8 Top Sleep Tips for 2023
Getting more sleep is a really common New Years Resolution. A study of 2019 resolutions in the US found that 31% of people said sleep was their priority for the New Year. When working to improve the quality of sleep, many people think big; they want to have an hour long bedtime routine, fancy sheets and cool sleep gadgets. Improving your sleep in 2023 doesn’t have to be that difficult - or complicated.
Here are our TOP 10 sleep tips for 2023
1. Have a Consistent Bed Time
Going to sleep the same time every night is a really simple way to get your body into a routine. Sleep hormones adjust to what we tell our bodies to do. If you are in a habit of going to bed late, then that becomes the norm for our brains. A sudden change to a bedtime of 10:30 won’t come easily and you could find yourself tossing and turning. But don’t get frustrated. Give yourself time to hormonally adjust to the change and then remain consistent with the time.
Before long, you’ll be falling asleep on schedule every night without struggle.
Having a nighttime routine can help with this. Check out our three sleep routine examples and outlines for an idea of how to build one that works for you.
Wash Your Sheets - Or Change Them - Weekly
It’s easy to forget about your sheets. You may think that it’s okay to leave them for a month or two without changing them if you don’t sweat when sleeping or eat in bed. But sheets act as a catch-all for our skin, hair, and dirt and debris from our bodies while we sleep. Even the cleanest person in the world should wash their sheets weekly.
Why should you wash your sheets regularly?
You’re spending about 8 hours a day in your bed. You can sweat, move around, rub off on and dirty up your sheets over that time. It’s natural! But think of it this way: you wouldn’t wear the same shirt every day for a month without washing it.
Washing your sheets regularly removes:
Dust
Animal dander (for those pet owners out there who cuddle with their pets at night)
Any fungi that could be growing
Dead skin cells
Bacteria build up if you’re getting hot and sweaty at night.
Not only can help to keep your skin clear and your hair shiny, but it can even improve your breathing while you sleep.
Buy an extra set to keep it simple
It’s annoying to pull your sheets off you bed and to do an extra load of laundry, but it’s worth it. Start this habit this New Year and start washing your sheets every week in 2022.
If you don’t want to do laundry every week, you can always change out your sheets with a fresh pair and then wash both sets every other week. Whatever you decide to do, your sheets should be fresh every week.
2. Invest In an Alarm Clock &Leave Your Phone Outside
Bringing your phone into the bedroom is one of the most difficult habits to break. For many of us, scrolling through social media before bed is normal. So is using your phone as your alarm. Unfortunately, it also becomes normal, then, to pick it up again if you wake up in the night or to keep on scrolling way past your bedtime.
If you choose one things to do this year to improve your sleep, start leaving your phone outside of your bedroom.
If you like to scroll in the morning when you get up, move to the living room and scroll with your coffee.
If you like to swipe around before you head to sleep. . . stop. Electronic devices and cellphones should be removed from your eyesight at least an hour before bed. Even if you have a blue light filter on your device, the screen itself can impact how your body gets ready for sleep.
Exposure to blue light and electronics can drastically increase your risk of insomnia and make it hard to sleep. Reaching for and scrolling on your phone until you get sleepy is actually going to do the opposite. Once you get into bed, do not reach for your phone.
Breaking this single habit could be the single best thing you can do to improve your sleep.
3. Get Active
How you spend your day impacts how you rest at night. Make exercise a daily practice to sleep better. Something as simple as a 30 minute stroll around your neighbourhood can be enough to help you sleep better. The activity burns off energy and the fresh air also provides a load of health benefits.
If the idea of a long walk seems hard to fit into your day, try making small changes. To 10 jumping jacks between your TV shows. Stretch for 10 minutes during your first coffee break - or better yet, stretch before bed for a double whammy of sleep benefits.
4. Don’t Hit Snooze
Along with going to bed at the same time, get up when it’s time to get up. Hitting snooze can actually make you feel more tired and sleepy throughout the day. Getting up in the morning - even if you are sleepy - can help you fall asleep on time later that night, can keep your schedule in check, and will ultimately help you feel awake as the day goes on. Plus, falling back asleep makes it more likely that you’ll sleep in. Then you’ll be sleepy and stressed out - never a good combination.
The better way to handle a sleepy morning is to take a structured 20-30 minute nap before 3:00 in the afternoon - preferably after a cup of coffee. Short naps are more likely to make you feel more awake than slipping back to sleep only to jump out of bed 30- 45 minutes later.
It may be hard for the first few days, but getting up on time will allow you to fall asleep on time. Then you’ll get into a habit of sleeping early enough that your mornings won’t feel sleepy at all. ‘
5. Drink more water
Did you know that how hydrated you are impacts how well you sleep? Drinking more water and staying hydrated is a really easy way to positively impact your sleep. Plus, water is great for your health overall so you’ll fill better if you keep hydrated.
6. Upgrade your sleep space
Where you sleep impacts how you sleep. Your bedroom should be tidy without clutter. Keep your room temperature cool, with a fan blowing or a cracked window. Even the paint colour of your room effects the quality of your sleep. (Blue is the best colour for a bedroom.) Your sheets should be clean and soft. Your pillows should be firm and supportive. And make sure that it’s dark in there! Blackout curtains or an eye mask can make a huge difference in the quality of your sleep.
7. Use a white noise machine
There’s a lot of science behind why white noise is great for your sleep quality. You can read more about it here, but the gist of it is that white noise reduces the impact that external sound has on your sleep. It creates a kind of consistence background noise that reduces distraction and helps you sleep. If you lay awake listening to your house creaking or sounds of your neighbourhood, a white noise machine will help.
8. Book a sleep study
Sleep studies are a great way to identify any unknown impacts on your sleep. Speak to your doctor about a referral and book one today!! They’re 100% covered by OHIP and could help you understand how you sleep.
A Better Sleep for 2023
The hard part about changing sleep habits is that it takes time. Even with these easy improvements, it may take a few days to notice a difference. Be patient with yourself and your sleep. By making these 5 easy improvements, you’ll be able to have your best year of sleep ever in 2023.