How to Establish a Restorative Sleep Routine

While we sleep, our brains run through a cycle of two types of sleep:  non-REM and REM. 

Non-REM sleep occurs first and consists of four stages, with the last two being deep sleep. During deep sleep, our bodies repair and regrow tissue, build bone and muscle, regulate metabolism, and strengthen our immune systems. Essentially, this sleep phase is the most crucial for physical restoration. 

Next, our brains cycle into  REM sleep, where our brain waves act similarly to when we're awake. This stage is when we usually dream and is crucial for learning, memory, emotional processing, and cognition function. 

Each sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes and repeats about four or five times in a typical night. We tend to have more deep sleep in the first half of the night and more REM sleep in the second half. 

Components of a Restorative Sleep Routine

Setting a consistent sleep-wake schedule, practicing calming activities before bed, and creating a comfortable sleep environment can help you achieve restorative sleep.

Consistent Sleep Schedule

Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day helps support your  circadian rhythm, which is how your body tells you when you should be sleeping or when you should be awake. Consistently sticking to a  sleep routine also helps ensure you're allocating plenty of time to get the  recommended 7-plus hours of sleep each night. 

To set a consistent sleep-wake routine, slowly adjust your current schedule until you reach your ideal time. Then, stick to your set sleep schedule as best you can, limiting the difference in sleep and wake times—even on the weekends—to an hour to avoid disrupting your rhythm.

Pre-Sleep Ritual for Relaxation

Set aside time each night before bed to implement a pre-sleep routine. Swap out your electronics and screen time for more calming activities, like reading, stretching, listening to music, or meditating. By doing the same relaxing things each night as part of your bedtime routine, your body will start picking up on the signal that it's time to wind down, preparing it to rest.

Optimizing the Sleep Environment

Creating a sleep-conducive environment can also improve the quality of your restorative sleep. While each individual will have their personal preferences, here are a few sleep improvement tips for your bedroom. 

• Block outside light with an eye mask, blackout curtains, or blinds. 
• Drown out bothersome noise with earplugs, a white noise machine, or a box fan. 
• Keep your bedroom cool, ideally at a temperature around 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit. 
• Put away all electronic devices and screens at least an hour before bed. Research shows  blue light can disrupt your circadian rhythm and make it harder to get restorative sleep. 
• Invest in a comfortable mattress and bedding. If chronic pain, snoring, acid reflux, or other health issues keep you from sleeping comfortably at night, consider using a medically proven pillow like MedCline's sleep solutions.

Incorporating Sleeping Facts into Your Routine

Understanding common misconceptions about sleep can help us move away from general statements and create a better and more personalized sleep routine. By creating healthy habits based on sleeping facts and science, we can promote deep sleep and REM stages and achieve restorative sleep. Here's a look at some common sleep myths.

Myth 1: Everyone needs eight hours of sleep.

Truth:Seven to nine hours is typically a good range for most adults. However, research shows that some people function well on a bit less or more. Taking the pressure off hitting a specific number of hours of sleep can help reduce the stress of falling asleep at a certain time. Instead, focus on how you feel to determine how much sleep you actually need.

Myth 2: Alcohol can help you sleep at night. 

Truth:While a glass of wine or cocktail might make you drowsy initially, alcohol can disrupt your sleep quality later in the night. Sleep science shows that drinking alcohol reduces restorative REM sleep. It can also worsen symptoms of sleep disorders like insomnia and sleep apnea.

Myth 3: Sleeping pills can help solve sleep problems.

Truth:Sleep medications can be helpful in the short term, but relying on them long-term can have negative side effects like headaches, poor memory, depression, and indigestion. Working with your doctor to address the root cause of your sleeping issues rather than the symptoms is more effective in getting restorative sleep.

Myth 4: Sleeping late on the weekends can help you catch up on lost sleep. 

Truth:While sleeping in on the weekends might make you feel temporarily better, it can disrupt your circadian rhythm and make it harder to fall asleep the next night. Your body also needs time to recover from sleep debt, with studies showing that it takes four days to fully make up for one hour of missed sleep. Instead of crashing on the weekend, focus on creating a consistent sleep schedule during the week so you can get adequate sleep all the time.

Tips for Maintaining Your Sleep Routine

Life loves to throw curveballs our way, making it difficult to stick to a planned sleep routine amid stress, travel, work demands, or health issues. Finding ways to maintain healthy sleep habits amid the chaos is imperative to restorative sleep. Here are a few strategies for when life doesn’t go as planned.

