Food, activity, environment… Several factors influence the quality of our sleep. Everyone can act on different parameters to help you fall asleep in the evening and have a restful sleep. Here are 10 good habits to adopt to sleep well.
Avoid strong lights before going to bed
Falling asleep is promoted by the production of melatonin . This hormone is secreted by the pineal gland (located in the brain) in the absence of light. If you expose yourself to strong artificial lights or blue light diffusing screens in the evening before bedtime, you risk suppressing or shifting the natural production of melatonin and therefore delaying the moment when you go to sleep. To fall asleep well, preferably immerse yourself in darkness and if you need lighting to read for example, choose soft light. To better understand, discover our article on the effects of melatonin on sleep .
Limiting the effects of screens on falling asleep is now possible thanks to very effective blue light filters (downloadable applications or glasses). A study 1 conducted on young adults who are avid screen users in the evening has also shown that wearing blue light filtering glasses allows:
- to reduce the suppression of melatonin induced by blue light by 12%.
- lengthen sleep time by an average of 27 minutes.
- improve the quality of falling asleep and sleeping.
Do not sleep in an overheated room
The drop in body temperature promotes sleep. Sleeping in an overheated room is therefore not a good idea. The ideal is to fall asleep in a room that is neither too cold nor too heated, with an ambient temperature between 18 and 20°C 2 . In winter, put the heating on for a few hours before going to bed and then turn it off when you go to bed. Do not hesitate to ventilate the room for a few minutes to oxygenate the space.
Not engaging in stimulating activities before bedtime
An organism ready for sleep is a relaxed organism. Avoid overly stimulating activities (video games, action movies, work to finish) and if possible annoyances (quarrels at dinner, for example) before going to sleep because they will only irritate you and delay falling asleep. Each evening, establish a time of relaxation and decompression to prepare your body for sleep. Meditation, reading, abdominal breathing or getting a massage are activities conducive to relaxation.
Light dinner
Some eating habits affect the quality of sleep while others promote falling asleep. Too much dinner, not eating in the evening or not eating enough are practices that disturb sleep. If you eat too much, digestion will take a long time. However, a body in full digestion is not ready to fall asleep because the digestive functions in full action increase the body temperature. Conversely, going to bed with an empty or sparse stomach increases the risk of nocturnal awakening caused by hunger.
The best thing to do is to make a light dinner composed of foods rich in tryptophan 3 , an amino acid precursor of serotonin (a neurotransmitter known for its sedative action) and magnesium, a mineral involved in the transformation of tryptophan into serotonin. Foods rich in tryptophan include starches, pulses, eggs, dairy products and even fish. Dark chocolate, green vegetables, whole grains and oilseeds are rich in magnesium.
Turn off all electronic devices before going to bed
The bedroom should remain a place exclusively dedicated to sleep. When you slip into bed, you no longer need to be disturbed or stimulated by electronic devices. To avoid jumping at the slightest mobile notification or being disturbed by the light of a screen, turn off all the electronic devices around you (television, tablet, computer, smartphone). The ideal is to leave these objects in a room other than the bedroom.
Go to bed at a fixed time
Our biological clock synchronizes with a 24-hour day. It needs regular rhythms to function optimally. Sticking to a set bedtime and wake-up schedule helps regulate and improve our sleep. Even if you go to bed late, stick to the same schedule every night if possible. And if you feel the need to sleep later in the morning during the weekend, avoid getting up after 11 a.m., even if it means taking a micro-nap in the afternoon. It’s not always possible, but when you can, keep your usual rhythms of waking and sleeping. The objective is not to delay falling asleep in the evening and to wake up in shape in the morning.
Practice regular physical activity
Sports practice lengthens the duration of slow-wave sleep 4, the most restorative sleep. It also improves the quality of sleep. How ? During physical activity, body temperature increases, which promotes wakefulness. This rise in body temperature is then followed by a slight gradual cooling of the body favorable to falling asleep. If you have trouble falling asleep at night, exercise during the day but at a time that is not too close to bedtime because after your session, your body temperature will still be too high to go to sleep. Practice a physical activity preferably before 7 p.m. The best is the time slot between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. because the body temperature is at its highest level. Doing sports in the morning is also recommended, but fatigue can be felt at midday.
