Why We Should Sleep Smarter: The Scientific Blueprint to Optimize Your Energy Levels and Supercharge Your Day by Matthew Reed

Author:Matthew Reed [Reed, Matthew]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9798389691216
Amazon: B0C1J9ZT9Z
Publisher: Independently published
Published: 2023-04-16T00:00:00+00:00

Tool 10: Keep It Cool

For a successful night of sleep, there’s one aspect we need to ensure: the temperature of our bodies. Now, I know at this point you’re thinking, “Matt, I’ve already done all the above steps, and you’re telling me that my good night’s sleep is still not guaranteed?” On the contrary, I point out this tool because it may disrupt your sleep during the night.

Rest assured that this tool is equally important. By regulating our body’s core temperature, we can fall asleep quicker and avoid being disrupted in the middle of the night. In the hours leading up to sleep, our core body temperature already drops gradually. This is because temperature is a biological signal for the circadian rhythm, which makes melatonin and makes it easier to fall asleep every night (Harding et al., 2019). For effectiveness, we need our bodies to drop their core temperature by 1-3 °F every evening.

This occurs through glabrous skin portals on our body—the face, ears, palms of our hands, and soles of our feet—which allow for increased blood flow and regulate heat. It is in these body areas that we can allow for “vasodilation,” or the body’s cooling mechanism, to reduce our core body temperature later in the evening (Wong & Hollowed, 2016). These extremities allow for quick heat loss, making it easier to cool down and induce the transition to sleep quicker.

Perhaps it’s best to not skip this step after all?

The core body temperature is around 98.6°F (37°C), but this fluctuates by a couple of degrees in the middle of the night. To ensure that our bodies cool off for a good night’s sleep, we must make the bedroom temperature range between 60 and 65°F. The last thing you want is for your bedroom to be too hot, as those sweltering conditions will cause sweating and reduce deep slow-wave restorative sleep significantly (Okamoto-Mizuno & Mizuno, 2012).

One method is to have a hot shower or bath before bedtime. Yep, you read that correctly. It’s because this increase in temperature actually thermoregulates our core body temperature as a result. When we step out of the tub, our bodies begin this natural cooling effect via the glabrous skin areas. This is one perfect way to aid sleep. We can help this cause even more by setting the thermostat, using a fan or air conditioning, keeping the curtains closed at night, opening the windows for air flow, or even using seasonal bedding to fit your needs. Basically, do whatever you can to cool your body down and fall asleep.

You’ll know if you’re not cool enough when you stick a limb out of the bed covers in the middle of the night... and, well, just hope you don’t have that scene from Paranormal Activity embedded into your head. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself quickly retracting that limb and suffering the rest of the night with nightmares.

Conclusion

All things considered, the tools disclosed in the final critical period form an integral part of a typical evening. When combined together in a night routine, they can be wielded to great effect.

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