Episode 129: Teach Me How To Get The Fuck To Sleep, with Sleep Expert Alanna McGinn
The more adulting we do, the more we realize how essential getting good quality sleep is to literally every aspect of our lives. From our physical health to our mood and mindset, sleep is the key to solving a whole lot of our problems. We’re sick of burning the candle at both ends and tossing and turning each night, and we’re not alone: the past few decades have seen a downward trend in the quality and quantity of sleep that people are getting. So… let’s talk about sleep, baby!
The more adulting we do, the more we realize how essential getting good quality sleep is to literally every aspect of our lives. From our physical health to our mood and mindset, sleep is the key to solving a whole lot of our problems.
We’re sick of burning the candle at both ends and tossing and turning each night, and we’re not alone: the past few decades have seen a downward trend in the quality and quantity of sleep that people are getting. So… let’s talk about sleep, baby!
We’re clearly not the experts on this (read sleep-deprived), so we called in Alanna McGinn. Alanna is the founder and lead sleep expert at Good Night Sleep Site, host of the ‘This Girl Loves Sleep’ podcast and author of ‘This Baby Loves Sleep’. Alanna and her team of sleep consultants are certified through The Family Sleep Institute and have helped thousands of families around the world overcome their sleep challenges and establish healthy nighttime habits. Alanna is the resident sleep expert for publications like Forbes, Maclean’s and Today’s Parent, and the media sleep expert on Cityline, Breakfast Television, CBC Radio, and more.
Join us as we chat about:
The mental and physical impact of sleep deprivation
Creating a routine that supports healthy sleep
Why your morning wakeup is the most important factor to good sleep
How to figure out the amount of sleep we really need
Tricks to optimize our sleep cycles and REM sleep
Realtalk on magnesium and natural remedies
How to catch up after an all-nighter and adjust to new timezones
Can we keep napping???
The power of the napuccino
We hope this episode helps you create healthy sleep habits so you can get the quality sleep you deserve!
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Related Episodes:
Episode 08: How To Sleep Better So You’re Rested AF
If you’re like us, you might be finding it hard to sync up your sleep schedule with this new WFH life. And even though we’re all stuck at home doing nothing and should be sleeping more than ever, a lot of us are struggling because our entire routine has changed. Obviously, we all know that we should be striving to get eight hours a night—that’s the dream. But it’s way easier said than done.
If you’re like us, you might be finding it hard to sync up your sleep schedule with this new WFH life. And even though we’re all stuck at home doing nothing and should be sleeping more than ever, a lot of us are struggling because our entire routine has changed. Obviously, we all know that we should be striving to get eight hours a night—that’s the dream. But it’s way easier said than done.
So we’ve done the research to help you catch your Zzzs, and we’re diving into 6 tips on how to fall asleep fast:
1: Wake up & go to bed at the same time every day
Yes, even on weekends! Welcome to adulthood. It’s all about regulating your circadian rhythm, which is basically an internal clock that runs in the background of our brains 24 hours a day, and cycles between stages of sleepiness and alertness at regular intervals. Your circadian rhythm works best when you have regular sleep and wake habits at night and in the morning. Obviously things get in the way, like daylight savings, pulling an all-nighter for work or school, or binge-watching Netflix till 3:00am...shit happens, we’ve all been there. But if you can stay regular with your sleep schedule you’ll avoid disrupting your circadian rhythm, and those disruptions can make you feel groggy, moody, and can make it harder for you to pay attention during the day.
2: Watch your caffeine intake
This is a hard one, especially if you’re like us and LIVE off coffee. We’re not saying you need to go cold turkey, but if you're having trouble sleeping at night try reducing your caffeine intake in the afternoon. We’ve learned that our cut-off time is around 3:00pm for our last cup, so test it out and see what works best for you.
3: Watch what you eat and drink before bed
Try to avoid eating large meals before bed that’ll send your digestive system into overdrive. And even though we all love a glass of wine at the end of the day, studies show that booze is known to increase the symptoms of sleep apnea, snoring, and can disrupt your sleep patterns. Yep, we know...this is why we can’t have nice things. Just choose your wine nights wisely, especially when you’re running low on sleep.
4: Create the ultimate sleep den
Optimize your room to become the coziest sleep den. Your bedroom should only be used for two things: sleep and sex. Straight up. Here are some ways that we’ve created our own sleep haven:
Purchase blackout curtains. These have been a game changer for us!
Dim the lighting in your room in the evenings. Mood lighting is key all-around.
Put on a diffuser with sleep-promoting essential oils. Aromatherapy is such a tried-and-tested way to promote calmness and restfulness before bed, and your fave scents can become a tangible cue or trigger for your mind that it’s time to sleep. We love the Sweet Dreams set from Saje or this amazing set that we always keep by our bed-side tables!
Invest in some comfy blankets - weighted ones are all the rage right now and can help you relax and fall asleep faster. This one is our favourite - it’s like a warm hug when you crawl into bed!
Keep it cool. Studies show that the optimal temperature for sleeping should be between 60 to 67 degrees fahrenheit (or 15-19 degrees celsius). AKA cold AF.
5: Limit your exposure to Blue Light
Your phone, TV, and laptop all emit blue light which can trick your brain into thinking it’s earlier than it actually is, and delays the release of sleep-inducing melatonin. If you can, try to not bring any devices into the bedroom an hour before sleep and make it a “no device zone”. If you’re guaranteed to get separation anxiety from your gadgets at night, here are some things you can do:
The only phone hack you truly need to know: Create a shortcut on your phone to switch to a red light at night if you’re like Gill, and can’t stop FaceTiming or watching YouTube videos before bed.
Download an app called F.lux that automatically changes the lighting settings on your laptop at night.
MAJOR HACK: Invest in some cute blue light blocking glasses to wear at night. These pairs are our fave, Cailyn wears them all the time and they’ve been a real game-changer!
6: Establish a bedtime ritual
And finally, establishing a relaxing bedtime ritual can help you wind down at the end of the day. Try doing a meditation (check out our guided meditation with Nina Purewal below from episode 5!), listening to calming music, reading, or unwinding to uber-relaxing ASMR videos. Do something to turn off that chatty mind so you can get to sleep.
We’re going to commit to testing out all these tips this week because we are tired as hell. So follow along with us on insta and we’ll keep you posted on how it goes! Hit us up on social and let us know what tricks help you sleep better. Sweet dreams!
If you have a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you want us to interview, comment or DM us on Instagram:
@teachmehowtoadultpodcast
See you next week! xo
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