Simple lifestyle hacks that will help keep your sleep/wake cycle on track

1. Keep a consistent schedule. The human body was designed to function in correlation with the rise and fall of the sun. In other words, we wake up and start our day as the sun rises; we work and exercise during the day; and we typically wind down to go to sleep once it gets dark outside. The National Sleep Foundation's sleep guidelines outline the recommended amount of sleep for various age groups. As a rule of thumb, an average of eight hours of sleep per night is recommended for people ages 14 and up.

With that being said, it’s still important to take chronotype into consideration when you’re thinking about how much sleep you need each night.  And consistency is key!

In order to maintain a regular sleep/wake schedule:

• Aim to go to bed at the same time every night and get at least eight hours of sleep
• Avoid sleeping in, including over weekends, because changing your sleep/wake schedule abruptly could result in jet-lag-like symptoms (e.g. daytime fatigue, moodiness, lack of focus, and/or an upset stomach)
• Limit daytime naps to 15-20 minutes if you absolutely need them; otherwise, try to avoid napping as much as possible
• Also, avoid going to bed too early -- even if you’re experiencing drowsiness after a big meal -- because then you may wake up during the middle of the night and have a tough time getting back to sleep.

Note: If you’re getting enough sleep, you should wake up naturally without needing an alarm. If you find that you need assistance from an alarm (app or clock), then consider going to bed earlier in the evenings so that you can get the core eight hours that your body needs.

2. Adjust and update the lighting throughout your home.

Let’s go back to the sun for a moment and why light itself is such an important concept for health. The sun provides a full spectrum of light that contributes to the biological functions of humans, plants and animals.  The sun literally affects all of us down to the molecular level; sunlight acts as a nutrient that helps orchestrate your mitochondria to carry out specific functions at precise times throughout the day.

Over time, humans have evolved to live and work outside of the natural hours of daylight thanks to the development of artificial light sources.  The LED and compact fluorescent lights (CFL’s) found in most of today’s homes, offices and other public buildings lack some of the key wavelengths that the sun produces naturally, and that our brains and bodies need for optimal biological function.

Unlike incandescent and halogen lights, which emit light similar to that during a sunset, LEDs and fluorescents eliminate most of the infrared, red, and violet light found in natural sunlight, and conversely emit a lot of blue light.

FACT: Most LEDs and fluorescents emit about five times the amount of blue light that are bodies are naturally equipped to handle.

Economically speaking, LEDs are incredibly cost-effective; however, they are notorious for emitting blue wavelengths of light that throw off your energy, mood, and natural circadian rhythm.

Overexposure to artificial lighting confuses the mind and body, making it very difficult to decipher what time of day (or night) it actually is. Subsequently, there’s broken signaling that takes place between the artificial light sources all around you and your natural body functions. It’s no wonder then that after a full day of using digital devices with LED screens and sitting under artificial lighting, you may experience a “wired and tired” feeling as you’re getting into bed at night. It also makes sense that sleep deprivation then leads to fatigue the next day. This pattern between insomnia and fatigue becomes cyclical and can have profound effects on how you feel and show up in the world.

The key here is to take more control of the light in your environment by making healthier lighting choices.  Consider swapping out any LED and/or fluorescent bulbs in your house to halogen or incandescents. More specifically, 15 or 20-watt bulbs are ideal because they emit warmer light that is healthier for your eyes, mind, and body -- especially as your winding down for bedtime in the evenings. You can also opt to turn off the light fixtures around your home, or just use candles instead to keep an area lit with natural light. Dimmer is better because it more closely mimics the natural light that you would be exposed to outside as the sun descends at night.

So, how do you get the best sleep ever? Completely “blackout” your bedroom at night.