This story is part of a series where Verywell Health editors try different health trends and report what they find. For this edition, editor Emma Brink tried establishing a healthier sleep routine.
Key TakeawaysResearch shows that a lack of consistent sleep is linked to a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, anxiety, and depression.If you find that your lack of sleep is affecting your daily functioning, try setting a regular sleep schedule and avoiding screen time before bed.You should quickly feel the benefits of a good night’s sleep.
Key Takeaways
Research shows that a lack of consistent sleep is linked to a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, anxiety, and depression.If you find that your lack of sleep is affecting your daily functioning, try setting a regular sleep schedule and avoiding screen time before bed.You should quickly feel the benefits of a good night’s sleep.
When I was younger, I had the capacity to mentally and physically function well without consistent rest. It’s only as I’ve gotten older that I learned the power and necessity of a good night’s sleep.
As a health editor, I’m acutely aware of theimportance of sleepfor my well-being. Not getting enough of it is linked to a number of serious health conditions. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine officially recommends seven or more hours of sleep per night to help protect against health risks.
Adults who consistently sleep less than seven hours per night are more likely to developheart disease,diabetes,high blood pressure, andobesity. They are also at a higher risk forheart attackandstroke.Lack of sleep can also affect mental health, causing symptoms ofstress,anxiety, anddepression.
Though I don’t always get a consistent amount of sleep, I never thought I was a bad sleeper—until recently. I’ve since realized a few of my nighttime habits were impacting my sleep, including the lack of a consistentbedtime, relying onmelatoninto help me fall asleep, and too muchscreen timein bed.
My sleep hygiene has also deteriorated since theCOVID-19pandemic began. I’ve definitely suffered from “coronasomnia,” a term coined to describe the sleep disturbances that have become more common during the pandemic.
At first, pandemic stress was affecting my sleep. But as I adjusted to a new normal, which meant working from home (with my “office” in my bedroom), I started pushing my bedtime back on purpose. I know I’m staying up later now than I normally would in order to win back some personal time in my day.
Reading is the main culprit. I generally spend an hour or two reading every night, sometimes more depending on how good the book is. I often lose track of time, not realizing how late it is until I’ve skipped past my bedtime.
What’s the Link Between Mental Health and Sleep Disorders?
This “revenge bedtime procrastination,”—or the practice of going to bed later in order to get more time in your day for activities you enjoy—comes at the expense of a good night’s sleep.
Emma’s current bedside book stack.Courtesy of Emma Brink
Courtesy of Emma Brink
The Process
With all this in mind, I decided to try a week-long sleep experiment in the hopes of improving some of these habits. This included:
I had to rely on my own willpower to avoid taking melatonin and using my phone before bed. To avoid over-reading past my bedtime, I set an alarm for 10:30 p.m. to let me know that I should wrap up and come to a good stopping point in my book.
Factoring in My Bed BuddiesI also had to account for my husband’s sleep habits during this experiment, but he was kind enough to follow my self-imposed rules for the week, or at least work around them in a way that didn’t disrupt my plans. He and our dog, Wally, were good sports.
Factoring in My Bed Buddies
I also had to account for my husband’s sleep habits during this experiment, but he was kind enough to follow my self-imposed rules for the week, or at least work around them in a way that didn’t disrupt my plans. He and our dog, Wally, were good sports.
As the week went on, I weaned off the melatonin. By the third night, I wasn’t using it to fall asleep and was able to doze off fairly quickly once I went to bed.
Typically, I transition from book to phone to bed, taking one last scroll through social media before settling in for the night. I found that cutting out my phone from the process helped keep my bedtime consistent. That one last phone check can so easily turn into half an hour or more, pushing back my bedtime even further.
By the end of the week, I was going to bed at the same time, mostly waking up at a consistent time, getting the full eight hours every night, and falling asleep without the use of melatonin.
How to Get a Better Night’s Sleep
The Outcome
An immediate effect of getting a consistent eight hours of sleep is how good I felt in the morning. I actually felt well-rested when I woke up. I also enjoyed having that extra time before starting work.
I don’t drink coffee, so my caffeine source is one soda at lunchtime. I found that I needed my caffeine a little earlier in the day during this experiment. But I did feel more energized throughout the day overall.
Sleep TipOne thing I can’t recommend highly enough is wearing a sleep mask to bed. This was a game-changer for me. The total darkness helped my eyes feel ready for sleep.
Sleep Tip
One thing I can’t recommend highly enough is wearing a sleep mask to bed. This was a game-changer for me. The total darkness helped my eyes feel ready for sleep.
The Final Verdict
4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Watson NF, Badr MS, Belenky G, et al.Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult: A joint consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society.Sleep. 2015;38(6):843-844. doi:10.5665/sleep.4716Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How does sleep affect your heart health?Morin CM, Carrier J.The acute effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on insomnia and psychological symptoms.Sleep Medicine. 2021;77:346-347. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2020.06.005Suni E., Sleep Foundation.What is “revenge bedtime procrastination”?.
4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Watson NF, Badr MS, Belenky G, et al.Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult: A joint consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society.Sleep. 2015;38(6):843-844. doi:10.5665/sleep.4716Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How does sleep affect your heart health?Morin CM, Carrier J.The acute effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on insomnia and psychological symptoms.Sleep Medicine. 2021;77:346-347. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2020.06.005Suni E., Sleep Foundation.What is “revenge bedtime procrastination”?.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Watson NF, Badr MS, Belenky G, et al.Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult: A joint consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society.Sleep. 2015;38(6):843-844. doi:10.5665/sleep.4716Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How does sleep affect your heart health?Morin CM, Carrier J.The acute effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on insomnia and psychological symptoms.Sleep Medicine. 2021;77:346-347. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2020.06.005Suni E., Sleep Foundation.What is “revenge bedtime procrastination”?.
Watson NF, Badr MS, Belenky G, et al.Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult: A joint consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society.Sleep. 2015;38(6):843-844. doi:10.5665/sleep.4716
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How does sleep affect your heart health?
Morin CM, Carrier J.The acute effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on insomnia and psychological symptoms.Sleep Medicine. 2021;77:346-347. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2020.06.005
Suni E., Sleep Foundation.What is “revenge bedtime procrastination”?.
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