10 Tips for Sounder Sleep


Sleep Sounder

There’s nothing like a great night’s sleep to make you feel like a superhero the next day.  Sleep is an essential process and as a child most of us sleep soundly every night and never give it a second thought, but as we get older and life gets more complicated, suddenly this critical process isn’t so simple for many of us.  If a good night’s sleep has been eluding you and you feel like a pooped, not so super hero, following these basic tips can help.

 

What is your biggest health goal?

  1. Value your sleep!  Don’t sacrifice sleep for the sake of productivity.  Sleep sharpens thinking and memory, boosts mood and strengthens your physical and mental health.  With the  proper 7-9 hours of sleep your productivity will actually improve, so schedule your sleep like you would a meeting and stick with the schedule!

  2. Get morning light.  Our body clocks are affected by light, so try to expose yourself to bright light within a half hour of waking.  If possible, take a 10-15 minute walk outdoors.  Alternatively, eat breakfast on the patio or in front of an east-facing window.  If you don’t have access to morning light consider a  phototherapy device that provides 10,000 lux of  light.
  3. Exercise in the morning.  This will help set your internal circadian rhythm, help you feel alert and get a better night’s sleep.  Getting this exercise outside is the best option, fulfilling the need for morning light and exercise.  Notice how you feel when you start the day in this way.
  4. Limit your caffeine intake.  Caffeine can affect our deep sleep and everyone reacts to it differently.  As a general rule, try to not to indulge after 2 p.m. Sensitive individuals may need to stop caffeine at noon.  Caffeine has a half-life of five to six hours, which means half of the caffeine is still circulating in your system five to six hours after drinking it.
  5. Stop eating three hours before bedtime.  This will allow time for digestion to take place and the stomach to empty and may prevent heartburn.  You want your body to be able to focus on overnight detoxification and rejuvenation, not digesting late night meals.
  6. Avoid alcohol within four hours of your bedtime.  Although it may feel like alcohol helps you wind down, relax and fall asleep faster, it actually leads to interrupted sleep.  That means you wake up briefly, multiple times per night.  It also suppresses REM sleep which is super important for your mental and emotional health and more REM sleep is associated with a longer life span.
  7. Limit your screen time! Artificial blue light emitted from phones, televisions and computers disrupts the production of melatonin, which makes it harder to fall asleep.  Checking your email, watching the news and following social media can also increase alertness and anxiety at a time in which you want to be winding down.  Ideally, you should turn off all screens 90 minutes before bed.  If that doesn’t seem possible, after dusk, put on blue-blocking glasses and dim the lights in your home as low as possible.  It is also helpful to put your phone on night mode and install f.lux on your computer to eliminate the disruptive blue light.
  8. Calm your mind.  Stressful thoughts often keep us awake at night.  If this is the case for you try journaling before bed to help the mind process the events of the day and put aside worry and stress.  Sometimes creating a to do list for the next day allows the mind to let go of those thoughts and get some rest.
  9. Enjoy a soak in the tub.  Create an evening routine that includes a relaxing bath.  Try an epsom salt bath with a few drops of lavender essential oil a couple hours before bed.  This is a triple play because the magnesium will help boost neurotransmitters responsible for inducing sleep and reducing stress, the lavender helps you fall asleep faster and improves the  overall quality of the sleep, and the bath will help to lower your core temperature, which is a signal to your body that it’s time to sleep.
  10. Make sure your bedroom is cool, dark  and quiet. Your body temperature decreases during sleep so keeping your bedroom temperature between 60 and 67 degrees F. will help you settle in to sleep and maintain sleep through the night.  Consider buying black out shades or wearing an eye shade to avoid being woke up too early and to block out ambient light from sources such as street lamps. Think about using ear plugs, a white noise generator, an air filter or a fan to block unwanted, irritating noises. 

By following these tips you should be sleeping soundly, like you don’t have a care in the world!  Which of these tips helped you the most? Let me know by shooting me an email.  I’d love to hear from you!

My Latest Articles

What's For Breakfast?

Gluten-free breakfasts can be delicious, nutritious and easy. If you are like me, mornings can be hectic, so let’s stick to simple and fast…the breakfast smoothie.

Destress in 5 minutes or Less

It is so easy to get caught up in the momentum of a busy day and to feel like you have no time to pause. What if something so simple as a few deep breaths taken regularly throughout your day could significantly decrease your stress and actually increase your productivity?