It’s getting late, you’ve had a long day, but you don’t feel sleepy.
Sounds familiar?
Ever wondered what causes sleepiness? Lucky for you, I have! I’m going to break it down for you, so you can hack your brain into sleep.
A story of hormones
Two different hormones cause sleepiness: adenosine and melatonin (stay with me!)
The more adenosine you have in the brain, the more you feel pressure to sleep. It builds up when you’re awake and the only way to release it is by sleeping.
On the other hand, melatonin is released at around the same time every evening. It’s linked to your circadian rhythm, so it will make you sleepy at the same time every day, regardless of when you last slept. (It’s what causes jet lag)
So how can you make sure you have enough of these two hormones in the brain in the evening?
Let’s start with adenosine.
It builds up when you’re awake, so make sure that you:
😴 Don’t take naps
😴 Don’t fall asleep on the couch watching TV (even for a few minutes, as it releases some pressure to sleep)
😴 Wake up early enough to have enough of a build-up
😴 Don’t drink caffeine after noon (caffeine blocks the adenosine receptors)
What about melatonin?
Its release is partially triggered by exposure to light in the morning.
When the brain receives light after a long period of darkness, it assumes it’s the morning, and schedule the release of melatonin for a few hours later.
😴 So take in as much sun as possible, as early as possible. A simple walk outside in the morning does wonder for your sleep!
If you found this interesting, you will love my free mini-course “7 days for a better sleep”, starting September 26!
Follow this link to register. It’s available in French and in English!
