The subject of sleep has been the darling of researchers in recent years, and what we have learned about it explains the necessity for all of this research. Simply put – Sleep is essential.

We now know that poor sleep affects our immunity, brain health, heart health, and mental health. Poor sleep also contributes to sexual dysfunction, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension. And, as if I haven’t already freaked you out enough, the World Health Organization has recently listed: regularly getting less than 6.5 hours of sleep a night as a carcinogen. Yep, poor sleep can contribute to the risk of developing cancer.

I know. Thanks, Chris, for giving us more to worry about . . . thus adding to our sleeplessness. We already know that the fluctuating hormones of peri and menopause cause sleep issues, and now I’m telling you all the terrible things that can result from poor sleep. BUT, I’m not going to leave you hanging, friends! Today, I’m breaking down 10 evidence based methods that, when done consistently, should help us get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night.

I have suffered from sleep difficulties for years. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) has helped me significantly. Although it has not been a complete “silver bullet” fix every single night, overall, it’s been a game changer. However, there are a lot of women out there who are not able to or do not wish to use HRT, and even some of us who use HRT may need to make some targeted adjustments to get the sleep our bodies and brains need.

I’m going to break these strategies down into two categories:

• Things we can do during the day to help us sleep better at night.
• Things we can do at night to help us sleep.

5 Do’s and Don’ts to Try during the Day to Elevate Our Sleep

1. Set an Alarm

The first step to improving our sleep is how we wake up. Having a consistent wake-up time every day has been shown to support our circadian rhythm. Our bodies crave healthy routine and predictability, and the more we can support this, the more our bodies reward us.

2. Morning Light

Get 10 minutes of unfiltered morning sunlight (or just daylight if it’s cloudy). This exposure to daylight has been shown to prime the pineal gland in our brain and set it up to begin producing melatonin later that evening.

3. Exercise

Our bodies are designed to MOVE throughout the day. Regular exercise is crucial for our overall health. We know this. When it comes to helping us sleep, exercise does more than just tire us out.

• It reinforces our circadian rhythm. Being active throughout our day creates a clear delineation between “awake time” and “sleep time” for the hormones and neurotransmitters that support our sleep.
• Exercise reduces stress. Stress inhibits sleep. Bam!
• According to Johns Hopkins Medical, moderate aerobic exercise has been shown to increase the amount of deep restorative sleep we get within our sleep cycle. (link)
• When we exercise, we increase our core temperature. (Thanks, Chris, we know that). But Johns Hopkins also notes that as our core temperature falls in the 30-60 minutes after exercise, the cooling process facilitates sleep.

One important note on exercise and sleep. Try to schedule your workout at least two hours before your bedtime. Exercise stimulates the release of endorphins, which stimulate our brain and give us great energy throughout the day. However, exercising too late in the day can cause these endorphins to get our brains all wound up, requiring more time to wind down. (Moms, this is why we don’t want our small children running around and getting all wound up before bedtime . . . )

4. Limit Caffeine

Do I even need to say this? Yes. According to this Oxford Academic study (link), consuming 400 mg of caffeine 12 hours before bedtime can negatively affect sleep. This study showed that it’s not just when we drink our coffee, it’s the dose of caffeine that we take in that could be having a negative impact on our sleep.

I might need to take a moment here . . . All this time I’ve been thinking that I was doing well, drinking my one big super strong coffee in the morning and no more caffeine after that. Except for sometimes . . . when I have two of those coffees . . . Truth be told, it’s not as bleak as I thought. One shot of espresso has 63 mg of caffeine. Think about your coffee, do the math, and manage accordingly.

Alright, as I process this information, I’m going to remind you to avoid caffeinated beverages after 10am. I’ll also remind you that 1 ounce of dark chocolate has 12 mg of caffeine.

That is all. I may need a good cry.

5. Limit Alcohol

Even though many consume alcohol to “relax”, it is actually a sleep disruptor. Alcohol has been shown to inhibit the release of melatonin along with several neurotransmitters that are crucial for restorative sleep. Additionally, alcohol dehydrates us, acting as a diuretic, which is going to make us have to empty our bladders more frequently. No thanks, I don’t want anything that’s going to make me have to pee more at night.

I realize that limiting or completely omitting alcohol might be a big ask. It is so ingrained in our society, tied in with beautiful meals and celebrations. However, given what we know about sleep, and given our phase of life and the sleep issues that come with it, this may be something to seriously consider.

A lot of us are doing “Dry January” this month. Is it helping your sleep? Please let me know!

