10 Ways to Encourage Deeper Sleep

One night we’re staying up until 1AM, digging into a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, binging our favorite rom-coms… while the next we can hardly make it past 7PM without yawning uncontrollably.

People think going to bed earlier is the answer to how to get more deep sleep but really, it’s not that simple. We’ve gone a bit deeper using ~science~ to help us determine how crucial sleep actually is for the body, and how we can get more of it with a few simple tweaks.

Sleep comes in a variety of forms – all of which are pretty great, tbh. But we’ll refer to them as shallow and deep sleep, though science has a few more stages they use to measure our snoozes.

REM sleep is an acronym that stands for Rapid Eye Movement. This is the stage we’re in while we’re dreaming, but REM alone doesn’t guarantee a restful night of sleep.

Successfully moving through the sleep stages is truly how to get more deep sleep. These transitions occur in between REM cycles. During these periods, our eye movements nearly stop and brain activity mellows out. We’ll experience a slower heartbeat and fully relaxed body, and we’ll also be so deep in sleep that noises and lights may not disturb us.

During deep sleep or “slow wave sleep” the body repairs itself by regenerating cells, restoring muscles, and boosting the immune system. Out of an average 8 hour night of sleep, only up to 25% of that is deep sleep. Still, this stage is widely seen as the most important stage to a healthy sleep life.

Let’s talk about how important beauty sleep is for the mind and body.

We’ve all seen sleep-deprived parents shuffling around like zombies; that lack of sleep can have a serious drain on our mental state! We already know that a less than satisfactory night of sleep can leave us grumpy and lacking energy. But sleep deprivation has also been linked to memory loss, delayed recall, slower reflexes, and deficient brain function.

Beyond its tangible side effects on our mental state, a lack of sleep can also lead to undesirable physical conditions. Over time, a consistent pattern of too little sleep can lead to weight gain, lower immunity, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, and increased risk of heart attack or stroke.

For most of us the problem isn’t that we don’t want to sleep, but rather that we can’t. A variety of lifestyle stressors could be at play, keeping us tossing and turning all night rather than rejuvenating our bodies with nocturnal repair.

Achieving deep sleep can sometimes feel impossible, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are 10 tips for creating a healthy sleep environment while setting yourself up for some shut-eye success.

1) Promote a restful sleep environment
It is SO important to set the mood for ourselves. Start with a few swipes of calming essential oils to help melt away tension, so that we can ease into the bedtime routine. Our aromatherapy rollerball makes us feel pampered while de-stressing with mint and eucalyptus.

For those with kids or office-bedroom hybrids, it’s important to do what you can to make your bedtime space feel intimate. Start your wind-down with candles or aromatherapy, ambient lighting, or soft music. A relaxing bedroom makes it a LOT easier to encourage deep sleep.

2) Guard against interruptions
This sounds obvious, but sleeping in an area with loads of distractions is no good. While we may be able to fall asleep in those conditions, we could be preventing our unconscious-selves from reaching the deeper stages of sleep we need to wake up feeling refreshed.

First, make sure to silence our electronics. Set a glass of water on your nightstand, and keep bedtime essentials (like mouthguards for us grinders) closeby. If interruptions are impossible to escape, a satin eye slip and a cushy pair of ear plugs can help transport our sleeping selves to a tropical private beach, even in the midst of our neighbor’s house party.

3) Keep a bedtime ritual
Making bedtime a ritual can help our brains slip into slow-wave sleep more easily. Create a routine that starts with your PJs and ends with you lying in bed, with a few necessities (like tooth-brushing, closing the blinds, turning your phone on silent) in the middle. Following this nightly pattern will train your mind and muscles to slowly wind-down.

Put the beauty in beauty sleep with an evening ritual that starts with skin care, skips to pajamas, and lands us in bed feeling relaxed. Of all our PM products, we especially look forward to the heavenly, jasmine-scented Retinol Restorative Balm

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4) Manage daytime stress
Stress is something we all experience and to an extent, our triggers are out of our control. Rather than allowing ourselves to sink into worry and anxiety, practice a few minutes of mindfulness throughout the day to release stress.

Squeezing a stress ball, doing a quick lavender hand massage, queueing up a favorite song, or spending a few minutes venting to a loved one can push stress to the back of our minds and allow us to truly decompress overnight. Snuggling with a furry friend can also be a big help!

5) Don’t skip exercise or fresh air
Fresh air and fitness help us produce and release serotonin, the happy chemical in our brains. A few minutes of sunshine (or as much as the sky is willing to provide) can uplift our moods instantly. If the great outdoors isn’t so great, try a few minutes of stretches, or a fun activity like hula-hooping.

6) Eat dinner early
We often feel our exhaustion almost instantly after eating dinner, and gut activity has a huge impact on our sleep quality. Keep meals at least 2-3 hours away from bedtime and throw in a relaxing activity in-between. Try a quick moonlit walk, a relaxing lavender bath soak, or a quiet cozy half-hour with a book. We’ll take all 3, please!

7) Give caffeine a curfew
We love matcha, espresso, and hot cups of tea – but in the name of deep sleep, our caffeine drinks should be limited to the first half of the day. Experts recommend cutting off caffeine as early as 4-6 hours before bedtime. If a bit of energy is needed in the evening, try a cup of ice water or try a warming herbal tea.

8) Fit for a queen (-sized mattress)
When it comes to bedtime attire, cozy is the name of the game. Whether you’re wearing a set of silk pajamas or an oversized t-shirt and boxers, just make sure to actually dress for bed. Tight fitting clothing can lead to discomfort, overheating, and restricted movements. If sleep is eluding you, opt for breathable, looser fitting pajamas.

9) Turndown service
Prepping the bed is critical for feeling that *ahh* sensation when you slip into the sheets – and for keeping it going all night long.

If you haven’t bought new sheets in a while, look into an eco-friendly pair that’s breathable, free of toxic dyes, and soft on the skin. Try upgrading to vegan silk pillowcases, or spray a bit of pillow mist onto your cushions for dreamy-scented slumber.

10) Seek advice from your medical provider
If you’ve hit all 10 checkpoints and still can’t seem to feel rested, why not check in with your physician for a roadmap to dreamland? There are plenty of natural supplements like melatonin, lavender tea, CBD, and magnesium vitamins that can lead to a better-quality snooze, too. Talk to your doctor to see which one is right for you.