On his YouTube channel, Dr Karan Rajan interviewed sleep physiologist Stephanie Romiszewsk.
One of the key habits to master is your wake-up time, Romiszewsk emphasised.
Whether or not you had a bad sleep the night prior, you need to be consistent with the time you wake up.
“Think of the brain like a small puppy,” said Romiszewsk, highlighting the need for consistency and patience.
“The most important thing to do, more often than not, is to try to get up around about the same time every day.”
Romiszewsk said: “The more we lie in, and teach our brains that actually you want a couple of hours of extra sleep… you’re confusing your brain.
“Often, people think that lying in is helping them feel better but, actually, you’re only perpetuating and reinforcing that horrible sleep inertia [grogginess].”
Another key habit to follow is to only go to bed when you feel sleepy, while still waking up at the same time every day.
“I promise you, after a couple of weeks, if you’re fairly consistent, you will start to notice that your sleepiness becomes way more predictable.”
Forget about tracking your sleep, said Dr Karan, who said people don’t need to know how much REM or non-REM sleep you have had.
Tracking your sleep this way is not helpful and may only cause unnecessary cancer.
What about shift workers?
For those who work during the night, Romiszewsk still recommended consistency to have up to two consistent wake-up times.
“Specifically for night shift workers, using sunglasses, for example, when you go home in the morning is incredibly helpful,” said Romiszewsk.
And, when it does come to sleeping, even if it’s during the day, try to make your environment dark.
When you’re in the bedroom, if you can see objects around you, it’s not dark enough.
“Even if you have to use an eye mask, it’s really important you get that darkness,” Romiszewsk said.
Four tips to sleep better
- Consistent wake-up time
- Only go to bed when you’re sleepy
- Wear sunglasses
- Use an eye mask.
