Want to improve the quality of your sleep and thus sleep more restfully overall? Learn how with our 5 nighttime hacks.
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1. What is restful sleep?
Restful sleep is important for the regeneration of your body and your brain and essential for your mental performance , which determines your daily success.
Restful sleep is achieved through the optimal balance between sleep duration and sleep quality . People who don't get restful sleep are proven to be more susceptible to injuries and less able to perform during the day [1].
This is because your brain regenerates during sleep by removing the toxins and waste products it produces daily. Deep sleep and the so-called REM phase (dream phase) are also crucial for restful sleep.
During the deep sleep phase , all of your body's important regenerative processes take place. However, the subsequent REM sleep is also restorative and important. During this phase, your brain processes information absorbed during the day and consolidates what it has learned .
People who don’t get enough REM sleep have more problems remembering information and what they have learned [2].
2. The optimal sleep duration and bedtime
The optimal amount of sleep varies from person to person . Studies from Brown University have shown that most people need eight hours of sleep per night [2]. However, ensuring high sleep quality is essential.
A good indicator of sufficient sleep is your physical and mental state during the day. If you feel rested and alert during the day, you've slept enough. If this isn't the case, you need more sleep [2].
The optimal duration for restful sleep also depends on age . Younger people need more sleep than older people [3]. The optimal bedtime depends primarily on personality type .
Owls, or late risers , tend to be particularly active at night and require more sleep. Larks, or short sleepers, require comparatively less sleep and generally go to bed earlier than late risers.
They need less than six hours of sleep per night. Sleep duration should not affect deep sleep phases and thus recovery [4].
3. What to pay attention to before sleeping - 5 night time hacks
Our night time hacks will tell you how you can boost your nightly sleep quality.
#Night Time Hack 1 - Evening Ritual
Evening rituals help you calm your body and mind. Of course, you decide what your personal evening ritual looks like.
Do you find it helpful to meditate in the evening, listen to an interesting podcast , or exercise to relieve everyday stress? Or do you find it easier to relax by taking a bath , going to the sauna , or reading ?
Find out what works for you. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every night should also be an important part of your evening routine [3].
#Night Time Hack 2- Relaxation methods in the evening
Relaxation methods in the evening also help. Examples include meditation , yoga , breathing exercises , sauna sessions , exercise , stretching , or journaling .
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#Night Time Hack 3 - Evening Nutrition
Your evening diet has a major impact on your sleep quality . Avoid heavy meals close to bedtime. This will cause your body to spend most of the night digesting food instead of regenerating.
Best practice is to eat a light meal three to four hours before bedtime . This allows your body to focus on the important things during the night.
BRAINEFFECT HACK : Our super creamy NIGHT MODE PERFORMANCE SHAKE with its special combination of nutrients is the perfect alternative to unhealthy evening snacks.
#Night Time Hack 4 - Avoid blue light
Avoid blue light in the evening. Blue light is the light emitted by electronic devices such as smartphones , laptops , or televisions .
It inhibits your melatonin production in the evening , making it take longer to fall asleep. If you're productive in the evening, turn on the blue light filter on Android devices or Night Shift on Apple devices.
Alternatively, you can use blue light filter glasses to prevent the blue light from affecting your melatonin production.
BRAINEFFECT HACK : Our SLEEP SPRAY with melatonin helps you fall asleep faster in the evening.
#Night Time Hack 5 - Create a bedroom atmosphere
To sleep more restfully , create a pleasant bedroom atmosphere in the evening. Make sure your bedroom is tidy and comfortable . Avoid having any electrical devices in the bedroom , or at least place them out of reach and sight.
Also, make sure the room temperature is right in the evening. Ideally, it should be between 15 and 19 degrees Celsius . In summer , you should air the room early in the morning and then close the curtains and windows. This way, less heat will enter the room, allowing you to sleep more restfully, even in the heat.
4. Supplements for restful sleep
Are you struggling to get a restful night's sleep despite your evening routine? Then our supplements for sleep and recovery can help. SLEEP is the intelligent sleep aid with the natural sleep hormone melatonin . Taken shortly before bedtime, SLEEP can reduce the time it takes you to fall asleep.
SLEEP SPRAY is a quick sleep aid with melatonin spray. Thanks to its easy application via the spray nozzle, the melatonin in SLEEP SPRAY is absorbed directly through the mucous membranes in the mouth and can be dosed according to your needs. Taken shortly before bedtime, SLEEP SPRAY can reduce the time it takes to fall asleep .
NIGHT MODE is your protein- and fiber-rich vegan evening snack after a stressful day or a late workout.
The special Night Time Blend in NIGHT MODE with a delicious chocolate-coconut flavor contains extracts of asparagus, passionflower, and lemon balm to help you relax in the evening . Magnesium also supports your nerves.
RECOVER HEMP 10 is your companion for cooling down after a late workout and before bedtime . The holistic formula with turmeric extract, astaxanthin, and vitamin E protects your cells from oxidative stress.
Note: Hemp oil from CBD has no psychoactive effects.
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5. Conclusion
Restful sleep is characterized by high sleep quality, not just the duration of sleep. You sleep most restfully when your body and brain are in the nightly deep sleep and REM phases.
The optimal amount of sleep varies from person to person. Evening rituals and relaxation techniques can help you better prepare for sleep. Alternatively, you can use high-quality supplements for restful sleep.
6. Sources
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25028798%20
[2] https://www.brown.edu/campus-life/health/services/promotion/general-health-physical-health-emotional-wellbeing/sleep
[3] https://www.brown.edu/campus-life/health/services/sites/brown.edu.campus-life.health.services/files/uploads/Sleep%2013_0.pdf [4] https://www.stern.de/gesundheit/schlaf/geheimnis_schlaf/schlaftypen-von-eulen-und-lerchen-3762970.html
