What Makes Us Sleepy?
Melatonin is the hormone responsible for sleep. Your body begins producing it when the sun sets and day turns to night. Melatonin peaks at midnight and stays high until about 3:00 am. From there, it declines rapidly and which allows for wakefulness. Taking 3mg of melatonin such as Calm 2 hours before bed (for example, at 8:00 pm) increases the amount of melatonin in the brain so that it adds to the natural amount produced in the body. This additive effect helps raise the peak of the melatonin and contributes to the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. We are often asked “why 3mg and not 10 or 20mg?” This is because oral supplementation of melatonin actually can increase the level the body naturally produces by up to 60 times, and it is possible to overdose on melatonin. Signs of overdose include anxiety and daytime sleepiness. The anxiety can be severe enough to wake someone up in the middle of the night and lead to non-restorative sleep. For more on melatonin, visit sleepfoundation.org.
The brain releases melatonin based on its exposure to sunlight. Sunlight actually tells the brain that it is daytime, and that melatonin should begin production later when it is dark. If the brain doesn’t receive sunlight exposure to until late in the day, or is tricked into thinking it is daytime after the sun goes down (lots of bright screen time, for example), melatonin production will not occur until much later in the night, thus leading to delays in the onset of sleep. Learn more about the effect of light on sleep.
What Steps Can I Take to Get More Sleep?
Avoid alcohol - While it may seem counterintuitive that alcohol consumption interferes with sleep, we know that certain stages of sleep (REM) are interrupted if someone drinks alcohol within hours of going to sleep. Many people assume that alcohol helps with insomnia as it seems to cause relaxation and feelings of being tired. But because alcohol interrupts REM, the person wakes up feeling fatigued the next day. As a result, this creates a cycle where the body needs to release chemicals to keep the person alert and awake. The end result of these stimulating chemicals can be insomnia that night, which can lead to the cyclic behavior of drinking alcohol again to fall asleep. If you have difficulty breaking this habit, please consult a professional.
Eliminate caffeine after 12 pm - While it takes about 6 hours for half of the caffeine to be metabolized, caffeine can interrupt sleep up to 16 hours later. If you drink more than 3 cups of coffee per day and need to cut down, do so slowly. Caffeine withdrawal can actually cause rebound insomnia.
Chamomile tea - This kind of tea helps promote sleepiness, helps you relax, and reduces anxiety. It has antioxidants which help reduce inflammation and can lead to better sleep over time. Just use caution, more is not better in this case. Large amounts of fluid intake before bed can increase the likelihood of needing to get up and use the restroom.
One cup warm milk at bedtime - Milk contains tryptophan and melatonin. Tryptophan is the building block of serotonin and melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone partially responsible for sleep, and serotonin is partially responsible for feeling a sense of calm. By warming the milk, you are forcing yourself to drink it slowly which, in and of itself, can be soothing. Lastly, the protein in milk can help you stay asleep if you haven’t eaten enough that day. Just use caution as dairy is notorious for causing constipation. Don’t turn it into chocolate milk either; chocolate has caffeine and will actually keep you awake.
2 oz turkey before bed - This is the same principle as drinking milk to help with sleep. Turkey contains tryptophan, which turns into melatonin. It also contains a good amount of protein which helps people fall asleep and stay asleep. If turkey isn’t a good option for you or you are a vegetarian, almonds are a great option.
Turn off blue light on electronics - The blue light emitted by our computer, phone, and tablet screens tells our brains that it is daytime. This means the natural hormones that are normally released after the sun goes down are released later, causing difficulty with falling asleep. A special screen mode for computers, phones, and tablets that reduces or eliminates blue light can help avoid insomnia. Activating this feature should be done around the time the sun sets in your area.