Work is one of the many places you can get creative with triggers for the quality and quantity of sleep you desire. Recently, research linked work-based biases surrounding the first sign of workers in the morning with getting enough sleep. While you can’t control biases, you can control changing environmental factors in order to consistently log those deep zzzz’s in the early morning hours.  

There are eight layers of environment where you can make easier movement towards a goal with less effort. Last week I defined one (our body). There’s also environments within reach, a room, and places, such as work. Neighborhood, community, state, and world are also layers to consider, with respect to elements you have total control of changing.  

In terms of sleep, controlling cues in your environments can reverse the normal biological signals that regulate your circadian rhythm. Following are several cues without rules to practice. Experiment with one action to a practice. Assess what works well and not so well for you.

Adjust lighting. The way light affects our physiological rhythm is determined by intensity, duration, timing, color spectrum, and the pattern it emits. 

Adjust noise. Consistency matters more than volume. Although, lower is better. 

Adjust touch. That is fabric types like sheets and PJ’s. For blankets, 10% body weight is suggested for those who don’t have underlying conditions or chronic disorders.

Adjust temperature. Our body temperature drops with sleep. A cool environment promotes deep sleep (however, some sleepers insist on the utility of a heated blanket.) Cooling devices, a spare set of PJ’s, and cold water beside the bed are three strategies that control temperature. 

How might you adjust your environment to promote and enhance relaxation and sleep when it's time to wind down? Are you willing to commit to a very small version of ONE environmental action to improve your relaxation and/or sleep in the next few days? If so, what?

I plan to ‘gram the cues, brands, and behaviors that have aced my sleep quality. Follow along my Instagram stories to get more strategies.