Craving a good night’s sleep? You’re probably familiar with the basic recommendations, such as avoiding caffeine and alcohol, putting away the screens, and sticking to a consistent schedule.
But that last tip may be the hardest to follow—because life likes to throw us curveballs, doesn’t it?
Alison Ozgur, MAT, MHS, RDN, DipACLM
When you enter daylight saving time, begin a new job or school year, or go through periods of high stress, sleep is one of the first things to suffer. Then there’s long-distance travel, which can deliver the triple whammy of exhaustion, jet lag, and new surroundings that make it difficult to fall asleep or stay awake.
How do you catch those Zzzs when your schedule is thrown off course? We chatted with Alison Ozgur, a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) who is also board certified in Lifestyle Medicine through the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, to learn how to maintain a healthy sleep routine when life is anything but predictable.
The Cycle of Sleep
First, it helps to understand the importance of sleep and how the sleep cycle works. “Think of sleep as a reset. It’s a pillar of wellness that you need to work on each day for best health, just like food and physical activity,” explains Alison.
When you don’t get enough high-quality sleep (most adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours each night), it can affect your mood, appetite, and focus. You might feel sluggish first thing in the morning or lose steam in the afternoon. There can be long-term health effects, too: Irregular sleep is associated with weight gain, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even more serious cognitive decline.
For the best sleep, consistency is the name of the game. At night, darkness tells your body to produce the hormone melatonin, which eases you to sleep. Meanwhile, morning light decreases the melatonin to make you more alert for the day ahead.
As Alison puts it, “Day sets up night and night sets up day. Your brain craves this consistent routine.” That’s why sleeping late on the weekend feels great at the moment but can spell trouble for your body’s internal clock. (Experts call this “social jetlag.”)
The good news is your body can easily adapt to one or two hours’ difference in sleep. So, if your usual weekday wakeup time is 6 a.m., you can stretch yourself to about 7:30 or 8:00 a.m. on your days off. It’s bigger shifts that are harder to cope with, potentially impacting your sleep for days or weeks at a time.
Tips for Resetting Your Sleep Routine
When life gets complicated, Alison offers these tips to help you adapt and get more restorative sleep.
If you know the change is coming (such as a vacation), plan ahead.
Adjust your sleep-wake times in advance. Alison recommends starting small and going slow, shifting your schedule by 15 minutes a day until it matches your new schedule or destination (or close enough!) For example, if you’re traveling somewhere that’s three hours ahead, you can begin going to bed and waking up earlier about a week beforehand. This tip works for mealtimes, too.- Focus on the a.m. Believe it or not, it’s easier to wake up earlier than it is to go to sleep earlier. That’s partly because your brain has so many cues in the morning, from the buzz of your alarm to the sun peeking through the curtains. If you’re getting up earlier to prep for an upcoming change, move your whole morning routine up too. Better yet, go outside for your cup of coffee or breakfast. The sunlight will help decrease your melatonin levels even faster.
- Resist the snooze button. Prone to snoozing? Sorry to say, it will only make things harder. Alison’s tip: Keep your alarm clock (which may be your phone) on the far side of the room to force you out of bed.
- Don’t over-schedule yourself. Give yourself enough time to adjust to a new sleep schedule. If you’re facing a major life change, like starting a new school year or a new job, keep your social calendar light for the first week or so. The same goes for traveling. Plan a light itinerary for the first day.
If you have trouble falling asleep (ideally within 20-30 minutes), set the stage.
Be sure to unwind. Being overstimulated can make it difficult to sleep, so take a full hour to transition from busy-ness to bedtime. Also, anxiety is the number one reason people can’t sleep, says Alison.
So, if you’re prone to “busy brain,” try writing down your to-do list or spending a few moments journaling before you lie down. This will help prevent stress and racing thoughts from spilling over to bedtime.
- Stick to your sleep routine. Good sleep hygiene becomes more important than ever when you’re going through a major schedule change. Check that your bedroom is dark and cool. If you normally relax with a book or a mug of decaf tea before bed, keep up those rituals no matter when or where you’re turning in. Those behaviors will cue your body to get ready for shut-eye.
- Move more. Remember how day sets up night? An active day is a great sleep strategy. “If you can keep your body moving the whole day, especially walking outside, you really will sleep better,” Alison tells us.
- Expand your sleep toolkit. White noise machines and lavender oil sprinkled on the pillow may help you sleep better. Alison also suggests a weighted blanket, especially if you struggle with anxiety. “A weighted blanket is like a hug, which releases oxytocin, the feel-good hormone,” she says.
- Think twice about sleep aids. Popular supplements like melatonin or cannabidiol (CBD) don’t have much science behind them. Plus, many products containing these ingredients are unregulated in the United States. Prescription sleep medications are proven to work, but they are intended for short-term use only, Alison cautions. It’s best to talk with your doctor.
If you’re sleepy during the day, listen to your body.
Try resting without sleeping. “This can be anything that puts you in the present moment,” Alison shares. She likes midday meditation or breathing exercises. You may enjoy filling in an adult coloring book or listening to a podcast.
- Take a SHORT nap. If you must nap to get through a long day, limit it to 30 minutes in the early afternoon. Sleeping longer or later can interfere with bedtime.
If your sleep struggles go on too long, call your doctor.
If you have trouble sleeping at least three days a week for longer than three months, you could have chronic insomnia. Another telltale sign of trouble is nodding off at inappropriate times, like at work or school.
“When inadequate sleep starts to impact your daily life, it’s definitely time to seek professional help,” Alison advises. “Your health care provider can not only recommend treatment but also help you get to the root cause of your sleep issues.”
Rise and Shine
Life happens, and there will be times when your sleep suffers the brunt of it. Control what you can and do the best you can. You’ll likely be back to sleeping like a log soon enough. As Alison says, “A slip is not a fall.”
We hope these tips help you get back to sleeping well … until life throws something else your way. Sweet dreams!
Note: Since everyone’s health history and nutritional needs are so different, please make sure that you talk with your doctor and a registered dietitian to get advice about the diet and exercise plan that‘s right for you.