How are you sleeping?

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How are you sleeping?

Do you wake up refreshed, renewed and re-energized every morning? Or, have you been feeling extra tired lately?

Do you wake up refreshed, renewed and re-energized every morning?

Or, have you been feeling extra tired lately? 

Do you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking easily in the morning?  

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are not alone.  

Most adults need 7-9 hours per night for optimal health. Yet, in our fast-paced environment, many of us forgo sleep and overextend ourselves to catch up on work and other responsibilities. 

The result is that 1/3 Americans suffer from a sleep disorder and we have an energy crisis:  

  • We are overly dependent on our phones and electronic devices 

  • We have forgotten how to rest, not just sleep 

  • We seek fuel for our bodies in energies that are not healthy 

  • We eat high glycemic foods 

  • We use stimulants such as caffeine and sugar to provide temporary energy 

  • We confuse rest with stimulating recreation 

Sleep is critical for our optimal health and wellbeing. Critical activities that occur during sleep: 

  • Internal organs rest and recover 

  • Hormones that help regulate appetite control, stress, growth, metabolism, and other bodily functions are released

  • Memory consolidation, allowing for formation and storage of new memories 

  • Increased energy to make better lifestyle choices (cooking, exercise, self-care, etc.)

  • Strengthened immune system 

  • Heightened alertness, focus, and creativity 

  • Improved mood by reducing anxiety, irritability, and mental exhaustion 

  • Increased libido 

You can improve the quality of your sleep by focusing on your nutrition, sleep etiquette and daily rhythms.

Nutrition:

  • Eat a variety of whole foods  

  • Limit sugar and caffeine intake 

  • Reduce alcohol consumption close to bedtime  

  • Experiment with light evening meals  

  • Crowd out late-night snacking with yoga, journaling, reading, or connecting with a loved one

  • Avoid late-night beverages 

Sleep Etiquette:

  • Create a peaceful bedroom with calm colors, no clutter, and minimal light and noise

  • Invest in an aromatherapy diffuser 

  • Soak in a hot bath  

  • Read fiction to relax the mind  

  • Legs up the wall yoga pose

  • Meditate  

  • Don’t fall asleep on the couch  

  • Keep electronics outside of your bedroom

  • Reduce blue device light which impairs the product of melatonin more than any other wavelength 

  • Write worries down before going to bed 

  • End the evening with a gratitude practice 

Daily Rhythms:

  • Start your day with positive focus 

  • Incorporate moments of rest throughout the day 

  • Institute device-free time 

  • Take power naps for 15-20 minutes after lunch and before 3pm 

  • Exercise or move daily  

  • Create a bedtime routine to wind down  

  • Experiment with restorative evening activities  

  • Eat earlier and drink less alcohol  

  • Track your sleep habits  

  • Reduce late night excessive thoughts or worries 

Ending the day with gratitude and appreciation is a wonderful way to reflect on the blessings of your day, give thanks for people and circumstances, and also to change our thoughts before we go to sleep. 

If you’d like to improve your optimal health, please schedule a free coaching consultation call.