5 Steps for Better Sleep
Sleep is such a crucial part of health and healing. When we sleep, we give our body the opportunity to not only rest but also to restore and repair itself.
Let me ask you, what is your bedtime? Are you asleep between the hours of 10pm-4am? I’ll tell you why I’m asking. The most critical hours of sleep are between 10pm and 4am. This is the time that the body’s human growth hormone is released into the body to help balance hormones and reset the nervous system. During the hours of 10pm-4am is the only time that your body has the opportunity ability to restore itself.
What does that mean? It means that you have trouble sleeping from insomnia, or if you are waking up during the middle of the night, or just stay up late binge watching tv, then you are missing out on much needed restoration. Unfortunately, all the sleeping in late in the mornings or weekends you can do, won’t make up for missing sleep during this critical time of restoration.
Because sleep is so important, I want to give you all 5 tips to help you achieve better sleep.
1. Stick to a Sleep Schedule- Sit down and create a nighttime routine for yourself that will put you in the best frame of mind and self-care that gets your ready for sleep. If that means taking a warm bath or shower to wash of the daily grime and allergens. Skincare routine- cleansing your face and adding any nighttime creams and lotions to keep your skin smooth and moisturized it means that your body will start to relax and put your in the mood for sleep.
2. Watch what you eat and drink before bed- It’s become common practice to have a little dessert after dinner, or a glass of wine to wind down. This isn’t good for your blood sugar balancing for overnight. Avoiding sugar, alcohol and caffeine before bed is another great way to get yourself ready for sleep. Here’s why-- they will sugar, alcohol and caffeine will spike your blood sugar and give you a bolt of cortisol that tells your body to stay awake. It will also cause a blood sugar crash in the middle of the night, which then sends a bolt of adrenaline to your body causing you to wake up in the middle of the night.
How many of you wake up for to pee? A spike in blood sugar is what is causing that bathroom run at 2am-3am. Instead of reaching for that glass of wine or slice of cake before bed, chose some berries since they are low on the glycemic index and won’t cause a blood sugar spike or drop. Another way to make sure you keep your blood sugar balanced for sleep, plan your means to be balance with enough protein and good fat that will keep you satiated and fuels your body enough for restoration overnight while you sleep.
Pro tip: a warmup of chamomile, or sleepy time tea in the evening before bed with a scoop of collagen proteins in it will do wonders for keeping your blood sugar balanced through the night and let you stay asleep all night. Another option is a quick little protein filled snack before bed, like a slice of turkey meat. I like to have a cup of golden milk with a scoop of collagen proteins vanilla creamer and that helps to relax me and keep me satiated all night with a nicely balance blood sugar.
3. Create a Restful Environment- Have you been looking for a way to justify buying some new bedding? Well, here’s your justification, you need it to create an inviting, cozy, luxurious environment that will help you relax and snuggle in for some good sleep. Next is to turn down the thermostat to 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’re a Texan like I am you know we always have a ceiling fan running, even during the winter. A cooler bedroom is best for optimal sleep, as your body cools down, your pineal gland in the brain releases the melatonin hormone and keeps your sleeping.
Personal tip: I like to use a mattress warmer that warms the bed in the winter and turns off middle of the night, I also use a weighted blanket for extra coziness).
Using black out curtains or double covers on your windows to reduce light exposure can also be helpful. If the lights on your bedside clock or cable box bother you, then cover them up so you can rest easy.
4. Reduce Exposure to Artificial Light- Dim the lights and light the non-toxic candles to set the mood for relaxation. Any artificial lights such as blue light from tv, e-readers, phones and any other screens suppress the production of melatonin in your body. Bad for sleeping. Avoid screen time at least one hour before bedtime.
5. Limit Physical Activity- Moderate/High intensity level type of exercises needs to be completed at least 90 mins before bedtime. Moderate to high levels of intensity workouts will spike cortisol levels in the body causing a jolt in adrenaline and keep you awake longer missing your bedtime and missing out on that restorative and healing.
I hope these 5 tips come in handy for you to get a more peaceful and restful sleep. Reach out to me and let me know how these are working out for you. I love to hear your experiences, if you or your loved ones are having mysterious symptoms and are ready to find your root cause of these mysterious issues then I am ready to work with you one on one. Looking forward to hearing from you, Marisa@MariposaFNC.com