The Dos and Don'ts for getting a good night's sleep

Breaking news: sleep is important

Right now, with all that's going on in the world, sleep can be pretty elusive. Kinda like an armored Mewtoo. Although it's hard to come by on some nights, sleep is extremely important.

"Oh look, he's dreaming about chasing cars."

Why is sleep important?

Good sleep can lead to improved weight management, a healthy heart, lower stress, and a gooder brain–sorry, sorry, "better brain." (We didn’t get much sleep last night).

Poor sleep, on the other hand, can lead to the opposite of all those things, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Yikes.

So, to that end, we compiled a little list of the dos and don'ts associated with getting deep, restorative sleep each night. 

The dos and don’ts of a proper night’s sleep

DON’T

Don’t go to bed at 10 one night and 2 am the next. Sleep isn’t a suspicious van following you home – you’re not trying to "lose" it.

DO

Be consistent. Go to sleep at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning. Yes, even on the weekends.

DON’T

Don’t eat an entire cheesecake before bed. Eating late at night alters the body’s circadian rhythm, which can affect your hormones, digestion, sleeping pattern, and even memory.

DO

Stop eating a couple of hours before you go to bed. 

DON’T

Don’t drink a jug of espresso and then try to get some shuteye.

DO

Cut off coffee 6-8 hours before you go to bed. So, for example, if you go to bed at 10, put down the Frappuccino at 2 ish. Store it in the fridge, though, because it’ll just get super gross on the counter.

DON’T

Don’t sleep at Chuck E. Cheese's.

DO

Create a restful environment in your bedroom. Use blackout curtains or an eye mask to block out ambient light. Use a white noise machine or earplugs to block out ambient sounds. 

DON’T

Don’t crank the heat to 80, put on flannel pajamas, and climb under cotton sheets. You will overheat and invariably wake up sweaty and frustrated.

DO

Sleep a little cooler than you think. You sleep best when your body temperature is in the thermoneutral zone. In other words, a temperature that doesn’t provoke you to sweat or shiver. So, set the temperature in your bedroom to anywhere between 60-67 and (ideally) sleep naked.

And ditch the stuffy cotton sheets for, say, some breathable 100% eucalyptus sheets. We know a guy who sells them cheap.

DON'T dive into bed like this, you will break the frame as Colin did when he landed.