Sleep Skills for Better Health: Boost Brain Function, Recovery, and Performance
Quality of sleep matters! If you have health goals, whether it is to feel better, lose some extra lbs., build muscle, or to manage stress, the quality and quantity of sleep can help or hurt your progress.
Are you waking up feeling refreshed and energized? While we may not sleep as well as we did as children, we can make some tangible improvements.
Sleeping better helps all areas of our life! Especially if you have health and fitness goals—addressing stress and sleep quality alone can improve your results.
Getting less than 6 hours of sleep routinely can contribute to memory issues and the development of dementia. YIKES! Dementia and Alzheimer’s begin much earlier in life, long before most people think of it.
→ Experiencing brain fog, unreliable memory, difficulty finding the right words, all can be worrisome in the present moment. It would be irresponsible to not mention that LongCOVID and menopause can be a cause or contributor to these and difficulty sleeping. (Please seek medical care when indicated.)
Lifestyle choices such as sleep position, alcohol intake, exercise, omega-3 consumption, and chronic stress all modulate glymphatic clearance.
Glymphatic system (only discovered in 2012!) is constantly filtering metabolic waste from the brain, but mostly while we sleep.
Lifestyle choices could therefore alter Alzheimer’s disease risk through improved glymphatic clearance, and could be a preventative lifestyle intervention for both healthy brain aging and Alzheimer’s disease. Exercise is also an important factor.
🙌🏼 Small changes in daily routine can help to get a better night's sleep.
⏰ Setting a regular wake and sleep time is one of the most effective ways to regulate sleep.
Sleep SKILLzzz before pills.
Some medications, particularly sleep aids and certain anesthetic agents, can potentially inhibit the glymphatic system. There should be no shame if you need medication, but consider short-term benefits vs. long-term use. 🔗 Research suggests that some sleep aids, like zolpidem, may disrupt the glymphatic system's function by interfering with norepinephrine oscillations, which are crucial for waste removal during sleep.
Get outside early in the morning and exposed to sunlight.
Lessen caffeine and/or stop it earlier in the day. Not everyone clears caffeine from their system at the same rate.
Exercise earlier in the day. This can potentially help for some people and worth a try.
Limit/omit alcohol.
If possible, limit too much or too little food prior to sleep. Blood glucose changes can lead to waking.
Limit screen time prior to bed.
Dim all overhead lights. The color temperature and brightness can disrupt sleep.
Cool the room. Ideal sleep temperature is 60–67°F (15–19°C).
Blackout blinds or wear a sleep mask.
Ear plugs.
Read fiction or something that is low stress.
Feeling physically & emotionally safe is important.
Small Tweaks, Big Impact
You don’t have to overhaul your life overnight. Start with one or two changes that fit your lifestyle. Pay attention to how you actually respond—your ideal sleep setup is unique to you.
For me? Screen time in bed wrecks my sleep. If I stay up too late, even with the same hours, the quality nosedives.
What about you? What helps (or hinders) your sleep? 💭💤
🔗 Deep Dive: The Sleeping Brain & Glymphatic System
Ready to Make Real Changes?
✓ Better sleep.
✓ More energy.
✓ A body and mind that work for you, not against you.
I offer whole-being coaching program for women+ 40+. We address sleep, stress, nutrition, movement/exercise, and mindset—so you can finally see real traction in your efforts.
Let’s chat. No sales pitch, just a real conversation about your goals and a solution to what is getting in your way. 🔗 Book a free call today.
Disclaimer: This article/email is for informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical or psychological advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making any significant changes to your lifestyle or healthcare regimen.