I’ll share with you that I don’t really drink. I may drink a small glass of champagne a couple of times a year, and that’s about it. I was never a really big drinker, then when I had my health issues with vertigo and the brain tumor (read that here), I stopped drinking altogether. And I didn’t miss it . . . at all. After I had brain surgery, I just didn’t want to do anything that would make me feel “off”, so I stick with sparkling water or mocktails when we go out.

5 Do’s and Don’ts to Try at Night to Elevate our Sleep

Over the years, I have learned to follow a curated regimen that primes my body and brain for successful sleep. And most of the time, it works great. I sometimes struggle when I travel, when I stay up too late, or (of course) if I’m under a great deal of stress. Let’s take a look at my tried and true (and evidence based) methods.

1. Have a Consistent Bedtime.

You’ve already read this today . . . our bodies crave routine. Our circadian rhythm is just that . . . a rhythm. When we treat it well, it’s predictable and reliable. I just shared that my sleep suffers when I stay up too late. It’s like my circadian rhythm doesn’t know what to do because I’ve missed my regular “go to sleep window” and it misses the routine. So, just like we need a consistent time to wake up, we need a consistent time to wind down and go to sleep.

2. Be Mindful of your Sleep Environment

Set your body up for sleep with an optimal Sleep Environment. From the temperature of your room to your bedding, there are things you can do to set the stage to maximize your sleep. You can read all about this in my article, “Create a Sleep Environment to Maximize Your Zzzz’s“. Making adjustments to my sleep environment has been a significant help.

P.S. Several of these help with vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes and night sweats), too!

3. Create a Ritual to Wind Down.

For those of us with kids, we learned that they slept best with a wind-down routine. We bathed them. We dimmed the light and got them all cozy. We read them bedtime stories. The predictability of this routine helped to prime their brains to sleep well. (Okay, not always, kids are tricky little things. But you get the idea, right?).

The same idea of a wind-down routine applies to us. Create a consistent bedtime ritual to help your body recognize the routine, and trigger your brain to prepare for sleep. If you have time, take a warm bath! Otherwise, do your bedtime routine, wash your face, brush your teeth, and do your skincare quickly and efficiently. If possible do all of this in a dimly lit bathroom. The goal here is creating a serene nighttime routine that helps you relax.

Speaking of dim lighting . . .

4. Reduce your Exposure to Blue Light

Blue light from television screens, computers, tablets, and phones has been shown to inhibit the release of melatonin. Ideally, it is recommended we eliminate blue light 2 – 3 hours before we go to sleep. For a lot of us, shutting everything down that early may not be realistic. However, we CAN use strategies to lower our exposure to blue light and establish a set time to put those devices away.

If your habit is to get into bed and scroll on your phone, you’re not only exposing yourself to sleep-robbing blue light, but you’re likely ramping up your heart rate and overstimulating your brain.

Some people are extra sensitive to blue light. To address this, there are now light bulbs available that have a pinkish or amber hue. I have read that people have started to use these in their bedrooms with favorable results. I haven’t tried this, but if you think you might be more sensitive to blue light, using these bulbs to reduce your exposure may prove to be beneficial.

5. Help your Brain Relax

Some people can get into bed, put their head on the pillow, and fall asleep. I am NOT one of those people. No matter how exhausted I might be, my brain needs help shutting down once I get into bed. For me, winding my brain down with reading does the trick.

It turns out that reading elicits a response in our brain that is similar to meditation. It lowers our heart rate and requires focus, which shifts our brains’ attention from stressors or to-do lists, and allows it to focus solely on the words we’re reading.

If you’re a bedtime reader, like me, consider the following to eliminate blue light and help your brain relax:

• For those who prefer actual books, try reading with an Amber Book Light. The amber color of the light contains no blue light.
• For those who prefer reading on a device, be sure you use a dark setting. I read on a Kindle (because I can make the font big, and I don’t have to wear my reading glasses 🤓). At bedtime, I use the setting that makes the page black and the words (non-bright) white. I also dim the lighting setting on my Kindle as low as possible.

Not a reader? I’ve got you! Try a guided meditation app to help calm your brain. Another favorite of mine, if I’m really struggling with falling asleep, is to listen to a bedtime story. (No, I don’t have my husband read to me). The Calm app has very soothing, calming stories, read by readers with soothing, calming voices that lull you off to sleep. Both of these strategies have helped me fall asleep in times of high stress.

Friends, I know that for a lot of us, sleep is a real struggle. I hope you give these strategies a try! This isn’t a “one-and-done” thing. It takes combining all of the strategies and incorporating them into your daily and nightly routines to see consistent improvement.

Sleep Tight and Sweet Dreams!

I’ll see you back here tomorrow!

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