If you had the choice, would you rather meet a childhood friend for coffee or do an extra hour of “eye care”? And how about reading a few online articles versus going to bed a little earlier?
If you have to choose between sleep and something else, the former is usually neglected – but the fact is that sleep is not overrated.
Getting enough good sleep makes us happier, healthier and more productive. It recharges your brain with new energy and improves your concentration, mood and mental performance. Many of us don't even realize what full (brain) potential feels like because we often simply don't take the time to regenerate our little grey cells. It's as if our brains are constantly running on low power.
If you Google “how to sleep better,” you’ll be inundated with tips. It can feel overwhelming (and exhausting!) to say the least. Which of these tips are most effective? Do we really need to implement all of them at once to sleep better?
To get to the bottom of the matter, we asked psychologist Dan Ariely for help. His answer is simple and yet sounds doable:
“If we want to learn how to do things right, we have to try different versions. Only then can we find out what really works for us.”
In other words, instead of following every single tip that sleep experts suggest, we should try each one individually and check what works best for us personally and leads to restful sleep.
Think about it: We all have different bodies, tendencies, and preferences. And a diet that works great for your best friend may not be right for you, and conversely, your perfect sleep habits may not necessarily be right for your buddy. But how can you figure out what the best routine looks like for you? The trick is to try out pro tips for better sleep and see which ones work best for you and which ones don't.
Since this sounds like a lot of work, we collected the best recommendations from sleep experts, created a simple series of A/B tests and even tried them out on our practicalpal.net team members.
Here in brief all scientifically proven tips:
Spoiler alert: Some tips work and others don't - and that's exactly the point! Even if sleep experts have found certain conditions that improved the sleep of test subjects, these individuals are just that: unique.
Here are the tips on how to A/B test your sleep (including results from the practicalpal.net team!).
Test 1: Rise and Shine … at the same time
The scientific background:
When it comes to your sleep-wake cycle, it turns out it's pretty difficult to trick your brain.
People follow their biorhythm, a 24-hour internal clock that tells our body when to sleep and when to wake up. When we are in tune with our body's rhythm, we are awake during the hours our body expects us to be.
To be in tune with your internal clock, you should stick to a consistent sleep rhythm. Then your sleep quality will be better and you will feel fitter than if you get the same number of hours of sleep at other times of the day.
The test:
Get up and go to bed at the same time every day, no matter what.
Choose a time that makes sense for you during the week and on the weekend (in plain language: lying in bed until lunchtime is no longer an option - but we promise that you will really feel less tired!). Set an alarm every evening and stick to it for a week.
If that sounds too tough for you, you can also choose a time window of half an hour (I go to bed between 11:00 and 11:30 p.m. and get up between 7:00 and 7:30 a.m.).
The results:
“I was a little nervous about it, but I stuck to the plan of sleeping at 11:15 p.m. and getting up at 7:15 a.m. every day. After several attempts, I really did feel more awake during the day - I felt like I was waking up when my body wanted me to.” - Silvi, Social Strategy Lead
Test 2: Say no to the (traditional) snooze button
The scientific background:
Have you ever slept for eight hours and still felt tired the next morning? It could be because you simply woke up in the wrong sleep stage.
When people sleep, they alternate between light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep. If you wake up during REM sleep, you feel groggy and disoriented. And that can last all morning and part of the rest of the day.
This is why alarm clocks can be problematic. When they wake you up during REM sleep, you feel super exhausted.
The test:
Get up during light sleep phases.
To make this work, you should download an app with an alarm clock that tracks your sleep (we suggest the Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock app ). Use it instead of your regular (phone) alarm clock.
The app tracks your sleep cycle and only wakes you up when you are in a light sleep phase within a 30-minute window - so if you set the alarm for 7:15 a.m., it will ring between 6:45 and 7:15 a.m.
The results:
"Most days I woke up before the alarm (more than half an hour before). I didn't have any problems sleeping before the study, I slept really well and I think my body just wanted to wake up naturally. I can't say my sleep improved, but it definitely didn't suffer either." - Yael, QA Engineer
Test 3: Get physical
The scientific background:
Countless studies show that exercise improves our sleep – it helps you fall asleep faster, improves your sleep quality and reduces daytime fatigue.
Why? When you exercise, your body temperature rises and then falls again. The lower your body temperature, the more likely you are to feel tired.
In fact, according to a study by the National Sleep Foundation, people who exercise regularly are more likely to report good sleep, while people who don't exercise at all are the sleepiest.
The test:
Try to exercise 4-5 times this week and notice how it affects your sleep and energy levels the next day.
For best results, choose cardio, strength training or yoga – these are proven to give you the best sleep.
