6 Simple Ways to Improve your Deep Sleep
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6 Simple Ways to Improve your Deep Sleep
One of the main foundations of health is sleep, but would it surprise you if I told you that on average people aren’t sleeping enough each night?
Being ‘that girl’ and waking up early…
Hustle culture…
‘I’ll sleep when I’m dead’…
I’ve been there.. it builds up and it’s definitely not sustainable.
If you have lots of things going on in your life it can be tempting to cut into your sleep time, where else can we pull extra hours in the day from?
But the reality of it is that in order to have a healthy body, strong immune system, balanced hormones, and to perform well, we need to sleep. During deep sleep our organs detoxify themselves, our kidneys clean our blood, and our body replaces cells, heals wounds, and builds muscle tissues.
If you find that you’re sleeping 7-9 hours and you’re still waking up exhausted then it may not be the quantity of sleep you’re missing out on, but the quality. So today I want to chat to you about deep sleep, what it is, what it means if you’re missing it, and easy modifications you can make to wake up feeling energised and refreshed.
Some of the factors that could suggest you have poor sleep quality include:
Taking longer than 30 minutes to fall asleep
Waking up more than once during the night
When you’re woken, you lie awake for more than 20 minutes before falling back asleep
You wake up feeling unrefreshed and like you need more sleep
During the day you feel tired and may have trouble focusing on the task at hand
You rely on caffeine to wake you up and keep you alert
You’re tired in the morning and wired in the afternoon or evening
How much deep sleep do you need?
There are 4 stages to sleep, and while stages 1 to 4 are all important, deep sleep is the most essential of all for feeling rested and staying healthy.
Adults 18 and older need anywhere from 1.5-1.8 hours of deep sleep per night, which is about 20% of your overall sleep. Some people may find they need more hours of sleep in order to feel fully rested and consider it a good night’s sleep. After all, there’s no such thing as too much deep sleep.
Yes, there are some people who can sleep less than this and still be healthy, but it’s fewer than you think. There are a couple of rare genes that allow people to sleep 5-6 hours per night and feel well rested.
But remember, if you feel tired when you wake up, get fatigued throughout the day or need coffee to give you a kickstart in the morning – this is not you!
There are also lifestyle and health factors that can influence how much sleep you need. If you’ve done a big workout, your body might like an extra 30 minutes of rest.
If you have a chronic condition such as the thyroid condition Hashimoto’s, your body might need more rest. And the classic example, if you catch a cold or flu, you want to rest as much as possible to give your immune system the chance to get it under control.
What is deep sleep?
Deep sleep is the sleep stage that is associated with the slowest brain waves during sleep. During this time your muscles relax, and your heart rate and rate of breathing decrease significantly. It can also be difficult to wake up. If you are woken up during this stage, you tend to feel disoriented and groggy.
How do I track my sleep?
There are plenty of ways out there to track how much deep sleep you’re getting. Fitbits, Garmins, Apple watchs (with the AutoSleep app), even Oura Rings (which is what I like to use).
At the end of the day though we don’t need to rely on technology if we don’t want to. Your body is going to be the best tracker and how you feel will give you a good indication of what your body is doing.
If you feel like you’re consistently struggling with your deep sleep it may also be worth chatting with your GP and getting a referral to a sleep specialist who can look into it more for you.
But for now I have some simple tips for improving your deep sleep.
Tips for improving deep sleep
1 - Keep caffeine to the morning
Drinking coffee, tea or any other forms of caffeine after lunchtime could be sabotaging your sleep time. Caffeine has a half-life of 5-6 hours in the average person, although some people have a gene that makes it closer to 8 hours. So that means if you have a coffee with 2 shots at 3pm, you still have the equivalent of 1 shot in your system at 9pm.
Make sure you consume caffeine in the morning, and stick to 1-3 cups maximum. If your sleep issues are significant, it may even be worth doing a 2 week trial without caffeine to see if you’re highly sensitive to its effects.
