Recently many of my conversations with my clients have been about sleep and the fact that they are not getting enough of it. A recent study reported that if you only get five or less hours of sleep a night for five days, your body feels as if it is intoxicated.
Now many of us have had a night where we consume a few too many drinks and we know that we are not our personal best after a night of drinking.
Not sleeping enough is giving you the same feelings in the morning as drinking a bottle of wine. A kind of sleep hangover.
Sleep is so beneficial to our health, mentally and physically. Getting a good night sleep improves our memory, mental alertness and our appreciation for our loved ones.
Take a moment to think about how many hours of sleep you had last week. Did you get at least seven hours a night for five days?
If you have been going without sleep for an extended period of time your body might not feel like it is missing anything. That is because our body is pretty amazing and does whatever it needs to keep us going. But even our body burns out and needs a break.
Not giving our body healthy food, movement and self care for too long creates havoc on our body and causes our adrenal glands to work overtime and can cause Adrenal Fatigue.
I feel like many of us are walking around with low energy, foggy brain and that truly causes us to feel stressed, anxious and craving sugar because we are simply not sleeping enough.
As your healthy living expert I am here today to share with you some simple ways you can start creating a healthier body by getting a better nights sleep.
I suggest picking a few that really resonate with you to try this week and then slowly add a few more into your sleep routine when it feels best to include them.
Shut Down & Slow Down
- Aim to be off of the computer, away from the TV and your phone at least two hours if not more before you head to bed. To much stimulation and light from our gadgets causes our brains to feel overloaded. Reading work emails cause us anxiety, not the best thing to do before bed. Try not to engage in any activities that cause stress before you go to sleep. This was one of the most important things I did when I changed my sleeping habits that truly helped me get a better night’s sleep.
Create a dark, cool bedroom
- If you are having trouble falling asleep at night try to keep light out of the bedroom. You can purchase dark blinds or even put a dark sheet up. The National Sleep Foundation study said that women sleep best in 64 degree temperatures. Invest in an Eye mask. This is one of my personal favorites. Once I put my eye mask on, my body knows that I am going to sleep. It is also another way to keep the light out.
Cut Back On Caffeine
- Caffeine is a stimulant that causes our body to become alert. The more caffeine you consume the more your body wants to stay alert and awake. Try not to have anything with caffeine at least five hours before bedtime. If you are having a lot of trouble sleeping, try to completely cut it out from your day.
Reduce Alcohol
- Some people believe having a little bit of alcohol before bed helps them fall asleep. And they may be right. However, because the way alcohol is metabolized in the body it impairs sleep during the second half of the night, leading to a reduction in overall sleep time.
Avoid Eating Large Meals Right Before Bed
- Try to eat dinner at least three hours before bedtime. I know that as busy women we often have after work obligations that don’t give us enough time to eat dinner way before bedtime. I encourage you to eat something before your after work event and then have a light salad or soup when you get home.
Keep A Routine
- Our body loves routine and truly thrives on it. The more regular you can keep your sleep and wake time, even on the weekends, the better chance you’ll have at getting good sleep.
Gratitude Journal
- This is something new that I have been doing at night. Once I get into bed I write down at least three things that I am grateful for. It helps me remember the good parts about my day and helps to focus my thoughts into something peaceful and positive before I go to sleep.
Move Your Body
- By moving your body during the day you are calming your brain down and creating more circulation in your body. Aim for at least 30 minutes a day of movement to keep your body in balance and ready for sleep.
Yoga Moves For Sleep
- I found yoga over seven years ago when I was in the corporate world. I was stressed, anxious and an insomniac. Yoga helped me learn how to breathe so I could turn off the noise and look inward. It also helped me work out my day and by the time I left class I was in a new balanced state.
- Here are some poses to try if you are having a hard time falling asleep at night. Legs up the wall, I do this on my bed when I have a hard time falling asleep. Child’s Pose, Forward Fold and Corpse Pose with one hand on my belly and the other hand on my heart. Take deep breathes in the nose and out of the mouth and keep the exhales just as long if not longer than the inhales. With each inhale say the word let, and with each exhale say the word go. Let your breathe guide you into a relaxed state.
Try including some of these helpful sleep tips into your life this week and see how your body functions and feels after a few nights of restful, solid sleep.
If you are still struggling to find balance in your day with your nutrition and wellness let’s find a time to chat. I am here to support you so you can live your healthiest life possible.
Big Hugs & Health,
Katie
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