• Practice daily stress management.  Schedule time to relax during your day, even if it's just listening to a quick mindful meditation app or setting aside time for deep breathing. Chronic stress can wreak havoc on your body and your sleep quality. 
• Implement a few travel hacks. If you're traveling somewhere with a time difference, adjust your sleep schedule and bedtime routine gradually before the trip. During your travels, try to get natural sunlight during the day to help regulate your circadian rhythm.
• Create work-life balance.  Setting clear boundaries between your work and home life is crucial to managing stress and implementing healthy sleep habits. Establish defined work hours and stick to them, powering down once you've clocked out. 
• Prioritize Sleep. View restorative sleep as a necessity, not a luxury. By making it a priority, you’ll be more likely to handle life’s unpredictable moments. 
• Address pain and health concerns.  Speak with your doctor if chronic health issues like shoulder pain or acid reflux are keeping you from sticking to a restorative sleep routine. Together, you can come up with a plan to tackle your health issues so you can get better rest.

Listening to Your Body

Since sleep needs vary between individuals, checking in and evaluating if your sleep routine is working for you is important to your health. Here are some signs you're on the right track: 

• You fall asleep quickly at night. 
• You have minimal disruptions during the night. 
• You wake up feeling rested, refreshed, and alert. 
• Your energy levels are consistent throughout the day. 
• You generally feel positive, with improved emotional regulation and focus.
• Your physical health has improved. Perhaps your immune system is stronger or symptoms from a chronic condition have gotten better.

Conversely, here are some signs you may need to tweak your bedtime routine.

• You struggle to fall asleep.
• You wake up frequently through the night and have trouble going back to sleep. 
• You wake up feeling tired and groggy. 
• You're sleepy throughout the day and fight the urge to nap constantly. 
• You experience a shift in mood, feeling more irritable, anxious, and unable to regulate emotions. 
• You have trouble focusing, impacting your productivity.
• You experience physical symptoms like headaches, muscle tension, or changes in appetite.

Troubleshooting Common Sleep Routine Challenges

Besides stress, travel, work demands, and health issues, here are a few common sleep routine challenges and solutions for each.

Challenge: Falling asleep quickly 

Solution: Regular exercise can help reduce stress throughout the day, boost your mood, and make you feel more tired at night. Just try not to work out close to the time you're going to bed. Eating a healthy diet can help, too, as can avoiding heavy meals, sugary and salty snacks, and alcohol close to bedtime.  Practicing relaxation techniques like deep breathing and stretching can also help set you up to fall asleep faster at night.

Challenge: Staying asleep through the night

Solution: Avoid unhealthy daytime habits that could keep you up later at night. Limit your caffeine intake, especially in the late afternoon or evening. Keep naps short, ideally to 10-20 minutes. That way, you can reap the benefits of napping without it impacting your sleep later that night. Avoid sleeping in, too, even on the weekends, as this can throw off your sleep-wake schedule.

Challenge: Waking up tired

Solution:Make sure you're allotting 7-9 hours of sleep each night. However, prioritize quality over quantity and how you feel in the morning. Consult your doctor if you suspect you have a sleep disorder like sleep apnea that could be hindering you from getting restorative sleep.

Challenge: Maintaining a routine with shift work

Solution: Stick to a consistent sleep schedule as much as possible, even on off days. Create a relaxing bedtime routine before sleep, even after night shifts. Limit caffeine intake, especially in the second half of your shift.

Conclusion

A restorative sleep routine has the power to transform your overall mental and physical health. By setting and sticking to a sleep-wake schedule and practicing good sleep hygiene, you can help ensure you’re getting quality sleep that reaches all stages of your sleep cycle. 

One simple but effective way to get restorative sleep is to swap out your standard pillow for a clinically proven sleep solution from  MedCline. Unlike other wedges, our elevated pillows include a patented arm pocket. This innovation keeps you comfortably on your side while taking the pressure off your downed shoulder. Reviewers like David H say this setup has helped them find relief from pain and even snoring. “I don’t snore anymore, period! That means I’m getting adequate oxygen during sleep and am waking up much more rested. Add to that the reason for purchasing it, to begin with, was to hopefully eliminate my shoulder pain from side sleeping. I would normally wake up with horrible neck and shoulder pain that would require me to go through a ritual every morning to get to a functional status and sometimes have to deal with stiffness and dull pain for most of the day, only to have to repeat it again the next day. The MedCline system has eliminated that completely!” he says. 

For more information about how our sleep solutions can help you sleep better on your side, head to our  MedCline FAQs or reach out to our team of  Sleep Specialists today!