Wellness Live

Sleep, shut-eye, a good night’s rest—regardless of what you call it, it can be hard to come by. Deep sleep is crucial to aiding a healthy body and mind, and is an essential function that allows you to refresh and recharge.

Most of us have been there—whether influenced by a life event or just a random restless night—and hit a wall where we find we are unable to sleep, or unable to get deep sleep. Delve into how to get more deep sleep and a few tips and tricks to get a better night’s rest.

What is "deep sleep" exactly?

We all know it’s important to get our 8 hours (or 7-9 for some) in order to wake up feeling rejuvenated. However, the quantity of your sleep isn’t the only important thing—the quality counts, too.

Deep sleep, also known as “slow-wave sleep” or NREM Stage 3 sleep, is the deepest sleep stage and happens in the final non-REM stage and typically occurs in the first third of the night when your brain produces slow waves, also called delta waves.

Deep sleep has numerous benefits. Throughout deep sleep, your body releases growth hormones that help maintain healthy body tissue. This is vital for both children and adults, as it can help limit the wear-and-tear associated with exercise and aid in increased blood flow to sore muscles. Deep sleep also puts energy back into your cells, assisting with the body’s healthy immune system function.

There are a few tips that can help increase and enhance your deep sleep, including well-timed exercise, routine, proper drink choices, and screen time monitoring.

Exercise during the day (but not before bedtime)

While exercise releases endorphins and rejuvenates us, giving us that “good tired” feeling, the time of day you exercise actually affects how much deep sleep you get. Thirty or more minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise can help you fall asleep as well as improve the quality of your sleep.

However, working out too close to bedtime will have the opposite effect, winding up your body and mind and likely making you toss and turn. If you’re going to work out in the evening, try to stick to lighter-intensity activities like yoga, pilates, or a brisk walk. Finish your workout 60-90 minutes or more before you head to bed to give your body time to decompress.

Make a bedtime routine (and stick with it)

Routine can help promote productivity and positive thoughts, but it does more than that to help improve deep sleep—a consistent sleep routine will help you connect with your sleep-wake cycle, training your brain to naturally wind down at your established bedtime.

In addition to setting a wake-up alarm, try selecting a soothing tone for a sleep alarm, notifying yourself 15-30 minutes before your set time to start gearing up to wind down. And while time is an important aspect of any routine, action is, too—pick up a skin care ritual, make yourself a cup of decaf tea, or listen to a podcast around the same time each night to train your body and mind to relax.

Drink water and ditch caffeine

Heavy meals or those high in fat as well as alcoholic and caffeinated beverages can lead to a host of other issues that disrupt your sleep cycle, such as digestive issues and an overactive mind. Pass on the nightly glass of wine or late-night productive coffee run and reach for a chamomile tea or trusty glass of water.

Water can help promote your body’s healthy digestive cycle and will keep you hydrated throughout the night, while chamomile contains apigenin, an antioxidant that may promote sleepiness.

Opt for a book instead of TV close to bed

As if you needed another reason to put your phone away, consider this: it’s a surefire way to get more deep sleep. It’s no secret our smartphones were designed to engage us and increase our on-the-go productivity—and just because you know it’s time for bed, doesn’t mean your phone can’t trick your mind into thinking otherwise. Looking at your screen for even a few seconds stimulates the brain, encouraging you to continue watching television or scrolling through social media rather than try to get to sleep.

Screen-free entertainment like books help reduce stress by calming your mind and giving it a single area of focus. Reading also keeps you stimulated without the addition of blue light—what our phones give off—which is meant to mimic daylight and suppresses melatonin, the natural hormone in charge of your sleep cycle. Consider reaching for a traditional book rather than an e-reader to avoid blue light close to sleep.

Consider a supplement like melatonin

The aforementioned melatonin is an important contributor to deep sleep: your levels naturally rise toward bedtime to help you relax and fall asleep. Per a Johns Hopkins sleep expert, most people’s bodies produce enough melatonin to fall asleep without additional help, but supplements can aid in boosting your natural melatonin production when sleep is hard to come by. It’s recommended to take melatonin about 30-60 minutes before bedtime for optimal deep sleep.*

Looking for a deeper dive on deep sleep? We partnered with Kelly Murray, a certified adult and pediatric sleep consultant, to bring you additional tips and insight on getting the rest you need to feel your best. Check out the video below to hear about Kelly’s own sleep journey, her hacks for better sleep hygiene and relaxing bedtime routines, and how she learned to sleep like a boss.*