Are You Sleeping The Wrong Way? How To Biohack Your Way To Better Rest

We spend almost a third of our life sleeping, but few of us don't care much about how we sleep. Most of us think that if they spend seven to nine hours in bed, they are getting it right. Poor posture, unhealthy surroundings, and disturbing habits can make you drowsy and tired even after sleeping all night. This is where biohacking your sleep enters, a deliberate method to maximise how you sleep, so that you feel refreshed and rejuvenated in the morning.

We exclusively spoke to our expert, Dr Bhumesh Tyagi, Consultant, General Medicine and Physician, Shardacare, Health City, Noida, and he explained to us what we need to know to rest well and sleep better. Read ahead to know what he shared with us.

Why Sleep Quality Matters More Than Quantity

“Sleep isn't passive, it's an active process during which your body fixes itself, solidifies memories, controls hormones, and recharges its batteries,” Dr Tyagi explained. Research indicates that inadequate sleep raises the chances of developing chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and depression. Even when you have sufficient hours, poor sleep breaks up into shallow or disrupted sleep, which keeps your body from entering the deep and REM stages of recovery.

“That's why quality of sleep, not quantity, needs to be the ultimate target,” said Dr Tyagi.

Are You Sleeping in the Wrong Position?

Your position while sleeping has a large impact on spinal alignment, respiration, and circulation. Here's a closer examination:

1. Back sleeping (supine)

Pros: Maintains spine alignment, minimises wrinkles, and promotes neutral posture.

Cons: May exacerbate snoring, worsen sleep apnea, and compress the lower back if it is not supported.

2. Side sleeping

Pros: Reduces snoring, relieves acid reflux, and increases circulation. Sleeping on the left side can facilitate digestion and minimise heartburn.

Cons: Can lead to shoulder or hip pain if the mattress is not firm enough.

3. Stomach sleeping

Pros: Can decrease snoring.

Cons: Strains the neck and spine, causing generally resulting in pain and stiffness.

If you’re a side sleeper, use a pillow between your knees for spinal alignment. Back sleepers should use a small pillow under their knees to reduce lower back strain.

Common Mistakes That Ruin Your Sleep

Even the best intentions can be sabotaged by hidden sleep disruptors:

• Screen time before bed: Blue light from phones, TVs, and laptops suppresses melatonin production.
• Irregular sleep pattern: Sleeping at random hours unsettles your circadian rhythm.
• Bed overheating: A hot bedroom bars the natural decrease in core temperature essential for deep sleep.
• Caffeine and booze: Nighttime caffeine pushes back sleep, and booze might make you fall asleep but wrecks REM cycles.
• Noisy or messy room: Audio and visual distractions keep your mind in the wakefulness mode.

Biohacks to Improve Your Slumber

Here are expert-approved strategies to maximise the quality of your sleep:

1. Manage Light Exposure

• Experience morning sunlight exposure to help establish the circadian rhythm.
• Employ black-out curtains or a sleep mask to achieve darkness during the night.
• Experiment with blue-light blocking glasses or have devices go to "night mode" at night.

2. Sleep Temperature Optimisation

• 18–20°C (65–68°F) is ideal.
• It's too hot? Experiment with cotton sheets that breathe or a cooler mattress topper.
• Weighted blankets are not only warm but also help you relax with deep pressure stimulation.

3. Upgrade Your Sleep Environment

• Make your bedroom quiet, dark, and tidy, a simple space can mean calm.
• Try a white noise machine or rain/ocean sound apps to mask disturbances.
• Pick an orthopedic pillow and mattress designed for your sleeping position of choice.

4. Time Your Sleep Wisely

• Strive for sleep regularity, tucking in and rising at the same hour each day conditions your body clock.
• Apply the 90-minute sleep cycle rule: Waking up at the end of a cycle leaves you feeling more alert than waking up during the middle of a cycle.
• Skip heavy late-night meals; they make your body concentrate on digestion rather than repair.

5. Create a Calming Pre-Sleep Routine

• A warm shower reduces body temperature after it, making you sleepy.
• Gentle stretching or yoga releases tension.
• Breathing exercises or a short meditation session soothes the nervous system.
• Have a brain dump journal handy to write down thoughts and prevent racing mind syndrome.

Bottomline

Sleep is not just a bedtime habit, it's the ultimate health, brainpower, and longevity biohack. By being intentional with your posture, surroundings, routine, and food, you can flip sleep from being a fight into a repair superpower.