Description
Sleep is one of the most vital components of your health. Simply limiting stimulation before bedtime can drastically improve the quality of your sleep. It prepares your body for sleeping and activates the release of melatonin resulting in overall regulation of your circadian rhythm.
Possible Benefits
- Promotes better sleep
- Improves brain function
- Improves attention and memory
- Increase productivity
- Prevents heart disease, diabetes and obesity
Required Equipment
N/A
How to Do It
- Finish all your activities 2 hours before bed time
- Turn off your gadgets. Avoid answering unimportant emails or text messages.
- Switch to dim lights during night time.
- Turn off loud music.
Why it works
Artificial lighting and electronic gadgets emit blue wavelengths which could trick your brain that it’s daytime already. This could disrupt your natural sleep-wake cycle leading to a series of problems associated with sleep deprivation.
Bright lights and loud noises can increase stress hormones in your body, requiring your body to produce tons of inhibitory neurotransmitters just for you to feel sleepy.
Blue light emissions disrupt the production of melatonin, making it difficult for you to achieve meaningful sleep.
Time Commitment
N/A
Suggested Frequency
Every night
Time of Day
Night
Possible Side Effects
There is no adverse effect in toning down your activities before bedtime.
Tips
- Try reading books or magazine to minimize stimulation
- Use black out curtains and dim lights at night (see: https://ultiself.com/habits/sleep-in-blackout-room)
- Try diffusers with lavender essential oil to promote calmness and sleep.
- Use noise cancelling earmuffs if you are in a noisy neighborhood.
- You can also use melatonin supplements to aid you in transitioning to your new sleeping habits.
- Try to do simple meditation in bed and transition to sleep.
Supporting Studies and Articles
Expand Collapse- Bluelight and melatonin suppression: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3047226/
- Obesity and melatonin suppression: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21668294/
- Melatonin and cardiovascular disease: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1600-079X.2010.00773.x
- Melatonin and depression: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21476953/
