Many people are suffering the ill effects of poor sleep habits. A Gallup poll in 2024 found that only 42% of the people surveyed felt that they got enough rest. On average about 27% of us are not getting the nightly requirements for healthy sleep.
Jennifer Aniston, an actor known for many roles including the iconic show Friends, has been forthcoming with her own difficulties in finding a good night’s sleep. With the stresses of random hours for a filming schedule, travel, meals, and unfamiliar places for rest, it’s no wonder the entertainer could have sleep difficulties.
Experts have found that most adults need anywhere from seven to nine hours of sleep per night. Maybe you think it’s not that important and some day you can just catch up. According to the CDC, though, sleeping less than seven hours a night links people to several health risks: heart disease, stroke, diabetes, mood disorders, and even obesity.
In her interview with Self, Jennifer Aniston described some of the challenges she’s faced and the healthy habits she’s incorporated into her life to get better sleep. Here are four things she does to go get that good night’s rest:
“My ideal routine at night begins with all screens going off.”
Studies have shown that using electronic devices before going to sleep can actually ruin your sleep. One study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that the blue-light-emitting electronics, which is basically all of them, reduce the levels of the hormone melatonin. Melatonin is a key contributor to sleep and is even offered over the counter as a sleep aid. Our brains decide to hold off the release of melatonin because it thinks we’re busy.
“I do stretches.”
She states in the article, “I do stretches. I do some yoga, and then I do a mediation and I just pray. Then I sleep.” It can seem a bit weird to think that any form of exercise before sleep would get the blood pumping and make it more difficult to relax. The Sleep Foundation suggests some mild stretching before bed time to relax muscles and relieve stress. Activities to try besides the good ole touch your toes, yoga, tai chi, or qi gong all involve stretching and breathing with a focus on mindfulness to help achieve calm. Calm mind and a relaxed body equals sleepy time.
“My meditation practice varies for me, and it’s very personal.”
There are many different types of meditation for people to try. I was told washing the dishes and feeling the water, putting my focus on what I’m cleaning and how that feels is a form of meditation. She said, “If I only have five minutes to do it, five minutes is fine. Usually, it’s just quieting down my thoughts. Or sometimes I’ll follow a meditation on an app. Sometimes, it’ll be about writing out a gratitude list.” Research shows that meditation can help reduce the hormone cortisol which is associated with stress, and more stress means less sleep.
“(I) prioritize putting myself to bed at a consistent hour every night”
Our bodies can really thrive from finding a routine. Everyone has a circadian rhythm, your body’s internal clock. The National Institute of General Medical Sciences describes the system to include every tissue and organ of our bodies. We know this biological clock influences food intake, physical activity, our alertness and attunes our bodies to the daily cycles of day and night. Finding a consistent time to prepare for and go to sleep will help you find your own circadian rhythm.
These healthy sleep patterns attune us to our own biology and the body responds. Incorporating these habits into our sleep routines will offer up more active days and more restful nights. Just ask Jennifer Aniston; she gets it.
