Sleep. It’s something everyone requires, plenty of us crave, and far too many of us don’t actually get. If you’re flipping your pillow for the third time, or rolling out of bed feeling like you clocked an all-nighter even when the clock says you stayed put for eight hours, you’re definitely not the only one. Fixing your sleep starts with the “why” and not the “how”. Only then can you start figuring out how to increase sleep quality. Hint: the miracle is not a nightly Ambien.
Why Zzz’s Are Non-Negotiables
Sleep matters more than you might think. Here’s a reality check: regularly sleeping less than 6 hours each night increases mortality risk by 13%. That’s a serious statistic with real ramifications for your health. Poor sleep habits are also connected to your risk of stroke, asthma, chronic kidney disease, COPD, depression, and even cancer.
The bottom line? Bad sleep messes with more than your mood. A single night of lousy shut-eye won’t ruin the scoreboard when it comes to your overall well-being, but a pattern of sleepless nights could.
The Sleep-Wake Cycle: Cortisol vs. Melatonin
Your body has a built-in clock that decides when you feel alert and when you feel sleepy. This internal clock is driven by two hormones: cortisol, your “rise and shine” messenger, and melatonin, your “lights out” calm signal.
Here’s how it usually works: Cortisol surges in the early hours, helping you shake off sleep, and then it crests, giving your system a morning alert. Over the day, its level drops. Meanwhile, as darkness arrives, melatonin levels climb, giving cells the cue to ease down.
However, stress, the foods you eat, or hormone shifts can throw this rhythm out of sync and leave you staring at the ceiling.
3 Questions to Ask If You Can’t Sleep
If you’re struggling with sleep, these are the questions you should ask yourself:
- Do you struggle to fall asleep at bedtime?
- Do you keep waking up in the night?
- Do you feel rested when morning arrives?
The goal is to expose the underlying trouble, not just the frustrating outcome.
What’s Actually Keeping You Awake
1. You can’t fall asleep: overthinking, running through the next day’s to-do list, your brain refuses to shut off.
Tools to try:
- L-theanine: a natural supplement that calms the mind
- AdrenaCalm: designed to reduce cortisol and promote relaxation
- Melatonin (3 mg): best used short-term and from a high-quality source
2. You wake up in the night: blood sugar crashes from eating snacks before bedtime, hormone shifts (especially during menopause), or cortisol spikes at the wrong time could all be culprits.
Tips to sleep better:
- Avoid late-night sugar.
- Eat a protein-rich snack before bed if needed.
- Consider magnesium and B vitamins to support hormone balance.
- Try AdrenaCalm or L-theanine to stabilize cortisol.
3. Your sleep quality just sucks: you are in bed, seemingly asleep, yet you wake up feeling like you ran a marathon.
Foundational fixes:
- Magnesium glycinate or citrate, whichever feels gentler on your gut
- A broad-spectrum Vitamin B complex, especially if you’re taking prescriptions that tend to deplete the B vitamins.
What About Melatonin Supplements?
Melatonin still fights the stereotype that it throws off your rhythm, but the newer science is gently nudging that fear aside. Data now shows that the brain can adjust to biodynamic shifts, and additional benefits include antioxidant and anti-aging properties, as well as being safe for use for women over 40.
What matters is the melatonin quality. If you’ve tried it before and it didn’t work, try a better brand or a different dosage; 3 mg seems to be a good balance for many.
More Ways to Increase Sleep Quality
- CBD and CBN: reach for it occasionally (CBN is targeted more for sleep).
- Homeopathic options: BHI’s Calming Tablets are a good non-sedating option.
- Adaptogens: botanicals like those in Stress Essentials, retrain your body’s panic button, so you wind down, not up.
Sleep Hygiene Cheat-Sheet:
- Turn down the thermostat: the sweet spot is 60–70°F.
- Set up a white-noise machine, or run the fan.
- Change the sheets and sink into cozy, supportive bedding.
- Ditch the screens a full hour before sleep, or at the very least, flip to night mode.
Hormone Levels Matter
Women: Progesterone capsules (not creams) work miracles for perimenopausal and menopausal women. They activate the sweet calm of GABA receptors, setting a peaceful stage for sleep.
Men: Testosterone (whether in excess or a deficit) likes to stir up rest interruptions. Ask your doctor for a hormone panel to have your levels checked.
Trouble with Restless Legs?
If you have achy or twitchy legs at bedtime, check your Vitamin D, as too little can trigger those pesky sensations, in addition to ferritin, since low iron stores do the same. Restoring these levels can dial down discomfort and guard against nighttime wake-ups.
Kids & Sleep: What’s Safe?
Listen up, parents: Melatonin shouldn’t be the first choice for your kids. Instead, take these steps first:
- A high-quality child vitamin with magnesium and B vitamins
- Calm gummies featuring lemon balm and theanine
- Homeopathy and kid-friendly meditation strategies
- Lavender diffuser and a calming bedtime routine
Real Talk: Sleep is Personal
Sleep isn’t one-size-fits-all. Some thrive in pitch dark. Others crank up a fan. It’s all about what works best for you. Struggling with sleep and want to get to the bottom of how to increase sleep quality? Ask the right questions and hunt the root cause, whether it’s hormones, stress, blood sugar, or your sleeping environment. We are happy to help you uncover the “why”, so get in touch about a wellness consultation today!
