5 Tips to Achieve Better Sleep & How to Avoid Sleep Deficiencies

We don’t have to tell you that sleep is important. You know that—we all do. 

Yeah, we spend ⅓ of our lives asleep. 

It’s obviously important for concentration, immune function, and stress levels.

Saying that sleep is good for you is like saying that vegetables are healthy. 

We get it! 

The question is, why are we so bad at it? Sleep is one of the most natural and automatic bodily functions, but we just can’t seem to get it right. About 70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep problems [1]. That’s 1 out of every 5 people. 

We are a nation of the sleep-deprived, and our sleep deficiencies are affecting us in more ways than you might think.

So, what can we do about it? We’ve got some science-based tips for you to achieve better sleep below. But first, let’s take a closer look at some of the culprits of bad sleep so you know the signs to look for.

Sleep Deficiencies: What They Are and How to Spot Them 

Sleep deficiency occurs when you don’t get enough sleep to support your mental and physical well-being. For adults, this means getting less than 7 hours per night. For teens and children, this may mean getting less than 9-10 hours per night [2]. 

Sleep deficiencies are not all the same, and they are not the same as sleep disorders. Sleep disorders are medical conditions that prevent you from sleeping even when you try to maintain healthy sleep habits. A sleep deficiency simply describes a lack of sleep. It might be caused by a sleep disorder or something else. 

Some of the primary causes of sleep deficiency are:

• Not sleeping enough (could be due to work, stress, or binging too much Netflix)
• Not keeping a regular sleep schedule 
• Sleeping poorly
• Substance abuse (particularly alcohol) that prevents quality sleep
• Sleep disorders

Symptoms of Sleep Deficiency

It’s not hard to spot someone who is suffering from sleep deficiency, as they display a number of symptoms. Do you recognize any of the following in yourself? 

Symptoms of acute sleep deprivation (lasting 1-3 months):

• Daytime tiredness
• Decreased focus and productivity
• Increased stress and irritability 
• Increased appetite and weight gain
• Increased likelihood to have accidents and make mistakes [3]

Symptoms of chronic sleep deprivation (lasting longer than 3 months):

• Further risk of weight gain, leading to obesity
• High anxiety and depression
• Lack of sex drive
• Impaired judgment, alertness, and ability to reason
• Red eyes, pale skin, and wrinkles on the face
• Increased alcohol consumption
• Increased risk of heart disease and cancer [4, 5] 

Sleep Deficiency is a Slow-Moving Killer

Over time, sleep deficiency can lead to death. You might not notice it in your 20s and 30s when you’re hustling hard (and developing lots of bad sleep habits), but your sleep debt will catch up to you eventually, and when it does, it can massively reduce your quality of life. It can cause a multitude of chronic illnesses from hypertension to depression to heart disease, and it makes it harder to stay healthy by weakening your immune system [10].

Sleep deficiency also takes a huge toll on your loved ones. Friends and family are usually the first to suffer from your poor moods and lack of focus. Sleep deficiency doesn’t just affect you. It affects everyone. That’s why it’s so important to develop consistent sleep habits and stick to them. You can start by improving your own sleep and encouraging your family to keep a regular sleep schedule. Here are a few tips to help you get started.

5 Tips to Help Build Better Sleep Habits

It can be tough to break bad sleep habits, so it’s ok if you can’t do it all at once. Start by incorporating one or two of the following tips into your routine. 

1. Shut Off Those Screens

You knew this one was coming. We don’t need to tell you that spending time in front of your phone or TV before bed causes sleep deficiency. You probably already know that blue light from your devices messes with your body clock and hormonal cycle, preventing you from getting good sleep [11]. 

Instead, we’ll tell you how to fix it, because putting down your phone and turning off the TV is REALLY HARD TO DO. 

The best way is to rip off the band-aid: Move your TV and computer out of your bedroom. Next, get an old-fashioned alarm clock (remember those?) and keep your phone in a separate room when you go to bed. If you feel anxious without your phone nearby, try replacing it with a book. Reading before bed actually reduces stress and boosts sleep quality [12]!

