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June 6, 2020
The majority of folks I work with are coming to me because they are in pain. I am always looking for big levers to pull to improve individual pain experiences and leverage health and fitness. While we know physical strength and capacity is one of the most important factors to allow people to do more with less pain, sleep has become one of the heaviest hitters of all for pain-reduction across populations.
The more we learn about sleep, the more I wonder if we need to address this before we address any other habits or pain sources to improve health and quality of life.
We know that sleep bolsters our health massively. It can improve our body's ability to process pain more effectively, reducing the development of chronic pain. It boost our immunity, and improves tissue healing. It can improve our cardiovascular health, memory, and ability to learn. Increased sleep quality can improve our efficiency, our athletic performance, and in general can make us more pleasant human beings. We may consider sleep an elixir.
While I find it hard to convince folks to find an additional 30 minutes to an hour in their day to increase the length of time they sleep in order to hit that ideal 7-9 hours, I find it beneficial to address the quality of that time that they are already sleeping. Improving quality sleep comes down to habit and routine. I would choose one or two of the below tips to address first, and try them out.
- Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.
- Develop a relaxing bedtime routine, which may include a warm bath, reading a book, meditation, or stretching.
- Avoid moderate to vigorous exercise at least 2-3 hours before bedtime. Regular exercise in the morning or early afternoon can improve your sleep.
- Avoid caffeinated foods and drinks at least 4 hours before bedtime (yes, this includes chocolate).
- Limit drinking alcohol or smoking at least 3-4 hours before bed. If you'd like to have a drink, do this right before or during dinner.
- Avoid daytime napping. If you must, limit it to 30 minutes.
- Avoid eating a large or spicy meal 2-3 hours before bed.
- Limit screen time 1-2 hours before bed.
Try the 1-2 techniques you chose for 30 days and see how it changes the way you feel. During this 30 day period, you can ask yourself one simple question: 1. Do I feel refreshed in the mornings? This is an excellent barometer for sleep quality the night before. You may find that if you address just this one lifestyle and health behavior, your pain, mood, and general ability to be a good human may thrive.
References:
Siengsukon CF, Al-dughmi M, Stevens S. Sleep health promotion: practical information for physical therapists. Phys Ther. 2017;97(8):826-836.
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