5 steps to immediately get better sleep

What can someone do for themselves physically to get better sleep? 

• Exercising regularly, will help sleep quality. 
• One should try not to do the exercises close to bedtime as it can “waken” you up. 
• It can also help your mind to have a change in scenery, so instead of jogging on a treadmill inside every day, go outside jogging preferably in nature where you see trees. Forest bathing is good for our minds and health. 
• If jogging isn’t for you, I recommend my patients to do HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) as it time efficient and has shown great results from studies. During these times, many of my patients are using YouTube HIIT workouts. 
• I also recommend stretching the muscles that are prone to stress, particularly neck and shoulder area. 

Is that a particular problem right now and why? 

In relation to my own patients, I can see that the sleep hygiene and hence sleep quality definitely has been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. It is only natural, as it is stressful and unpredictable times for the entire world. In addition, people’s normal habitual pattern has been removed (literally overnight). Good sleep comes from a regular pattern, but with stress, new routines, and uncertain times, it will affect sleep.

What kind of affect does lack of sleep have on the work people are producing? Getting a good night's rest is underrated - it is so vital for our well being and happiness. Matthew Paul Walker, professor of neuroscience and psychology at UC Berkeley says with lack of sleep, it’s like the memory inbox of your email is shut down and incoming emails will bounce off. We are simply not able to produce memory and learn properly without sufficient sleep. Pair that with added stress in times like these and you can see how it will have effects on the work someone is producing. This is why sleep hygiene and improving it, is almost always a part of my recommended treatment plan. Getting enough of the right kind sleep will help repair and rejuvenate the body.

Typically, when is the best time to do something to help one's sleep cycle?

As with anything, there’s no time like the present. Getting good routines is never too late, and improving something is little bit, is better than nothing.

Dr. Sebastian Kverneland is a Norwegian chiropractor and the founder of Scandinavian Health Institute. Having seen the need for a modern, Scandinavian chiropractic care in the US, he brought this to Los Angeles in 2019. Beyond helping patients find the root cause of pain, he is firm believer that all of us can do life-style changes that can significantly help us live longer and better lives. Kverneland holds a Doctorate in Chiropractic from Southern California University of Health Sciences and is in the process of being certified by the Institute of Functional Medicine.His work has been featured in Martha Stewart, Yahoo Lifestyle, Thrive Global and Medium.