The pre-bed routine is important for sleep, and getting in the right mindset can help. Focusing on sleep habits, even if through fads like blue blocking glasses, can also be helpful to engage people with regular healthy behaviors.
Bright light exposure has effects on things like cognition and even if using a sleep mask people may not be satisfied with the darkness of the room while sleeping, therefore putting tape on LED lights on air conditioning or microwaves is a solution. Spending some time outside can help with coping with sleep loss.
Understanding how light affects your brain and body is key to optimizing your sleep and overall health. While bright light is needed to wake up in the morning, it's important to minimize artificial light at night to promote better sleep.
Taking advantage of natural light exposure in the afternoon and evening can help regulate hormones, particularly melatonin, and support overall brain function.
In the first half of the night, the majority of the time spent sleeping consists of deep non-REM sleep. However, in the second half of the night, there is more rapid eye movement sleep and stage two non-REM sleep. Lack of sleep and long shifts have been linked to medical errors in the emergency room and decreased productivity in the workplace.