Are you looking for the fountain of youth? Dr. Jana Morse said it’s there for the taking every single night.
“Sleep really keeps you young,” said Morse, an internist at PartnerMD. “It keeps you feeling younger and looking younger. It’s beauty sleep and it’s smart sleep.”
Unfortunately, most people aren’t getting the seven to eight hours per night they need, and even if they try to get to bed early, falling and staying asleep can be a challenge, she said. Finding underlying reasons for sleep difficulties and following an effective sleep-hygiene plan can help people wake up looking, feeling, and functioning their best.
“The purpose of sleep is to empty what’s full and to fill what’s empty,” Morse said. “Sleep empties out waste products from the day’s metabolism and restocks the neurotransmitters for the next day’s work.”
In addition to feeling foggy and working inefficiently, lack of sleep can wreak havoc on health. Tired people become more stressed, are more prone to dementia, and are at greater risk for high blood pressure. Weight gain is common because “we feed fatigue, and we feed it junk,” Morse said.
The first clue that you need to reassess your sleep routine? If you sleep in much longer on weekends than on weekdays, you didn’t get enough sleep that week, Morse said.
Several techniques have been proven to help people ramp up their sleep and reap the benefits. Proper sleep hygiene starts several hours before bedtime.
- Avoid heavy, carb-rich meals and exercise in the three to four hours before bedtime. “Carbohydrates in the evening really warm the body up, and you want to be cooling down,” she said.
- Next is to prioritize sleep over screen time or even work. She often reminds people who work late at night that sleep makes them more efficient, which will allow them to do more work, and likely of a higher quality, the next day.
- Following a routine can prime your body for sleep. “You can condition your body to expect to fall asleep, like Pavlov’s dogs,” Morse said. “Get a routine and stick to it.”
- Going to bed at the same time every night, reading or doing another calming (screen-free) activity, and spraying a scent like lavender are all good options. She said the lavender may not actually help people fall asleep, but by spraying it before bed, the body begins to associate the scent with sleep.
- The most crucial aspect, in her experience, is deep breathing, which not only helps people fall asleep but can improve sleep quality. She suggests breathing in for five seconds, and then out through the mouth for five seconds, which stimulates the vagus nerve, in turn releasing sleep hormones.
- She also suggests scanning the body for tension, relaxing tight muscles, and thinking about relaxing memories.
If these tips don’t lead to improved sleep, cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective option, she said.
“We get into ruts of negative thoughts, and these practitioners can help get your brain out of ruts. They can help you retrain your brain so you can direct yourself out of it,” she said.
Medication should be used as a last resort, and ideally in the short term.
The benefits of sleep are worth the effort, said Morse, who once struggled with it before finding she had sleep apnea — despite not fitting the profile of the older, overweight man who typically has it. Addressing the problem has made a world of difference in her work and life.
“When you aren’t getting adequate sleep, you’re never getting the car in gear,” she said. “You’re just spinning your wheels. Now, I feel so much more energized.”
