Optimising rest is essential because poor sleep quality negatively impacts every aspect of daily life. In an August 7 Instagram post, Dr Jeremy London, a heart surgeon, elaborated on why better sleep is important for overall health and the steps he takes to naturally improve his sleep quality.
How to sleep better naturally
According to Dr London, when your sleep is off, everything is off. He stressed that sleep affects far more than your energy. It influences blood sugar, insulin resistance, blood pressure, inflammation, recovery, and even your risk of heart disease. Therefore, small changes in your sleeping pattern can have a big impact.
In the video, the heart surgeon shares the habits that helped him improve his sleep, including keeping his bedroom cool and dark, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, getting morning sunlight, and tracking his heart rate variability (HRV) to better understand his recovery and nervous system health.
“Heart disease isn’t caused by one thing. Your diet, sleep, stress, movement, and relationships all work together to shape your long-term health. That’s why taking care of your heart starts long before symptoms appear,” he added.
Key steps that can improve your sleep
In the video, Dr Jeremy explained, “If your sleep is off, everything is off. And for me personally, it’s the hardest because I can control what I put in my mouth. I can push myself to go to the gym. But the harder I try to control my sleep, the worse it gets. So I’ve had to change my relationship.”
Here’s what the heart surgeon has done that’s helped him: “The biggest things I’ve done are changing my sleeping environment, dark, cold, taking a hot shower before bed so that I know that my body temperature is going to drop to help.”
Additionally, the heart surgeon always goes to bed at the same time every night, even setting an alarm to make sure he practises this habit and wakes up at the same time.
A few more steps he has taken are: “Trying to get outside as much as I can just to get sunlight in my eyes. And again, know your numbers. I’ve been following my HRV, my heart rate variability, which is a wonderful indicator of your autonomic nervous system.”
About the expert
Dr Jeremy London is a board-certified cardiovascular surgeon with more than 25 years of experience. He has an MD from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, and his focus is on the intersection of lifestyle, preventive medicine, and evidence-based longevity.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
