while before it is time to sleep, put on your most comfortable pyjamas, switch off your phone and read a book to unwind. Reading a book before bed is said to reduce stress, especially if you make it a regular evening routine.

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Turn off mobile phone

When you cannot sleep, it is easy to stay glued to your mobile phone and accidentally dive deep into various Wikipedia pages to find out if bats are de facto descended from the flying Pteranodon or what Cat Stevens' real name is. Turn off your phone or put it on airplane mode, even if it is a curiosity good enough to know. The screen light with its blue light also has an impact on us and makes us more alert, which has the opposite effect when we actually want to fall asleep.

Write down your thoughts

Do you lie in bed and think about the best arguments and formulations for an upcoming important meeting instead of sleeping? Often the thoughts can wander into the small hours and suddenly you are analysing different scenarios in your head, often with many good ideas. In these situations, the best thing to do is to defy the above advice and pick up that phone again - or use a notebook - and write down your thoughts. In this way, you move the thoughts from your brain to text form and can hopefully then relax.

Avoid alcohol, nicotine and caffeine

Alcohol may make you fall asleep easier for the moment, but impairs the quality of your sleep and makes you sleep shallower and more restless. People who intake nicotine have more difficulty falling asleep. Caffeine has different effects on different individuals; some can handle caffeine late at night without it affecting their sleep quality.

Decrease stress

This is the most important point but perhaps also the most difficult to overcome. No matter how much you try to fix the sleep problems, one fact remains: if you are stressed, your sleep will be affected. Stress can be physical, psychological, temporary or long-term. Too little sleep can also lead to stress and the whole thing becomes a vicious spiral. Some simple measures to reduce stress can be exercise, mindfulness and relaxation exercises or seeking help.