4 Easy Ways to Improve Your Sleep Routine During the Work Week

Today marks World Sleep Day, an important opportunity to re-iterate just how important it is to get quality rest during the working week. But many of us struggle to completely switch off and get the rest we need. Although sleep is a personal and people of different ages and lifestyles need varying amounts, in general this is a rough guide:

• Young adults (18-25) between 7-9 hours
• Adults (26-64) between 7-9 hours
• Older Adults (65+) between 7-8 hours

So, are you getting enough rest every night? During the working week, switching off can be challenging, especially with looming deadlines and important meetings on the horizon. However, it’s vital for your health and wellbeing to get the rest you need.

In honour of World Sleep Day, we’re going to be taking you through our top tips for getting better quality sleep at night.

The difference between quality and quantity

When it comes to sleep, people usually assume the more, the better, but that’s not always the case. The amount of sleep you get every night is important, but so is the quality of your rest. Roughly, our sleep cycles are made up of the following stages:

• Light sleep (5%)
• Deeper light sleep (45-50%)
• Deep sleep (20-25%)
• REM sleep (20-25%)

A full sleep cycle can last between 70–120 minutes and simply repeats throughout the night. This is why sometimes, if you wake up in the middle of a sleep cycle when it’s incomplete, you can feel worse, despite getting the hours worth of rest you need.

During a full sleep cycle, your body carries out physical and mental repairs so that when you wake up, you’re ready for the day. Waking up mid sleep can mean you don’t get the full rest you need. Quantity matters, but so does the quality of sleep you’re getting, which is what we’re going to help you with now.

The problem with “always on” and the challenges of the working week

Switching off during the week can be challenging. With more time spent on screens and devices, we all absorb far more blue light than we need, which can cause interruptions with our sleep later on in the evening. Artificial lighting can also impact our levels of sleepiness, which is not ideal for the many of us who work indoors.

Blue light, admitted by devices, can suppress melatonin, the hormone responsible for sleep, which can then disrupt our circadian rhythm, eventually causing sleep problems or difficulties staying asleep. Although it seems harmless, blue light can trick the brain into staying alert which can delay sleep onset, reduce sleep quality and shorten the duration of sleep we get.

The solution? Powering down our devices and staying off them, at least two hours before you want to fall asleep. Many phones and devices also now have warm filters you can turn on, which override the harshness of blue light. Also be sure to make use of do not disturb functions so you won’t be tempted by notifications.

Any email can wait, as your quality of sleep is what’s really going to have an impact on the following day. So power down your emails and take some time to genuinely switch off a few hours before bed.

Exercise earlier in the day if you can

If you work in an office, chances are you’re spending a lot of time sitting down, not really moving throughout the day. Although mentally, you’re probably tired at the end of the day, your body physically probably isn’t if you’ve not done any exercise. One of the best things you can do to improve your sleep is to exert your body.

This doesn’t have to be anything crazy. It can be as simple as going for a morning walk or afternoon jog. The best time to exercise is generally in the morning or early afternoon, as for some people, exercising two hours before bed can be detrimental to falling asleep as your body is still on high alert.

Just 30 minutes of exercise per day can improve your ability to fall asleep. It makes sense, if you think about it. If your body is physically tired, it will be more likely to be ready for sleep. That, combined with mental exhaustion can be the perfect recipe for a quality night’s sleep.

Keep your bedroom cool and dark

As well as being mentally and physically prepared for sleep, our environment also plays a vital role. If you’re struggling to get to sleep, or stay asleep, you might want to think about if your room is too warm, especially during the cooler months when it can be tempting to ramp up the heating.

The ideal temperature to fall asleep is between 15-19 degrees celsius, which is quite a bit cooler than most of us keep our thermostat. If you can, make sure the room you sleep in is a smidge cooler than the rest of the house. In the summer, ensure to ventilate the room with fresh air to avoid your bedroom getting too humid.

Another important thing to think about is making sure you have good quality blinds and curtains to block the light out. Our brains naturally respond to sunshine and will feel more alert when seeing it, so shutting it out while we try to rest is important.

Establish a non negotiable routine

Studies on sleep have shown that going to bed at the same time everyday and waking up at the same time, improves our quality of sleep. During the weekends, it can be tempting to sleep in to try and “catch up” with the sleep we’ve lost during the week, but this can be detrimental to our quality of rest.

Going to bed and getting up at the same time everyday keeps our circadian rhythms stable and improves our chances of getting good quality sleep, every night. So stick to your usual rise time and bedtime everyday and stop feeling tempted to sleep in on the weekends.

Adhere to the 20 minute rule

We’ve all been there, staring up at the ceiling and wondering just how much time has passed since we last looked at the clock. But the worst thing you can do is to force yourself to stay in bed if you’re not falling asleep.

A good rule to follow is if it’s been more than twenty minutes, get out of bed and occupy your mind with something else, such as reading a book in a different room. Then use this time to feel sleepy again, and try to go back to bed.

Staying there stewing and staring up at the ceiling will only make you feel more frustrated and less likely to relax and fall asleep.

Taking the time to make sure you have a healthy sleep routine during the working week is one of the best forms of self care you can give yourself. After all, if you’re not well rested, you won’t be doing your work to the best of your ability anyway. So form good habits, stick to them, and always give yourself the rest you deserve.