By the way, most experts say it's best to exercise in the morning, but others believe that evening exercise has similar benefits. If evenings fit better into your schedule, experiment and find out what works best for you.
The results:
"Even though I've been training all week, the sleep study didn't really work well for me. Having a baby at home doesn't exactly help with controlling variables in your life, as it turns out. But I can definitely see how this could work for others." - Dan, API Team.
Test 4: Invest in some natural remedies
The scientific background:
As surprising as it may sound, certain smells can actually improve your sleep.
Studies show that the smell of lavender slows your heart rate, reduces anxiety, and makes you sleepy. This is because lavender increases your GABA levels - neurotransmitters that make you sleepy.
Another sleep-inducing scent is jasmine: it is scientifically proven to improve your sleep quality by helping you get extra REM sleep and stay in it longer. This way, you wake up full of energy in the morning.
The test:
Grab some lavender or jasmine oil and put a few drops on your pillow every night, or if you want to be fancy, put it in a diffuser. Make sure you smell it every night right before you go to sleep!
The results:
"I didn't use the oil, but I have lavender on the kitchen window (they say it repels mosquitoes!), so every night I would cut a few flowers, crush them slightly, and hang them above my head in my bedroom. A few things I noticed were that I fell asleep easier, tossed and turned less, and felt less groggy in the morning. I'm definitely going to keep up this ritual!" - Caroline, Content Strategy & SEO
Test 5: Do a (food) cleanse
The scientific background:
Have you heard the phrase, “You are what you eat”? It turns out that this also applies to your sleep quality without exception. Certain foods and drinks can actually disrupt your sleep.
The first culprit? Who would have thought it – coffee, or any other caffeinated drink. It blocks the so-called adenosine receptors in your brain and thus keeps your tiredness at bay.
Since coffee stays in your system for much longer after you drink it, sleep experts advise us to avoid drinking caffeinated beverages after early afternoon.
Another troublemaker is alcohol – although that glass of wine may help you fall asleep, it prevents you from fully entering the REM phase of sleep, which is where restful dreams occur.
And finally, spicy and acidic foods can also have a negative impact on your sleep – since they are a common cause of heartburn, they can hinder your journey to dreamland.
The test:
Don't drink any caffeine (or theine) after 2 p.m. (soft drinks, coffee, tea), and avoid alcohol, spicy and acidic foods after 7 p.m. Yep, you can do it!
This means avoiding condiments like Tabasco and hot peppers because of their spiciness, and tomatoes, ketchup and raw onions because of their acidity. However, you don't have to completely eliminate these foods from your diet - just don't consume them after the specified time.
The results:
"I tend to consume a lot of caffeine in my daily life, so cutting it off was a real challenge for me. The mental aspect of 'withdrawal' made me a little restless, but on a physical level, it was much easier for me to fall asleep. I checked my blood pressure at night like I always do, and it was a little lower than usual." - Ashley D., Customer Service
“I tried to avoid coffee after 2pm and paid special attention to the quality of my sleep, but unfortunately I didn't notice any change.” – Gal, Designer
Test 6: Inhale, exhale, repeat.
The scientific background:
Deep breathing is more than just a hip trend – it’s an ancient and powerful way to teach your body that it’s time to sleep.
Why? When you take a deep breath and hold it, your body's oxygen levels increase, which in turn induces a state of rest. You feel your heart rate gradually slow down and your muscles relax as your blood pressure drops.
And as you exhale slowly, you begin to mimic the same breathing pace you adopt as you fall asleep. This way, you gently push your body toward dreamland, even before you close your eyes.
The test:
One of the quickest, easiest and most effective breathing exercises is called 4-7-8 . Do this breathing exercise right before going to bed.
First, get into a comfortable position and close your eyes.
1. Breathe in for four seconds.
2. Hold your breath for seven seconds.
3. Exhale slowly for eight seconds.
4. Repeat the whole thing a few times.
The results:
“Using the breathing technique helped me relax and calm down. I felt like I was meditating.” – Eti, PPC Manager
Test 7: Stress relief before bedtime
The scientific background:
The fact that we are stressed is nothing new - due to full-time jobs and 24/7 availability due to increasing digitalization, to name just a few factors. However, the situation regarding stress has unfortunately become even more acute in Corona times. According to a Forsa survey, a full 91 percent of Canadians feel stressed. No wonder that falling asleep and sleeping through the night are becoming a problem.
Why? When you're stressed, your body goes into what's known as a fight-or-flight response, releasing the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol gives you a burst of energy, which in turn causes your body to tense up and your heart to race. This makes it much harder for your body to relax.
