How I improved my sleep and my Fitbit sleep score - 12 tips 😴
At some point in my mid-to-late twenties, I realised that my sleep isn't what it used to be. I first remember noticing something isn't quite right when I got my Fitbit and consistently had higher-than-average light sleep and lower-than-average deep sleep and REM. I would often wake up early in the morning and not be able to fall back asleep. My Fitbit sleep score would be poor, hovering somewhere between 68 and 75.
After a lot of trial and error, I developed some strategies that helped me get my deep and REM sleep back to normal. The main question that I asked myself throughout this process was: If I lived in a tribal society 10,000 years ago, would this be natural for me? If the answer was yes, I'd try that change. I now have, according to Fitbit, perfectly average amounts of deep sleep and REM. My sleep score is usually somewhere between 77 and 84 and it's been steadily going up month after month. More importantly, I wake up fully rested and find it easy to get out of bed in the morning. Here are the winning techniques.
How to improve your sleep
- Don't use an alarm clock. I know that not everyone has the same luxury but I have relatively flexible working hours so unless there's an early flight to catch, I let my body wake up when it needs to. Waking up to a jarring alarm sound elevates your stress levels - your ancestors would most likely be abruptly woken if they or their family were in physical danger. If you need to wake up early on a regular basis, establish a consistent sleep and wake-up pattern. For example, if you have to be up at 7 am, regularly go to bed at 10 pm. This way, you'll tend to naturally wake up fully rested before your alarm goes off.
- Sleep in a dark room. If you can, invest in black-out curtains. I move around a lot so I use a sleeping mask. Many rooms are full of small LED lights on electronic devices such as TVs, chargers, air conditioners etc. Cover them up if you're able to. Light pollution is rampant and sleeping in a dark space results in deeper, longer sleep.
- No screen time 2h before bedtime. Notifications, infinite scrolls, news, emails, all of these things result in a dopamine or cortisol release and make it harder to fall asleep. I put my phone on "Do not disturb" and leave it in another room or out of reach.
- Lots of cardio. This one isn't so obvious but I realised that I sleep much better if I'm physically tired. There are different ways to achieve that, what works best for me is long-distance running (5-10km) three times a week. That said, avoid cardio two hours before bed.
- Lots of walking, ideally outside. Even if I don't do cardio, I sleep much better if I've spent a lot of time walking outside. If I have less than 10k steps on a given day, I don't expect great sleep. On the other hand, 15k steps taken outside usually result in good sleep and 20k+ virtually guarantee it. Remember that it's better to walk for a short time many times throughout the day rather than trying to get all the steps in at once.
- Spend time outside during sunset. I got this one from the book Life Time. I don't remember the exact science behind it (and I might have even misunderstood it) but if I spend time outside during the sunset, I usually sleep better. Something to do with your body naturally getting ready to sleep after sundown, which seems to make sense. You don't need to actually watch the sunset, just being outside during the sunset is enough.
- Wear blue-blocking glasses before bed. I wear Spectra479 and while I don't love the look, I noticed that I get sleepy faster when I start wearing them 2h before bed. Something about blue and white light exciting you and orange lights calming you down and preparing you for rest.
- Use yellow or orange light bulbs. This is related to the point above. Blue and white light excites you while orange lights calm you down. Only use low, warm light before bed. Many hotels, especially in Asia, have extremely bright white lights, even in the bedrooms. This is where blue-blocking glasses come in handy. I also invested in a small reading light with orange-colored diodes and travel with it - something like this lamp. This is the first link I've found, you can find them for less on Amazon.
- Avoid bright lights before bed. Bright light will, as a rule, make you feel more awake. I start dimming my lights 2h before bed to prepare my body for sleep. This includes avoiding bright light in your bathroom. I'm mentioning this because bathrooms often have multiple bright lights and you spend a bunch of time there just as you're getting ready for bed. If your bathroom only has strong lights you can take a dim reading light with you.
- Avoid carbs before bed. It's best not to eat right before bed but if I have to, I usually have something rich in protein and fibre. For example eggs, musli with milk, or a banana. Protein and fibre-rich foods will take a while for your body to digest and you'll feel full for a longer time. If you have simple carbs, such as white bread, pasta, white rice or sweets / desserts, your body will digest them quickly and you risk waking up because you're hungry again.
- Avoid alcohol before bed. Some authors suggest not drinking any alcohol 2h before bed but I noticed that even having a drink 4h before bed would affect my sleep. I only drink on special occasions, such as weddings, so this is rarely a problem.
- Go to bed 45 minutes to 1 hour before you want to fall asleep. This helps your body relax and ease itself into falling asleep. I usually spend this time reading books on my Kindle. I noticed that when I do this my sleeping heart rate goes down more quickly and it results in more deep sleep. On the other hand, if I don't prepare my body for sleep this way, my sleeping heart rate takes more time to go down and I get less deep sleep.
These habits took me a few years to develop and while now they almost feel like second nature, I can see how the list may look intimidating to someone who is just getting started fixing their sleep. I suggest you try it one change at a time and see what works for you.
