A Few Tips on Improving Sleep Quality
In our fast-paced society, sleep is often the first casualty. Yet, quality sleep is crucial for overall well-being.
There are a multitude of topics that could be covered regarding the interesting nature of sleep habits. For example, (i) there is no evolutionary reason to explain why most species need sleep, as while sleeping they are completely vulnerable to predators, or (ii) how 'morning people' and 'night owls' were humanity’s way of 'protecting the tribe,' ensuring there was always someone vigilant. But in this article, we’ll share a few tips on how to improve sleep quality.1
1. Keep a Consistent Sleep Schedule
One of the simplest ways to improve our rest is to establish a consistent sleep schedule. That is, going to bed and waking up at the same time every night, even on weekends (I know it’s hard, but it truly helps)! This consistency helps regulate the body's internal clock and allows the body to fully recover from the day.
As thoroughly explained by Matthew Walker in his book Why we sleep1, consistency can improve both sleep duration and sleep quality. This routine enhances the synchronization of circadian rhythms (a fancy way to refer to our body’s “internal clock”), reducing sleep disturbances and improving overall health.
Basically, a night’s sleep is broken down into different stages (most commonly referred to as wake, N1, N2, N3, and REM), so if we go to bed later than usual, our bodies will ‘miss’ the early stages which, as proven by Dr. Walker’s research, are not really ‘recovered’ or ‘made up’ by sleeping in.
You can incorporate some nudges to establish your new sleep routine. Cues in your environment, like light pollution, will signal that it's time to be active and awake. To combat this, turn off all lights and devices at the same time every day (and it doesn’t have to be unreasonably early!). It will likely be challenging at the beginning but soon it could become part of your status quo.
References
- Walker, M. P. (2018). Why we sleep: Unlocking the power of sleep and dreams. Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
- Salamon, M., & Robinson, J. (2022, November 16). How to manage Blue Light for better sleep. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-blue-light
About the Author
Hector Alvarado
Hector Alvarado is a Director at The Decision Lab. He holds a Masters in Applied Statistics from the University of Oxford, an MBA from INSEAD and a Bachelors in Actuarial Science. He is very interested in applying insights and his past experience to generating meaningful impact for vulnerable populations around the globe. Prior to joining The Decision Lab, Hector worked about 5 years as a Private Equity investor in the Infrastructure Sector in LATAM and over 6 years as a Management Consultant with the Boston Consulting Group. Hector has lead large transformation, growth strategy and integration projects in the Pharma, Consumer Goods and Banking Industries both in North and Latin America.
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