How to Increase Deep Sleep? 5 Expert Tips
Do you feel exhausted and disoriented even after waking up? If so, the reason could be that you’re not getting enough deep sleep. Deep sleep refers to the third and fourth stages of our sleep cycle and is also known as slow-wave sleep or delta sleep. For example, if you get eight hours of sleep every day, about 15-25% of it would constitute as deep sleep. So, why is deep sleep important? What are some tips to help you increase the deep sleep you get?
Why is Deep Sleep Important?
The sleep we get can be divided into REM and non-REM sleep. Among the four stages of sleep, the first two fall in the non-REM category, and the last two fall in the REM category, which is when you experience deep sleep. It’s the restorative part of your daily sleep because it helps you feel refreshed the next day.
Deep sleep provides a combination of mental and physical health benefits. While all stages of sleep are crucial, deep sleep aids in strengthening your immune system and also repairs your bones, muscles, and tissues.
It regulates your metabolism and improves your motor skills and cognitive memory.
Ways to Get More Deep Sleep
In order to calm your mind and get a good amount of deep sleep, follow these expert-recommended tips:
1. Include Exercise in Your Routine
Exercising for about 30 minutes every day for five days a week can do wonders for your sleep. Even indulging in simple yoga or light jogging can help your body cool down and release the endorphins that cause you to stay awake. Be sure to not exercise too close to your bedtime, and instead attempt to exercise during the day or in the afternoon to extend the level of deep sleep.
2. Create a Consistent Sleep-Wake Schedule
Having a consistent sleep-wake schedule helps immensely with your circadian rhythm. When you go to bed and wake up at similar times every day, your body gets used to the routine and knows exactly when it’s time to go to bed, enabling you to increase your deep sleep. When you sleep at irregular times, your body’s internal clock goes haywire, thereby disrupting your sleep.
3. Make Your Bedroom Sleep-Friendly (H3)
The ambiance you sleep indirectly affects the quality of sleep you get, which is why your bedroom needs to be a comfortable sanctuary. Choose a mattress that supports your body, and pair this with comfortable pillows and a soft comforter.
Make sure the lights in your room are dark, including your nightlamp, as this cools down the atmosphere. Avoid loud noises and bright devices before bedtime to amplify your deep sleep.
4. Try Pink and White Noise
Our ability to get deep sleep is closely linked to the sounds that surround us, which is why investing in a pink or white noise machine is a wise choice. Pink noise, in fact, is known to be even better than white noise in helping to fall asleep. It reduces the high-frequency tones and also improves your memory. This is why you can often find people resorting to sounds such as soft waves on a beach or steady rainfall right before drifting off to sleep.
5. Develop a Pre-Bedtime Routine
Have you noticed how sticking to a calming pre-sleep routine helps your mind destress and gets rid of the worries and anxiety of the day? When you get your body habituated to a pre-bedtime ritual, it realizes when it’s time to fall asleep.
Depending on your likes and preference, your routine could include anything, such as listening to calming music, reading for about 30 minutes, indulging in meditation or deep breathing exercises, or even jotting down in your gratitude journal. Also, keep in mind to avoid alcohol and caffeine right before bed because they can keep you up for hours.
Conclusion
When you give your body ample deep sleep, it feels energized enough to take on the tasks and activities of the next day, and help with the regeneration of cells. Substantial deep sleep promotes the repair and growth of bones and tissues in humans. Therefore, deep sleep is essential for your physical and mental health to be functioning efficiently. Practice the above-mentioned methods to extend your deep sleep and feel motivated for all your pursuits.