Avoid stimulants after 2 p.m.
Coffee, tea, energy drinks and sodas containing caffeine are stimulants that can work 3 to 7 hours after their absorption. However, most people are sensitive to the exciting effects of caffeine (less than 3% of the population is insensitive to it). Consuming them late in the day can therefore delay falling asleep in the evening and fragment sleep during the night 5 . If possible, avoid consuming it after 2 p.m. and do not abuse it in the morning.
Go to bed at the first signs of fatigue
Who hasn’t already missed the sleep train? This colorful expression speaks for itself. If you force yourself to stay awake despite obvious signs of fatigue, it is quite possible that you will wait a long time afterwards for these signs to return and make it easier to fall asleep. Repeated yawning, closing eyes, heavy eyelids, shivering… Sleep signals are easy to recognize. As soon as they appear, if you can, go to bed!
Avoid drinking alcohol in the evening
Admittedly, alcohol promotes sleep but it affects the quality of sleep. Drinking a lot of alcohol in the evening increases the risk of nocturnal awakenings, thus reducing the phases of deep slow-wave sleep, the most restorative. Alcohol consumption is also a risk factor for dehydration, a common cause of sleep disruption.
Annabelle IglesiasHealth JournalistA graduate of ESJ Pro, Annabelle Iglesias is a freelance journalist specializing in health and wellness. She writes mainly on health and nutrition topics.
Sources
- A selective circadian light filter improves sleep quality and limits light-induced melatonin suppression in the evening , D. Léger et al, Sleep Medicine , 2019.
- Sleep: instructions, Morpheus Network
- Diet and Sleep , Institute for Wellness, Medicine and Sport Health Research (IRBMS), 2018.
- What is the connection between exercise and sleep? , CENAS Sleep Center, 2017.
- The exciting ones, Morpheus Network, 2016.
- Melatonin and sleep-wake rhythm disorders , Dr Bruno Claustrat, Sleep Medicine , 2009.
- Impact of screens on the sleep of children aged 6 to 12, study carried out in a general practice in Haute-Garonne , University Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, 2018.
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Food, activity, environment… Several factors influence the quality of our sleep. Everyone can act on different parameters to help you fall asleep in the evening and have a restful sleep. Here are 10 good habits to adopt to sleep well.
Avoid strong lights before going to bed
Falling asleep is promoted by the production of melatonin . This hormone is secreted by the pineal gland (located in the brain) in the absence of light. If you expose yourself to strong artificial lights or blue light diffusing screens in the evening before bedtime, you risk suppressing or shifting the natural production of melatonin and therefore delaying the moment when you go to sleep. To fall asleep well, preferably immerse yourself in darkness and if you need lighting to read for example, choose soft light. To better understand, discover our article on the effects of melatonin on sleep .
Limiting the effects of screens on falling asleep is now possible thanks to very effective blue light filters (downloadable applications or glasses). A study 1 conducted on young adults who are avid screen users in the evening has also shown that wearing blue light filtering glasses allows:
- to reduce the suppression of melatonin induced by blue light by 12%.
- lengthen sleep time by an average of 27 minutes.
- improve the quality of falling asleep and sleeping.
Do not sleep in an overheated room
The drop in body temperature promotes sleep. Sleeping in an overheated room is therefore not a good idea. The ideal is to fall asleep in a room that is neither too cold nor too heated, with an ambient temperature between 18 and 20°C 2 . In winter, put the heating on for a few hours before going to bed and then turn it off when you go to bed. Do not hesitate to ventilate the room for a few minutes to oxygenate the space.
Not engaging in stimulating activities before bedtime
An organism ready for sleep is a relaxed organism. Avoid overly stimulating activities (video games, action movies, work to finish) and if possible annoyances (quarrels at dinner, for example) before going to sleep because they will only irritate you and delay falling asleep. Each evening, establish a time of relaxation and decompression to prepare your body for sleep. Meditation, reading, abdominal breathing or getting a massage are activities conducive to relaxation.
