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| Is it possible to go from a light to a deep sleeper? |
| During a state of deep sleep, your tissues grow and repair, your body releases important hormones, and your immune system strengthens.️ |
How much deep sleep you need depends on your age, but most adults need 1.5 to 2 hours of deep sleep per night. If you don’t regularly get enough, you could start to experience sleep deprivation symptoms. Consistently not getting enough deep sleep may even increase your risk of chronic conditions like Alzheimer’s disease or diabetes.️ |
Environmental factors, like light, sound, and room temperature, may play a role in how soundly you sleep. Other possible causes of sleep disturbances include sleep disorders, pain, older age, and some medications. |
| Ultimately, being a light or heavy sleeper boils down to genetics and brain activity, which you probably can’t change. That being said, don’t lose hope! There *are* some things you can do to try to boost the amount of deep sleep you get.️ |
| I recently listened to a podcast by neuroscientist and sleep researcher Matthew Walker on this very topic. According to Walker, there are two main buckets to adjust: things you are doing that you need to do less often, and things that you aren’t doing that you need to do more often. ️️ |
| Because stress, anxiety, alcohol, and caffeine can disrupt sleep cycles (in different ways), he suggests reducing all of these levels as best you can.️️ |
| On the flip side, engaging in aerobic exercises can induce deeper sleep, especially among older adults and people with insomnia. So, if you aren’t regularly exercising and you drink coffee past 3 p.m., consider changing your habits and seeing how it affects you!️️ |
| Deep sleep aside, it’s possible for us light sleepers to improve our *overall* sleep quality. Some tips include reducing blue light exposure at night, sleeping and waking up at set times, and optimizing your bedroom setup.️️ |
| If nothing helps, it may be time to speak with a doctor to see what’s preventing you from sleeping soundly. My doctor thinks anxiety is the likely cause of my sleep issues. Again, I can’t change my brain, but I’m going to try other stuff within my control — starting with more cardio and no coffee past 11 a.m.️️ |
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