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If you are reading this, chances are you’ve woken up multiple times throughout the night and are desperately searching for answers on how to fall back asleep. Stop counting sheep because we have a few simple solutions to your sleep issue at Sleep by Dufresne.
3 Easy Ways to Stay Asleep at Night
Circadian Rhythms
Whether it’s 3 AM or twenty minutes before your alarm, unintended interruptions in your sleep can cause lasting effects on your mood, mental health and overall morale. Here is everything you need to know about maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm and staying asleep throughout the night.
What are Circadian Rhythms?
Our circadian rhythms are biological 24-hour cycles that operate and adapt according to patterns in our daily activity, surroundings and preferences. Commonly known as our body’s internal clocks, circadian rhythms dictate our energy level, focus, and mental fortitude based on how well we follow the rhythm of these cycles.
How do Circadian Rhythms Work?
Circadian rhythms optimize rest and recovery periods to prep your body to take on the active periods of a 24-hour day.
Circadian rhythms create systems to boost the productivity of each part of your body. For example, your brain signals your digestive system to produce an increased amount of proteins during the period of time that you typically consume food throughout the day, creating general meal times like breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Sleep follows one of the most important circadian cycles, the sleep-wake cycle.
What is the Sleep-Wake Cycle?
The sleep-wake cycle is where your brain prioritizes optimal sleep intervals during a 24-hour period by signalling specific times to go to bed and wake up. Your body coordinates these times according to environmental factors such as light and dark periods of the day and whether you feel drowsy or alert.
While sleep schedules align with the general timeline of morning to night, not everyone follows the same internal clock. For example, adults prefer a timeline that aligns with the traditional workday, whereas teenagers tend to extend their bedtime as they engage socially later into the night. Other factors like work hours and child care are reasons some circadian rhythms can differ from the rest.
How to Stay Asleep Throughout the Night
Regardless of the specific times within a circadian clock, maintaining consistency of the rhythm is the most important factor in achieving restful and healthy sleep. Here are three ways to sleep uninterrupted throughout the night.
Your body loves consistent patterns. Whether it’s a healthy diet or a morning routine, your brain recognizes your specific lifestyle patterns and adapts accordingly. When broken, your brain becomes confused and causes untimely signals to be sent throughout your body, keeping you awake or causing interruptions in your sleep cycle.
Shift workers often experience the effects of an irregular sleep schedule. Since their bodies cannot acclimate to a specific schedule, their brain doesn’t know when an appropriate time to release a natural sleep-inducing hormone called melatonin. Irregular releases of melatonin result in fatigue and drowsiness at undesired times.
Setting goals and parameters is the best way to regulate your sleep schedule. If you struggle to follow health goals, set timers or reminders to go to bed on your phone or track your schedule in a sleep diary.
If you follow the natural timeline of the day from morning to night, your body is likely in tune with a light-dark cycle. The light-dark cycle tells your body to produce a sleep-inducing hormone called melatonin when it sees an absence of natural light.
Introducing artificial light to your senses before bed confuses your brain and interferes with your circadian rhythm. For example, when you expose yourself to artificial light from a phone or electronic device before bed, your brain perceives this blue light as daytime light and prevents your body from producing melatonin.
Avoid blue light from electronic devices at least one to two hours before bed to ensure your circadian rhythm remains uninterrupted before and during your sleep cycle. Additionally, turn electronic alarm clocks and light-emitting devices in your room away from your line of sight in bed or adjust the settings to dim light.
I know you’re probably thinking, “easier said than done,” but it’s really not as complicated as it seems. While creating healthy sleep routines leads to a better night’s rest, your bedroom setup is vital to sleeping throughout the night.
Sleep by Dufresne tailors a complete solution to fix your specific sleep issues. If you struggle with staying asleep throughout the night, it could be because of outdated mattress technology, uncomfortable pillows or a lack of breathability in your bedsheets. Here are a few sleep suggestions to help you achieve the rest you deserve.
There is a reason Tempur-Pedic is typically the first brand that pops into your head when you think about new mattresses. They are a step ahead of the competition when it comes to the future of sleep technology and continue to find new ways to solve common sleep issues.
The latest advancement they have made in sleep is perfecting motion-transfer technology. While their patented TEMPUR-Material™ is known for conforming to your body, the mattress adapts to your movements while you sleep, reducing the chances of breaking your sleep cycle throughout the night.
Additionally, the Tempur-ProSense line mutes any movement made by other sleepers, which helps late-night sleepers get comfortable without interrupting their partner’s sleep.
Finding a pillow that matches your sleep style is a major factor in creating a sleep solution that keeps your circadian rhythm intact. Generic or low-quality pillows make it hard to fall asleep and can break your sleep cycle, causing you to wake up feeling tired.
Look for a pillow that suits your sleep style. The Bedgear Flow Cuddle Pillow caters to multiple specific preferences in your sleep. From your sleep position (stomach sleeper, side sleeper, back sleeper, etc.) or your comfort preferences (plush, firm, etc.), the cuddle pillow offers unrivalled versatility.
If you haven’t noticed a common theme, our selections all offer variety and options. The best way to stay asleep is to build a solution that caters to your needs, and products like the Sleep by Dufresne Revive Lifestyle Base present multiple ways to find comfort.
A lifestyle base adds the opportunity to customize your sleep with elevation. Whether you want to add height for late-night TV or elevate your feet and head for increased blood flow, a lifestyle base offers new avenues for additional comfort and a fulfilling night’s rest.
The final part of an effective sleep solution is customizing your sleep with accessories that speak to your pain points. If you’re a hot sleeper, the Bedgear Dri-Tec Performance Sheet Set offers a solution to waking up in the middle of the night in a hot sweat.
With moisture-wicking technology and high-quality airflow, the Bedgear Dri-Tec Performance Sheet Set reduces sweat buildup and keeps you dry throughout the night, making it less likely to break your sleep cycle.
The Future of Sleep
Stop waking up in the middle of the night and start achieving the restful and restoring sleep you need to make the most out of every day. Follow these tips to maintain a healthy circadian rhythm and keep your sleep cycle intact.
Browse our most recent blog posts to find more ways to get a better night’s sleep.
Create a Sleep Solution That Suits You
Visit Sleep by Dufresne to take your sleep to the next level. With expert sleep knowledge, cutting-edge technology and a 100 Night Sleep Guarantee, we can build a sleep solution that’s made for you.
If you need help understanding the science behind our selection, book a free appointment with our sleep experts and get a full sleep test identifying your pressure points using pressure mapping technology.