Sleep is the #1 most important element to our overall health and wellness, but it is the key ingredient that most people take for granted. It is the last thing we do at night and usual the activity that gets pushed to the end as well! Here are some great key points to make your sleep the most beneficial to you and your health!
#1 Go to bed as usual….
When you’re used to going to bed at about the same time every night, the stress of trying to force yourself to pass out earlier could make you take even longer than normal to fall asleep. Plus, the more hours you log in bed not sleeping, the more your body will associate your bed with being awake (holy vicious cycle!), says Kenneth P. Wright Jr., Ph.D., director of the Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory at the University of Colorado.
So even if your alarm is set to an early hour, climb under the covers when you feel tired and not a minute before. And if you happen to have a burst of energy once in a while at bedtime, it’s cool—you can turn in a little later.
Don’t Make Wine your Security Blanky….
Yes, booze makes you sleepy, but drinking too much too close to bed is a bad idea. It leaves you more likely to wake up frequently throughout the night—and awaken the next day earlier than you planned to, Wright says.
Keep your bedroom cool, not toasty.
You’ll go down faster and deeper in a cool room, when your body’s core temperature is declining, Silberman says. It seems our bodies are designed to start warm, and then we literally chill out while we drift off, instead of maintaining a steady warmth or coolness.
So take a warm bath or shower before bed, then enter your chilly bedroom (about 3 degrees lower than your preferred daytime temperature, Silberman suggests). Or get ready for bed in cozy pj’s and socks, then strip down before climbing under the covers—which will also help you avoid that gross waking-up-sweaty feeling.
Sleep in Total Darkness:
Even though we are “sleeping” our brain is still stimulated by light and we can’t get that quality sleep we need with light and our body can’t go into a fully rested state and we won’t feel the full rest potential we should be.
Buy black out shades, absolutely no computer, t.v., and/or phone, and place black tap over any smoke detectors or added light in the room. You will feel more rested this way too.
Stretch and Meditate –
Many of us lead very stressful lives, and it is very difficult for us to shut it down at night. Meditation and stretching will help calm the body and relax the muscles from all the tension they have endured during the day. Also, this will help ease the stress as well and sleep more soundly!
Journal:
Journaling is a great way to get all of your thoughts out of your mind and onto paper before you close your eyes. It is also helpful to leave a pad and pen next to your bed, in case you wake up in the middle of the night with thoughts or ideas. You can write them down right away and then go right back to sleep.
Now that you have the tools to get the best Zzzzz’s possible, You will feel better, work more efficiently and be in an overall better state of mind!
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