Sleep advice abounds online, in magazines like this one and on the social feed of your “wellness” friend — and with good reason. Not getting enough sleep can wreak havoc on mental and physical wellbeing and increase the risk of myriad health problems and diseases. One popular hack with high potential goes by the trendy name of “sleep syncing,” which according to Dr. Michael Darin, a sleep specialist at Ochsner’s Sleep Center, is a fancy way of describing tuning into our body’s natural circadian rhythms. “Basically, what they are saying is what we’ve been saying about sleep for decades — we are primed for sleep and that approximately eight-hour window differs for people,” says Darin. “They have found the gene that controls when we get sleepy and if we are an early bird or night owl,” says Darin. “But within that we can further control our circadian rhythms with our behavior.” Here are a few of Darin’s tips for getting in sync with your own rhythms:
Sleep and wake up at the same time each day. “When we first see light after waking up is the anchor for all our circadian rhythms.”
Minimize blue light exposure from electronic devices. “Blocking blue light is a good idea, however it doesn’t take much blue light to hurt your sleep. People think putting on blue light blocking glasses gives them free license to expose themselves to lots of blue light. Avoid looking at blue light the two hours before you’d like to fall asleep. Ideally, you’d have a routine an hour before bed where you’d be off your devices and allowing your brain to wind down and get ready for sleep.
Limit nighttime social media. “In addition to the light from our devices, the stimulation of our brains from social media sets our brains spinning and it’s terrible for sleep. Even if [your phone] isn’t sending out alerts, [your brain is] still waiting for them, because of the dopamine hits [from alerts] all day long. People are tempted [to look at their phones] when they wake up at night and can’t sleep. The brain knows it’s right there. If you turn off your phone and put it in another room for a few weeks, your brain can learn that we’re not getting alerts.”
Be mindful of food and drink. “The main thing I want to point out, is alcohol is poison,” says Darin. “Most people know that by now, and they don’t necessarily have to stop drinking, but if you are having two glasses of wine a night and waking up three times a night, that probably is contributing to the insomnia. I think most people know about avoiding caffeine and [not eating] close to bedtime.”
Let’s talk about Melatonin. “There’s not a lot of good evidence that it’s a good sleeping aid, however the body produces about ½ milligram of melatonin, so there really is no reason to take anything more than 3 milligrams. The concentration in melatonin over the counter varies by 400 percent, so you really have no idea how much is in there. Consider taking it about two hours before bedtime because the brain starts to create it about two hours before sleep. You want to avoid suppressing your secretion of melatonin, which is what blue light does at night.”
If you are struggling with insomnia, Darin says “The single best treatment for trouble sleeping is cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, for insomnia. Chronic insomnia is a vicious cycle where anxiety about sleep makes the sleep disappear. CBT for insomnia is usually six one-hour sessions with a sleep psychologist to reprogram the brain on how to sleep. It’s very powerful.” He also recommends visiting lofta.com, which does home sleep testing for a fee without a doctor’s visit. He says helpful tools include white noise machines — with sounds that are specifically soothing to the individual — and sleep masks — because a lot of bedrooms aren’t dark — as well as keeping the bedroom cool at no higher than 68.
Dr. Michael Darin
received his medical degree from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis in 2004 and completed his internship and residency at McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University in Chicago. He completed his fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Dr. Darin then completed a fellowship in sleep medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago. Dr. Darin is board-certified in sleep medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He has been on staff at Ochsner since August 2020 and specializes in sleep medicine.
The 4-Week Insomnia Workbook: A Drug-Free Program to Build Healthy Habits and Achieve
Restful Sleep by Sara Dittoe Barrett PhD is a self-guided cognitive behavioral therapy book.
A sleep mask, such as the Kitch Lavender Weighted Sleep Mask, available at Monomin, can help block light from windows and other rooms.
The Sleep Reset app employs sleep research, cognitive behavioral therapy and in-app coaching to create an individualized plan for insomnia sufferers.
Dr. Michael Darin
received his medical degree from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis in 2004 and completed his internship and residency at McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University in Chicago. He completed his fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Dr. Darin then completed a fellowship in sleep medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago. Dr. Darin is board-certified in sleep medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He has been on staff at Ochsner since August 2020 and specializes in sleep medicine.
The 4-Week Insomnia Workbook: A Drug-Free Program to Build Healthy Habits and Achieve
Restful Sleep by Sara Dittoe Barrett PhD is a self-guided cognitive behavioral therapy book.
A sleep mask, such as the Kitch Lavender Weighted Sleep Mask, available at Monomin, can help block light from windows and other rooms.
The Sleep Reset app employs sleep research, cognitive behavioral therapy and in-app coaching to create an individualized plan for insomnia sufferers.