Light dinner
Some eating habits affect the quality of sleep while others promote falling asleep. Too much dinner, not eating in the evening or not eating enough are practices that disturb sleep. If you eat too much, digestion will take a long time. However, a body in full digestion is not ready to fall asleep because the digestive functions in full action increase the body temperature. Conversely, going to bed with an empty or sparse stomach increases the risk of nocturnal awakening caused by hunger.
The best thing to do is to make a light dinner composed of foods rich in tryptophan 3 , an amino acid precursor of serotonin (a neurotransmitter known for its sedative action) and magnesium, a mineral involved in the transformation of tryptophan into serotonin. Foods rich in tryptophan include starches, pulses, eggs, dairy products and even fish. Dark chocolate, green vegetables, whole grains and oilseeds are rich in magnesium.
Turn off all electronic devices before going to bed
The bedroom should remain a place exclusively dedicated to sleep. When you slip into bed, you no longer need to be disturbed or stimulated by electronic devices. To avoid jumping at the slightest mobile notification or being disturbed by the light of a screen, turn off all the electronic devices around you (television, tablet, computer, smartphone). The ideal is to leave these objects in a room other than the bedroom.
Go to bed at a fixed time
Our biological clock synchronizes with a 24-hour day. It needs regular rhythms to function optimally. Sticking to a set bedtime and wake-up schedule helps regulate and improve our sleep. Even if you go to bed late, stick to the same schedule every night if possible. And if you feel the need to sleep later in the morning during the weekend, avoid getting up after 11 a.m., even if it means taking a micro-nap in the afternoon. It’s not always possible, but when you can, keep your usual rhythms of waking and sleeping. The objective is not to delay falling asleep in the evening and to wake up in shape in the morning.
Practice regular physical activity
Sports practice lengthens the duration of slow-wave sleep 4, the most restorative sleep. It also improves the quality of sleep. How ? During physical activity, body temperature increases, which promotes wakefulness. This rise in body temperature is then followed by a slight gradual cooling of the body favorable to falling asleep. If you have trouble falling asleep at night, exercise during the day but at a time that is not too close to bedtime because after your session, your body temperature will still be too high to go to sleep. Practice a physical activity preferably before 7 p.m. The best is the time slot between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. because the body temperature is at its highest level. Doing sports in the morning is also recommended, but fatigue can be felt at midday.
Avoid stimulants after 2 p.m.
Coffee, tea, energy drinks and sodas containing caffeine are stimulants that can work 3 to 7 hours after their absorption. However, most people are sensitive to the exciting effects of caffeine (less than 3% of the population is insensitive to it). Consuming them late in the day can therefore delay falling asleep in the evening and fragment sleep during the night 5 . If possible, avoid consuming it after 2 p.m. and do not abuse it in the morning.
Go to bed at the first signs of fatigue
Who hasn’t already missed the sleep train? This colorful expression speaks for itself. If you force yourself to stay awake despite obvious signs of fatigue, it is quite possible that you will wait a long time afterwards for these signs to return and make it easier to fall asleep. Repeated yawning, closing eyes, heavy eyelids, shivering… Sleep signals are easy to recognize. As soon as they appear, if you can, go to bed!
Avoid drinking alcohol in the evening
Admittedly, alcohol promotes sleep but it affects the quality of sleep. Drinking a lot of alcohol in the evening increases the risk of nocturnal awakenings, thus reducing the phases of deep slow-wave sleep, the most restorative. Alcohol consumption is also a risk factor for dehydration, a common cause of sleep disruption.
Sources
- A selective circadian light filter improves sleep quality and limits light-induced melatonin suppression in the evening , D. Léger et al, Sleep Medicine , 2019.
- Sleep: instructions, Morpheus Network
- Diet and Sleep , Institute for Wellness, Medicine and Sport Health Research (IRBMS), 2018.
- What is the connection between exercise and sleep? , CENAS Sleep Center, 2017.
- The exciting ones, Morpheus Network, 2016.
- Melatonin and sleep-wake rhythm disorders , Dr Bruno Claustrat, Sleep Medicine , 2009.
- Impact of screens on the sleep of children aged 6 to 12, study carried out in a general practice in Haute-Garonne , University Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, 2018.
