According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, people aged 18 through 64 should be aiming for 7-9 hours of sleep per night. The number will be different for some, but roughly 1 in 4 adults aren’t getting enough sleep- and duration is just one part of the problem.

How often do you wake up to find yourself groggy and not at all well-rested, despite having a longer sleep? The quality of sleep is what will have the greatest impact on your energy and mood the next day, not to mention your overall health.

In this article, we’re going to share a few science-based methods to help you have a better night’s sleep – not just a longer one.

Time Your Coffee Intake

Coffee (or some form of caffeine) powers the majority of Canadians every day. It’s the most widely used psychoactive substance on the planet, with more than 80% of North American adults consuming caffeine. In Canada, the average daily dose is 210-238 mg.

In numerous studies over the decades, coffee has been shown to produce an overall net benefit for our health. Throughout the day, that cup of Joe has the ability to keep our energy levels high and our minds active. In addition, there are studies suggesting that coffee increases longevity and supports heart health.

Coffee is great in the morning, but we now know that it can be detrimental to our sleep if taken too late in the day. The caffeine in coffee has a half life of 5 hours, which means you’ll still be cruising off a partial caffeine high at 10pm from that late-afternoon coffee. While caffeine affects some people more than others, the studies are conclusive – coffee too close to bed is bad for sleep. In a 2013 study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, it was concluded that caffeine taken 6 hours before bedtime has important disruptive effects on sleep.

Exercise

By now we know that exercise is one of the best things we can do for our bodies and minds. Whether you’re looking to de-stress your life, tone your body, or get better sleep – exercise is the answer.

The opposite of an active lifestyle filled with regular exercise would be the dreaded sedentary lifestyle, classified as a lifestyle with little or no physical movement. About a third of the global population is leaning towards this lifestyle, and the effects are detrimental. The sedentary lifestyle can result in a number of ailments, such as increased mortality, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases, and cancer.

People have done countless of studies on sleep over the years, pointing to the fact that increased exercise has the ability to impact sleep across the board, including total sleep time, rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, sleep efficiency, wake-after-sleep-onset, and self-reported sleep quality. Regarding sleep quality specifically, a review of 257 studies from 2013 to 2023 found that there is a connection between exercise intensity, duration, and consistency and sleep quality.

Stick to a Schedule

One of the more under looked methods for improving the quality of sleep each night is sticking to a sleep schedule. Obviously, this is easier said than done. We’re all familiar with nighttime TV binging sessions and YouTube rabbit holes, late nights at the bar, or late nights cramming for an exam. On the other hand, there are extra early morning wakeups, crying children, and curious pets that keep us up at night. As a result, many people end up napping during the daytime, which is known to provide real benefits, but also throws off the sleep schedule. This is all just part of life – but this lack of sleep schedule is having a big impact on our sleep.

In a perfect world, we should be going to sleep and waking up at the exact same time every night and every morning. Some experts even say the sleep schedule is more important than the actual duration of your nightly sleep. In a 2018 review of studies, including 41 different articles, it was concluded that regularity in sleep patterns with consistent bedtimes and wake-up times are favourably associated with health.

Beware of Alcohol

The majority of Canadian adults drink alcohol in some capacity. While you might have left your wilder partying days behind you, chances are you still enjoy a glass of wine or two with dinner, or a couple beers while watching the game.

When you drink alcohol, it is absorbed directly into your bloodstream. It stays in your blood until you’re live is able to break it down, which happens at a rate of about one drink per hour. As a result, our blood/alcohol ratio increases when we drink at a pace faster than that. Drinking alcohol also slows down the nervous system, which can worsen the symptoms of sleep apnea.

The studies on the relationship between alcohol and sleep are plentiful. In a longitudinal twin study across 36 years published in 2022, it was concluded that alcohol use is associated with poor sleep quality, such that alcohol use predicts poor sleep quality later in life. In a Chinese study published in Cambridge University Press in 2020, they observed a dose–response association between higher alcohol consumption in 2006 and worse sleep quality in 2012. In addition, alcohol was associated with higher odds of having short sleep duration and snoring.

Consider Cannabis

Could cannabis help you sleep at night? It turns out maybe – and the evidence looks promising.

Cannabinol (CBN) is one of many cannabinoids found in cannabis. THC and CBD are certainly the most well-known cannabinoids, but people are starting to look towards CBN more often for nighttime purposes and sleep aid. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence from cannabis users who say cannabis products like CBN help them fall asleep faster and feel well-rested in the morning. And studies on sleep and cannabis are beginning to ramp up.

In a 2022 study done on Ottawa patients with insomnia and sleep disorders, 71% of respondents reported a subjective improvement in their sleep, while 39% were able to reduce or discontinue their prescription meds. The science isn’t conclusive at this point, but cannabis before bed very well may help you get the best sleep you’ve had all year – it’s worth a shot.

At Cheeky’s Cannabis, we have a special line of CBN products nicknamed ‘Nighttime for Sleep’, due to CBN’s unique ability to aid in sleep. At any Cheeky’s dispensary, you’ll find a wide range of different Nighttime for Sleep products – just talk with our friendly staff and we’ll help you find something for you.