The test:
At least an hour before bedtime, it's a good idea to avoid stressful activities like working, exercising, having difficult conversations, or budgeting. You should also avoid over-stimulating yourself with media, games, or social media. For some of us, that means putting the phone away an hour before bed.
What can you do instead? Run a bath, read a book, listen to calming music, or even watch a relaxing TV series. These activities will tell your body that it's time to wind down instead of continuing to be on edge.
"I was much more relaxed, really. I went to bed earlier and slept better (and longer). I usually use my phone until the moment I close my eyes, so this method definitely helped." - Chanan, Product Managerr
Test 8: Write down your thoughts
The scientific background:
Have you ever laid in bed, unable to sleep because your mind was racing? Welcome to the club.
This has been found to be one of the reasons for stress before bedtime and the nightly release of cortisol.
To get rid of nagging thoughts and prepare your body for slumber, sleep experts suggest writing down your thoughts. This will help you mentally relieve yourself of responsibilities before bed and clear your mind for a healthy sleep.
In fact, sleep researchers found that subjects who took five minutes to write a to-do list before bed fell asleep faster than subjects who wrote down tasks they had already completed (to rule out the placebo effect!).
The test:
Before you hit the sack, take five minutes to write your to-do list for the next day or just to jot down any thoughts that come to mind.
For best results, write everything down in a notebook to avoid the potential stressful effects of your phone. If you don't like writing by hand, it's okay to type your thoughts out on the computer.
The results:
"I found that making a to-do list or simply writing down my thoughts before bed helped reduce my anxiety levels. It helped me feel more peaceful and 'complete' at the end of the day. Although I didn't necessarily feel more rested the next day, I found that I fell asleep faster than usual and I wasn't awake for long when I woke up in the middle of the night. I was more organized and relaxed." - Jen, Claims Specialist
Test 9: Snoozing with your cell phone outside the bedroom
The scientific background:
How many times have you looked at the clock after clicking through photos of your friends or scrolling through oddly satisfying videos in your Instagram feed, only to realize that your bedtime has long passed.
This scenario can ruin your sleep in more ways than you think.
First of all, your phone may keep you up later than expected. If this becomes a habit , it can cause your internal clock to adjust and signal your body not to fall asleep until midnight or 2:00 a.m. This makes going to bed early more difficult than you think.
The stimulation from your phone can also cause cortisol to be released (argh, not again!). So if you see an upsetting Facebook status or a FOMO-inducing picture on your Instagram feed right before bed, you may be too stressed to fall asleep quickly.
The test:
Put your phone in another room before you go to sleep. If you need an alarm clock, invest in a reliable old-fashioned one!
And for the ultimate challenge, don't scroll through any feeds before you step away from your phone. That way, you'll avoid the moment when you realize that the whole thing has already cost you 30 minutes of sleep.
The results:
"I fell asleep earlier because I couldn't play with my phone. It also motivated me to get up earlier in the morning and helped me to postpone stressful thoughts or activities. But I have to admit - a few times I woke up and took the phone back to bed with me." - Liron, iOs Engineer
Final analysis
There you have it. For half of the practicalpal.netrs surveyed, the scientifically proven tips really did help improve sleep. In fact, a few of the team members even plan to continue the practices because the test was so successful! Bull's eye.
But for others, it didn't work so well. Dan's sleep didn't improve because no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get enough sleep because a new baby had come into the house. For Yael, the alarm clock thing didn't really work because her circadian rhythm was already in sync.
And while the tests helped some of us, they weren't the be-all and end-all solution to getting better sleep. Although Jen fell asleep easier, she didn't necessarily feel more alert when she woke up. And although Silvi had more energy in the morning, she didn't necessarily fall asleep any faster.
What does all this mean?
Pro tips don't necessarily work for everyone. Some may be completely ineffective or have unintended consequences, while others may help you fall asleep faster but not necessarily help you wake up feeling more refreshed.
The key is to find out which tips work best for you, and which ones should be used in combination to ensure you fall asleep faster, wake up less during the night, and wake up refreshed and ready for the new day.
But how?
How to A/B test your sleep
1. Skim through the list and mark the tips you already use; whether it's exercising regularly or banishing your phone to another room when you sleep - feel free to skip what's not relevant.
2. Choose an order in which you want to try the tests (there is no best way – it's totally up to you).
3. Try one thing every Sunday and try to keep everything else in your routine the same as before.
4. Fill out this sleep tracker every morning (make your own copy under 'File' – 'Make a copy').
5. At the end of the week, look at your results… did the test help improve your sleep quality and energy levels?
6. Repeat steps 3-5 until you have tried all tests.
7. Look at your results and create your own combination of the tips and tricks that work best for you.
8. Finally become the energetic version of yourself and rock your life