Getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep every night one of the most underrated recovery tool & overall health factor.
Poor sleep has just as much of an influence on your health as a bad diet & drug or alcohol abuse.
It has been linked to decreased exercise performance, decreased brain function & increased weight gain.
Needless to say, getting good quality sleep is vital to your overall health & the trick is to get in sync with your body’s natural circadian rhythm.
Here are my 8 tips to help you sleep better at night:
1. Limit screen time before bed. Blue light from our electronics have been linked to ticking your brain to think that it’s still daytime.
2. Increase your natural light exposure during the day. This will help to keep your natural circadian rhythm in sync by helping your body stay awake when it needs to & go to sleep when it needs to.
3. Limit your caffeine intake into the afternoon if you're sensitive. This includes coffee, energy drinks, caffeinated tea or foods.
4. Try to go to bed & wake up at consistent times. I know this tip isn’t possible for some people with crazy work schedules, but if it’s something that you can implement it's a great way to get your body into a routine.
5. Supplement with magnesium. Magnesium has been linked to calming the body & helping to reduce your stress levels. My favorite way to supplement is by sipping on some Natural Calm before bed.
6. Diffuse lavender. (This is a personal favorite of mine) I don’t know what it is about the smell of lavender, but it immediately helps me feel more relaxed. Sometimes I’ll put a couple drops into my essential oil diffuser or I also have a lavender pillow mist I’ll use close to bedtime.
7. Try some meditation before bed. This tip could be especially helpful for those that find that their mind races the moment they need it to quiet down. If you have no idea where to start when it comes to meditation.. check out the calm app. It’s a personal favorite of mine.
8. Improve your sleeping environment. Make sure your bed is comfortable, keep the noise down, keep the room dark, keep the room cool & reserve the bed for sleeping & sex.