4 Tips to help you sleep better
1 Minute Read
Canadians are not sleeping well. One in two adults has difficulty going to sleep or staying asleep, according to a 2019 study by Statistics Canada. Poor sleep has been associated with both short—and long-term health effects, such as hypertension, poor memory consolidation, and exhaustion the next day. Implementing good nighttime habits—like maintaining a regular sleep schedule and ensuring your room is dark and cool—is a must. For those of us who need a little extra help, here are four tools to try.
Download an app
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Practicing mindful meditation before you doze off has been shown to help quiet your brain for better sleep. Headspace (headspace.com) and Calm (calm.com) are two popular apps that offer sleep-specific meditations, music and stories to help you swiftly drift off into dreamland.
Snug as a bug
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Using a weighted blanket is a quick way to induce peacefulness, decrease stress and increase levels of the sleep hormone melatonin. Look for a blanket that’s about 10 percent of your body weight— the sweet spot for most people.
Limit screen time
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Our devices are doing more than keeping us from hitting the hay. The blue light they emit also impacts our biological sleep-wake cycle. Stop using screens at least 30 to 60 minutes before bed, and consider blue-light-blocking glasses or a blue-light screen protector.
Keep it cool
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According to the National Sleep Foundation, bedrooms should ideally be between 15.6°C and 19.4°C for sleep. A more eco-conscious alternative to blasting your AC is a smart mattress pad, like the Slumber Cloud, which has two layers of NASA-approved temperature-regulating technology.
