10 Simple Ways to Improve Your Sleep
Sleep is one of the most underrated, yet essential components of a healthy lifestyle!
We live in a culture that glorifies burning the candle at both ends and while there’s nothing wrong with a little hustle, respecting your body’s need to rest is just as important as the foods you eat and moving your body.
The research consistently shows that without quality sleep not only do diet and exercise become slightly less important, they also become more difficult to achieve.
Dr. Mark Hyman argued, “you cannot achieve optimal health without getting a good nights sleep.”
Research even shows that one night of poor sleep can increase the hormones that affect your appetite leaving you more likely to reach for refined carbohydrates and sugars to refuel.
A good night’s sleep helps with everything from managing stress, and optimizing your energy levels, to weight loss and improving your hormone health and sex drive.
But what about when you really WANT to sleep, but it just isn’t happening?
Here are a few of my favorite tips:
Get outside!
Did you know that just 15 minutes of exposure to natural light first thing in the morning can help you fall asleep more easily and stay asleep at night? Early exposure to sunlight stimulates the pineal gland in your brain, helping to reset your body’s natural circadian rhythm.
So skip your morning phone session and take your morning meditation outside or sip your morning beverage out on the porch to energize your body during the day and help you to rest better at night.
Incorporate some form of movement every day.
Even better, take your exercise routine outside. All exercise is fantastic, but by exercising in nature a few days a week you get the added benefits of improved vitamin D levels, more balanced circadian rhythms, and a mood boost!
Set the stage for sleep.
A few hours before bed start dimming the lights in your home. Even better you could exchange some LED lights for old school Edison bulbs that emit more of a red/orange light and are less activating to your brain.
Turn on a mellow playlist and consider putting screens away at least 2 hours before lights out. If that’s not an option for you, try blue light blocking glasses or apps on your phone or computer.
Improve your gut health!
Everything starts in the gut. Every part of your body is connected and if you’re not eating and digesting well you’re likely not sleeping as well as you could be.
Make sure Vitamin D levels are optimal.
Not just within normal range but ideally your levels should be somewhere between 50 and 75ng/dL.
Eat a hormone healthy diet.
A hormone healthy diet is essentially just eating REAL FOOD that is low in sugar and high in healthy fats, fiber, protein and lots of nutrient-dense plants.
Detox your environment.
Consider getting an air purifier for your bedroom. Eat organic when possible and be mindful of the products you use on your skin and in your home.
Manage your stress.
Make relaxation a part of your daily routine. Active relaxation is not self-indulgent. It’s essential to your well-being.Try a warm bath, massage, soft music, board games, something you enjoy to wind down and lower your cortisol in the evening.
Create boundaries around technology.
Try putting your phone away at least 2 hours before bed, and turn it onto airplane mode or keep it out of the bedroom to charge at night.
Most importantly, find a routine that works for you and stick to it!
Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday.
More and more researchers are finding that quality sleep is less about what you do at bedtime and more about what you do ALL day long. The simple habits that support your health help your sleep too!
Better sleep doesn’t necessarily happen overnight but incorporating a few of these simple strategies can move you towards falling asleep adn staying asleep a little easier now.