2. Do Moderate Exercise 

Even 30 minutes of exercise during the day can make a huge difference when you hit the sack. Exercise helps to regulate your body clock and reduce stress. Working out gives you more energy during the day and makes you feel sleepier in the evening. 

To get the maximum effect, do exercise outdoors during the day. This will expose you to daylight, which also regulates your body clock. Exercising at night may actually prevent you from sleeping by boosting your adrenaline. 

3. Follow a Sleep-Friendly Diet 

A sleep-friendly diet focuses on what you eat and when you eat it. 

Build a balanced diet full of vitamins and minerals that promote sleep, such as magnesium, vitamin B, and vitamin D. Dairy, grains, veggies, seeds, and fish are all great for healthy sleep. Don’t worry; you can also eat sugary foods and drink coffee. Just try to avoid these things in the afternoon or evening. 

Foods to avoid include processed foods high in carbs and sugar, greasy snacks, saturated fats, and alcohol. These can all affect sleep, especially if you eat them in the evening.

Another important part of a sleep-friendly diet is eating smaller dinners. Most of us make dinner the biggest meal of the day, but if you have trouble sleeping, try eating a bigger lunch and a smaller dinner. And, don’t eat anything within a few hours of going to bed. 

Don’t have time to prepare salads and cook wild-caught salmon every day? You can get all the sleep nutrition you need by taking a sleep supplement like Manna Liposomal Sleep Complex. 

Manna’s sleep complex contains eight natural ingredients to help you relax, fall asleep faster, and sleep through the night. And, our NANOFUSE® Technology promotes a bioavailability up to 10x greater than other supplements.* 

Manna has two sleep supplements to help you develop good sleep habits and stick with them. 

• If you’re starting your journey to achieve better sleep, try Manna Liposomal Sleep Complex with Melatonin. 
• Not a huge fan of melatonin? Support your sleep with the melatonin-free Manna Liposomal Sleep Complex. 

4. Tackle Your Stress Monster

How often do you lay in bed thinking you’re ready to sleep when a tidal wave of thoughts comes rushing into your head. You fixate on your schedule, your next performance review, or that recent parking ticket you received…. These are called intrusive thoughts. They’re caused by stress, and they prevent you from sleeping. Stress can also cause jitters and hormonal imbalances that make it tough to conk out [13].

Luckily, there are some tricks to getting your stress under control and sleeping better. Try a few of these:

• Meditate for 10 minutes before bed and 10 minutes in the morning 
• Read a book before sleeping
• Sit outside or take a walk in the evening instead of watching TV 
• Socialize with friends or family, and play social games like cards or a board game
• Write in a journal or practice a hobby in the evening

5. Develop a Sleep Schedule 

Developing a sleep schedule is the hardest tip because you have to do it every day. But, if you master the tips above, you’ll find it a lot easier to keep a schedule. Here’s how to build our sleep schedule in a few easy steps:

1. Set a time for wake-up and lights-out. Try not to alter this by more than 30 minutes. 
2. Keep a before-bed routine. This might include taking a shower, brushing your teeth, drinking a cup of tea (caffeine-free!), and reading a chapter of a book.
3. Set an electronics curfew. We recommend shutting off screens at least 2 hours before sleeping. 
4. Regulate your mealtimes. Plan your shopping around sleep-friendly food and try to eat at the same time every day. Eat smaller dinners, and take your sleep supplement before bed. 
5. Get Physical. Plan 30-60 minutes for exercise every day. Even a brisk walk will help you de-stress and sleep better. 

One Nation, Un-Deprived

There’s no doubt the nation is suffering from collective sleep deficiency. But together, we can change that. Promoting a safer and healthier society starts with you. Sleep is the most important part of a healthy lifestyle—more important even than diet and exercise [14]. When you make sleep a priority, you experience immediate and long-lasting improvements in your well-being.  

Commit to getting more sleep and practicing some of the healthy sleep tips above. Once you’ve nipped your sleep deficiency, encourage your family and friends to do the same. Together, we can make the world a better place in our sleep.