2- Magnesium
Magnesium is the relaxation mineral, both for your muscles and your nervous system. Many people have low magnesium levels thanks to high stress and a diet low in magnesium-rich foods. Most countries also have depleted magnesium levels in the soil.
To increase your magnesium, you have a few options.
You can include more magnesium-rich foods such as :
green leafy vegetables,
nuts,
seeds,
beans, and
dark chocolate – think 70% or more.
You can also absorb magnesium through the skin using things like magnesium spray and Epsom salt baths to help top up your levels.
There are also magnesium supplements. The one I like to show my clients is ATP Science Z-MAG.
It’s a scientifically-formulated blend containing Magnesium Citrate, Zinc Gluconate, Selenium, and Taurine.
ATP Science Z-MAG is a therapeutic product formulated with a combination of ingredients that have been found to:
Maintains/supports refreshing sleep and sleeping patterns.
Maintain/support energy levels.
Support healthy immune system function.
Maintain/support hair & bone health.
Decrease/reduce/relieve muscle cramps.
Maintain/support muscle health & function
Decrease/reduce/relieve muscle pain/ache/soreness.
Aid/assist/helps mind relaxation.
Decrease/reduce/relieve nervous tension/unrest.
Maintain/support general mental wellbeing.
Maintain/support nervous system health & function.
I like to take mine before bed!
3 - Eat More Fibre
A healthy diet does more than just improve body composition, it also has an impact on the quality of sleep you get. Studies have shown that a consistently adequate intake of fibre can result in more time spent in the stage of deep sleep during the night.
When making your food choices make an effort to add more fibre-rich foods into your diet:
Beans and legumes
Broccoli
Berries
Avocados
Whole Grains
Apples
Dried Fruit
Potatoes
4 - Less Screen Time before bed
Phones, laptops, tablets and TVs play a big role in why so many people struggle with sleep these days. Not only are they stimulating for the brain and the nervous system, but they also give off blue light. This blue light tells your brain that is the middle of the day, rather than the evening. As a result, your body doesn’t produce enough melatonin, the main sleep hormone.
Aim for at least 30-60 minutes of screen-free time before sleep. I personally like to switch everything off and read a book instead.
But you could also try:
drawing,
crocheting,
hanging out with your pets, partner, or kids,
writing,
making some tea,
have a bath,
practice meditation.
5 - Avoid alcohol before bed
A drink may make you feel a little sleepy, but unfortunately it won’t help you stay asleep. Alcohol has a temporary sedative effect, and once this wears off it has a rebound effect, which could lead to trouble staying asleep, or little to no deep sleep during the night. Alcohol potentially causes a shorter overall sleep time and disrupted sleep, which lead to next-day fatigue and sleepiness. The more alcohol you drink, the greater the negative effects on your sleep.
6 - Regular Exercise
Another one of the benefits of moving your body consistently is better sleep. The research shows that no matter what your age or lifestyle, including exercise can improve your sleep pattern and help you to sleep longer.
Some studies have shown that in as little as four weeks, people experiencing sleep disturbances and chronic insomnia fell asleep up to 13 minutes faster and stay asleep 18 minutes longer.
Exercise causes changes in your body temperature.
Exercise can relieve some symptoms of anxiety and depression. Anxious and intrusive thoughts, worry and stress can interfere with falling asleep. Regular endorphin release through exercise can positively improving sleep quality.
Exercise may adjust your body clock. Some people experience insomnia due to a misaligned internal body clock. A disruption of one’s circadian rhythms can cause them to naturally feel tired later at night than “normal.” Depending on the time of day they exercise, it can help reset their body clock and help them fall asleep earlier.
Hey there, I’m Rachel!
NUTRITIONIST, PERSONAL TRAINER, WELLNESS COACH
Here I share healthy recipe ideas, training plans, and nutrition & wellness advice you need to know.
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This post has been sponsored by ATP Science. For more details, read my disclaimer here.