How to Increase Deep Sleep

If you’ve watched any of my workshops, you’ll know I’m a geek when it comes to sleep.  I love understanding the science behind sleep and why it’s essential to our overall health.  I wear a health tracker mainly to track my sleep at night.   I know health trackers aren’t very precise at monitoring sleep patterns, but it’s better than nothing, and I can at least track how consistent I am over time.  As I get older, I’ve found that my sleep patterns seem to change more frequently than I like.  Lately, I’ve noticed that I’m not getting as much deep sleep as I used to. 

Deep sleep is critical for restoration, allowing for bodily recovery and growth.  It plays a key role in keeping our hormones balanced, and experts believe it may bolster our immune system and other key bodily processes.  There is also evidence that deep sleep contributes to insightful thinking, creativity, and memory processing. 

How can you increase the amount of deep sleep you get each night?  The most important thing you can do is increase the total amount of sleep you get each night.  Doing so allows the body to go through more sleep cycles, making it possible to obtain more deep sleep.  Other activities you can try include:

• Exercise early in the day

• Lower carbohydrate intake and increase fat intake

• Warm your body in the bath or shower before bed

• Keep a regular sleep cycle, even on the weekend

Sleep issues are common for women our age, but we have options!  If you have trouble sleeping, reach out to me.  I’ve had my share of sleepless nights and have learned what works (and doesn’t work) for me.  Getting a good night’s rest is vital for our overall health, and no one should suffer through a sleepless night.