Want to improve your sleep? If you’ve tried “everything”, we encourage you to explore these unconventional methods.
For anyone who may not have had much luck with traditional methods of improving their sleep, or for someone who’s simply interested in exploring alternative methods, here are 3 novel hacks for better Zzz’s:
Sleep less… wait what??
This unorthodox technique may be just what some people need, and although this is the worst name for an insomnia treatment – it’s shockingly effective.
Sleep restriction therapy, a cognitive behavioral treatment for insomnia, does not involve limiting actual sleep time. Instead, patients are instructed to initially restrict the time they spend in bed.
It’s true that insomniacs have lots of nights when they starve themselves of sleep, but what happens with insomnia is that people get recovery sleep every third or fourth night and they also get snippets of sleep because they stay in bed for long periods of time. They do not experience a super high and consistent sleep drive needed for a short stretch of time in order to reset their sleep system.
Mouth tape is a thing
Myofunctional therapy attempts to improve muscle strength in the tongue, mouth and upper throat with exercises that isolate the facial muscles. A comprehensive review of myofunctional therapy studies published in Sleep found that myofunctional therapy can reduce sleep apnea and improve sleep outcomes.
The first couple of times you try it, it doesn’t feel great. But if you can get used to it, you will sleep so much better just by putting a tiny piece of tape on your lips. Don’t use duct tape, scotch tape or any adhesive not meant to go on skin. Instead use strips designed specifically for the purpose of improving sleep quality.
It can be really effective for better sleep because it’s changes your nasal breathing at night and breathing through your nose is so important to good quality sleep.
Get you some fresh amber shades
Blue light blocking glasses, also known as amber-tinted glasses, reverse the effects of blue light by providing the opposite kind of light exposure: amber. These glasses block the blue light wavelength, to help mitigate battering to the pineal gland the produces melatonin – and this helps increase deep sleep.
The spectrum of light that tells our bodies it’s night time is red, and the spectrum of light that tells our bodies it’s daytime is blue. So when we’re looking at blue lights— we’re basically telling our bodies it’s Noon all day.