Sleep Your Way to Better Health: Expert Tips for Women’s Wellness and Restful Nights

While this list is not comprehensive by any means, here are a few tried and true options that work well for some, including me, and might help you summon sleep:

1. Ensure your bedroom temperature is between 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit

• Studies show this is the ideal room temperature for sleep for most adults. Your body temperature naturally and gradually drops as the time for sleep approaches. Setting a lower bedroom temperature helps to cool the body and facilitate that transition. Small steps to help reduce heat for the bedroom without messing with the thermostat include closing bedroom curtains and blinds during the day, bedding that is designed for cooling, using a fan (which can serve a dual purpose in blocking other ambient noise), and wearing light pajamas. Try making small adjustments to determine what works for you, this is not one options applies to all! Let me be clear that we’re talking about temperature heat here—the “heat” generated through intimacy, sex, and particularly orgasm can actually contribute to better sleep with the release of hormones that improve sleep quality and reduction of cortisol, the stress hormone.

2. Have a cutoff or limit for caffeine, alcohol, and other sugar-sweetened beverages

• Let’s tackle these one at a time. Caffeine is a stimulant and can play a large role in interrupting the natural chemical processes that occur to prepare your body for sweet dreams. Adenosine is a hormone that accumulates during waking hours to facilitate the drive for sleep over the course of the day. Caffeine can block adenosine, and therefore reduce natural sleepiness. Studies recommend stopping caffeine intake approximately 6 hours before bedtime. This timing may vary depending on individualized metabolism, and that doesn’t mean you should have your sixth cup at 4 pm and expect to sleep like a baby at 10 pm. If you need something to sip on in the afternoon/evening, try switching to decaf (the coffee lovers reading are cringing) or a tea or other non-caffeinated beverage in the afternoon.
• Alcohol is a depressant, meaning it slows or depresses basic function, including cognitive or brain function and nervous system activity. You would think that if caffeine is a stimulant and affects sleep, then alcohol as a depressant should do the opposite, but it’s much more complex than that. While alcohol may hasten the onset of sleep, it also shortens the amount of time spent in REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, the good DEEP sleep we all long for. It is also a known diuretic (increases urine production), so is not going to help with decreasing nighttime awakenings if you’re feeling that urge multiple times throughout the night.
• High sugar beverages like sodas, juices, and sports drinks are often filled with added sugar, caffeine (see above) and other added stimulants for increasing alertness, wakefulness, and energy. But that late afternoon energy drink pick-me-up can have dire consequences for your sleep habits. Not surprisingly, almost 50% of adults consume a carbonated soft drink daily! Soft drinks are often sweetened with brown sugar, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, and/or glucose. Studies show that sugar-sweetened beverages may decrease sleep duration, have addictive potential, and consistent overconsumption can lead to a wide variety of health concerns. As if that wasn’t enough reason to cut back on the cola, studies also show that the more sleep-deprived you are, the more likely you are to choose high-caloric food and drink when making decisions on nutrition choices.

3. Limit screen time

• Admittedly, this is the hardest one for me to implement, but at some point after binge-watching Netflix or scrolling on social media, if I make the conscious effort to put the phone down, it can be a game-changer. The artificial blue light from phones, tablets, computers, and TV not only delay the onset of sleep, but can reduce sleep duration and interrupt natural sleep-wake cycles by disrupting the natural release of melatonin. Essentially, screens trick our bodies into thinking it’s not time for bed (like contraception for sleep! The brain of a gynecologist…) The National Sleep Foundation recommends avoiding screens at least 1-2 hours before bedtime, which can be tough if that is not a time you set or anticipate consistently. Often this is the time when many of us are “winding down” with our favorite shows, catching up on emails, playing games or scrolling social media, or engaging with friends or family. These are all highly stimulating activities that often require a ramp up of cognitive engagement and emotional involvement. Some recommendations to help facilitate this: a no electronics in bed rule, meaning the minute your head hits the pillow, don’t touch a screen! No screen or TV on for sleep – this may take some adjustment for those who have become accustomed to this. You could also try a 10-15 minute mindfulness or meditation exercise before sleep (yes, I realize this may mean looking at a screen to set it up). This is a tool that my husband and I utilize at least 4-5 times per week. At first, we felt very silly, and giggled through most of the meditation. Over time though, we both noticed a huge difference in our ability to “turn the brain off,” fall asleep more quickly (sometimes in the middle of the meditation!), and the quality of our sleep. Bonus is that we listen to it together, so I like to think it is a tiny way to improve intimacy as well. I like the Down Dog Meditation, Calm, or Breethe apps for quick access.

4. Consider supplements and medications (but with caution!)

• If you search “supplements to help with sleep” you will inevitably become overwhelmed by the lengthy list of products that may instill the urge to hop in the car and visit your nearest grocery store or nutrition/supplement shop to purchase every single one. Supplements are BIG business, and interestingly, fall under the category of “Food” rather than “Drug” when it comes to regulation by the FDA. This means that supplements are not as tightly regulated as medications, and efficacy is not studied or evaluated by the FDA. Does that mean all supplements are bad? Of course not. But I do recommend ensuring your supplement brand is reputable and has undergone third-party verification, meaning it has been tested for purity, potency, and confirms absence of contaminants that could be harmful to you.
• The simple, less “sexy” version of today’s supplements IS in itself a supplement – a multivitamin. Believe it or not, taking a basic multivitamin paired with proper nutrition could save you time and money, and has the potential to increase quantity and quality of sleep. Several components in a multivitamin can positively help with sleep when taken consistently (are you seeing a trend here?). Magnesium, iron, vitamin B6 and B12, and vitamin D are among some of these components that can help bolster your nighttime routine. It may take some time to determine if taking these in the morning vs. evening will balance sleep with energy. If a multivitamin is not exciting enough for you, you could try the time-honored sleep supplement, melatonin, for a couple weeks to months. Melatonin is a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles and plays a large role in circadian rhythm. Melatonin typically rises as darkness sets in, and drops as light returns in the morning. It is typically recommended to take this anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours prior to bedtime, and has been considered safe for short-term use only. Melatonin can have a complex relationship with other hormones in the brain that regulate mood as well, so always discuss with your own health care provider about safety with use.
• There are dozens of medications out there that may induce or alter sleep, far too many for me to discuss here. With most medications, the goal is often to ensure that the benefits outweigh the risks and side effects. If you’re considering a drug to help “knock you out” make sure you are weighing all your options and being followed by your health care provider.

The blue light of this screen is getting to me and I’m going to take my own advice and close the devices to get some shuteye. Just remember, consistency is key with most things when it comes to your health, and sleep is no exception!