by Shifan Hu-Couble
Counsellor / Parenting Coach / Psychotherapist

Sleep hacks for a good night sleep

Evolutionarily speaking, sleep does not make sense. When we sleep, we are not hunting for food, not reproducing, looking for mates, or caring for our young; instead, we are in our most vulnerable state, exposed to potential predators. Sleep seems idiotic. Yet, all creatures sleep. Sleep must be essential at the most basic biological levels for Mother Nature to select it to go with evolution.  Modern technologies allow more advanced sleep research which shows the overwhelming benefits of sleep in all aspects of one’s health and well-being. Sleep makes us more immune robust, regulates our blood sugar levels, controls our appetite hormones and sex hormones, fixates memories, helps us learn and remember, de-escalates anxiety, heals trauma and cleanses toxic away. The list is endless. Let’s break down a full sleep cycle to understand how we can benefit from every stage of sleep.

There are four stages of sleep in a full cycle

Stage 1 is essentially when a person first falls asleep. This stage normally lasts just one to seven minutes. During Stage 1 the body has not fully relaxed, though the body and brain activities start to slow with periods of brief movements. There are light changes in brain activity associated with falling asleep in this stage.

During Stage 2, the body enters a more subdued state including a drop in temperature, relaxed muscles, and slowed breathing and heart rate. At the same time, brain waves show a new pattern and eye movement stops. Stage 2 sleep can last for 10 to 25 minutes during the first sleep cycle. Collectively, a person typically spends about half their sleep time in N2 sleep.

Stage 3 sleep is also known as deep sleep, and it is harder to wake someone up if they are in this phase. Muscle tone, pulse, and breathing rate decrease as the body relaxes even further. The brain activity during this period has an identifiable pattern of what are known as delta waves. Experts believe that this stage is critical to restorative sleep, allowing for bodily recovery and growth. It may also bolster the immune system and other key bodily processes. Even though brain activity is reduced, there is evidence that deep sleep contributes to insightful thinking. You spend the most time in deep sleep during the first half of the night. This stage commonly lasts for 20 to 40 minutes.

Stage 4 is known as REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep during which brain activity picks up, nearing levels seen when you are awake. At the same time, the body experiences atonia, which is a temporary paralysis of the muscles, with two exceptions: the eyes and the muscles that control breathing. Even though the eyes are closed, they can be seen moving quickly, which is how this stage gets its name. REM sleep is believed to be essential to cognitive functions like memory. REM sleep is known for the most vivid dreams, which is explained by the significant uptick in brain activity. Under normal circumstances, you do not enter a REM sleep stage until you have been asleep for about 90 minutes. As the night goes on, REM stages get longer, especially in the second half of the night. In total, REM stages make up around 25% of sleep in adults.

Having understood the benefits and construction of sleep, we will learn:

5  ways of improving your sleep quality

1. Regularity

Fix a bedtime and an awakening time and be consistent even on weekends. Regularity can improve the quantity and quality of your sleep. If you find it difficult to control the time you go to bed, make sure you wake up at the same time as often as possible. When you wake up, expose yourself to natural light as soon and much as possible.  

2. Darkness

Eliminate as much light as possible in your bedroom; don’t work on computers or look at mobile phones before going to bed – in the last hour before bed, dim the light at home. A dimed ambience signals to your brain that sleep time is approaching. Your brain will start releasing melatonin. If you wake up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, keep the light dim. 

3. Temperature

Based on sleep research, our body temperature needs to drop by 1 degree for us to fall asleep. To facilitate the temperature drop, set the temperature between 14 to 24 Celsius degrees and keep the room well-ventilated.

4. Stimulant control

Research has shown that after five hours of coffee intake, half of the caffeine stays in your body; and after twelve hours, there is still a quarter of caffeine left in your system. In other words, if you drink a cup of coffee at 10 am, by 10 pm, there is still a quarter of the caffeine from the coffee that remains in your system. Drink your coffee as early as possible if you are a coffee lover who cannot resist coffee.

5. Association between bed and sleep

Stay out of bed if not sleepy. If you have been lying in bed for a while and do not feel sleepy. Get out of bed and engage in some relaxing activities, including listening to gentle music, reading, or meditating. Only return to bed if you are feeling sleepy.  This helps to break the association between wakefulness and your bed.

Last but not least, poor sleep can also be caused by psychological factors including anxiety, worry, depression, and stress. If you are experiencing sleep difficulties, it is recommended to see a health professional - such as a counsellor, psychologist or psychotherapist - to identify the root causes of the issue, along with the above strategies.

About the author

Shifan is an experienced counsellor and psychotherapist at The Counselling Place Singapore. With expertise in trauma and parenting issues, she supports clients in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

Shifan integrates talk therapy with body-based modalities like EMDR and Somatic Experiencing. Her unique blend of corporate and therapeutic experience empowers individuals, couples, and parents to navigate cross-cultural relationships, heal childhood trauma, and foster secure attachments.