Bye Bye Sleeping Through the Night

Oh, that elusive sleep.  Our time to rest, regenerate, heal and repair. 

How's yours?
 
If you need that cup of coffee or two (or three!) every morning to get going, you may get some very useful tips in this post.
 
High quality sleep isn't just important for your mind and body to have energy and be alert, it is vital to our healing. While the body appears from the outside to be still and inactive, sleep is a time when the body is quite busy restocking our supply of hormones, processing significant toxins, repairing damaged tissue, generating vital white blood cells for immunity, eliminating the effects of stress, and processing heavy emotions of the day. 
 
On the flip side, a lack of sleep can contribute to serious health issues which of course none of us want.
 
So let me have your attention for this “tip-filled” post on the importance of sleep and how you can get your fair share.  I'll even throw in an amazing caffeine-free latte recipe for your afternoon “pick me up”.  
 

The science of sleep is fascinating, complicated and growing
 
Sleep is this daily thing that we all do and yet we're just beginning to understand all the benefits and factors that can affect it.
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Lack of sleep affects just about everything in your body and mind.  People who get less sleep tend to be at higher risk for a host of health issues like diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer; not to mention effects like slower metabolism, weight gain, hormone imbalance, and inflammation.  And let’s not forget the impact lack of sleep can have on moods, memory and decision-making skills.
 
Do you know that lack of sleep may even negate the health benefits of your exercise program?
 
OMG – What aspect of health does sleep not affect??

Knowing all of this it's easy to see the three main purposes of sleep:

• To restore our body and mind.  Our bodies repair, grow and even “detoxify” our brains while we sleep.
• To improve our brain's ability to learn and remember things, technically known as “synaptic plasticity”.
• To conserve some energy so we're not just actively “out and about” 24-hours a day, every day.

 
Do you know how much sleep adults need?  It's less than your growing kids need but you may be surprised that it's recommended that all adults get 7 - 9 hours a night.  For real!
 
Try not to skimp!
 
(Don't worry, I have you covered with a bunch of actionable tips below.)
 
Tips for better sleep

• The biggest tip is definitely to try to get yourself into a consistent sleep schedule.  Make it a priority and you're more likely to achieve it.  This means turning off your lights 8 hours before your alarm goes off - Seven Days A Week.  I know weekends can easily throw this off, but by making sleep a priority for a few weeks your body and mind will adjust and thank you for it.

• Balance your blood sugar throughout the day.  Eat less refined and processed foods and more whole foods (full of blood-sugar-balancing fiber).  Choose the whole orange instead of the juice (or flavored snack).  And make sure you're getting some protein every time you eat.

• During the day get some sunshine and exercise.  These things tell your body it's daytime; time for being productive, active and alert.  By doing this during the day it will help you wind down more easily in the evening.
• Quiet the digestion. This is a particularly powerful one that surprises many, especially for those with insomnia or light, restless sleep. Have no food at all for a full three hours before bed.  You may notice how much a later-evening, heavy meal prevents you from sound sleep.
• Cut off your caffeine and added sugar intake after 2 p.m.  (e.g. tea (even green), coffee, soda, chocolate, Mate). Both caffeine and added sugar can keep your mind a bit more active than you want it to become in the evening.  Whole foods like fruits and veggies are fine; it's the “added” sugar we're minimizing. (Yes, this includes your beloved chai latte. HINT: I have a great caffeine-free chai latte recipe for you below!). Herbal tea (e.g. lavender, chamomile, valerian, passionflower) can also help one to relax and set the tone for sleep.  
• Bedtime routine - Have a relaxing bedtime routine that starts 1 hour before your “lights out” time (that is 8-10 hours before your alarm is set to go off). Choose more calming, quieter evening activities that resonate with you and help you to relax, both mentally and physically (e.g. reading a book, taking a bath, going for a light stroll outdoors, playing with a pet, folding laundry). 
• Avoid impairing sleep by turning off all full-spectrum light for a full 1-2 hours before bedtime. This means no television, email, or smart phone apps. 
• Avoid ‘amping’ up your brain with activities such as budgeting, balancing your checkbook, next-day-planning or stressful conversations in the full hour prior to bedtime. 
• Mind the temperature.  Rooms which are too hot or too cold tend to wake us up. In addition to waking us up to mess with the bedding, temperature extremes naturally increase our stress hormones which promotes wakefulness. 
• Bottom line - find your relaxing ritual at night. Herbal tea (e.g. lavender, chamomile, valerian, passionflower) can help one to relax and set the tone for sleep. A hot bath with Epsom salts may work well. Or perhaps 10 minutes of gratitude journaling or reading an inspirational or spiritual book. 
• How many of these tips and tricks are you implementing now and/or are you able to start implementing today?

 
*Please note, there are some situations where sleep tips are simply not enough. If you have tried all of these ideas and they still aren’t working, you may have a chemical imbalance that can be helped with some slight adjustments to your diet and some supplements based on what is going on with your specific situation. Sleep medications can be useful for very short-term triage if you are going through trauma or stress.
 
Unfortunately, these medications work as mild sedatives and are not addressing the root cause of your sleep disturbance. They also come with a wide range of side effects that render them unacceptable for long-term from dry mouth to stomach ache, to a hangover-like fatigue the following day.
 
If you would like to discuss further how we can help you improve your sleep Contact me today for a free consultation. It costs nothing and the results will change your life! You deserve to live your best life every Brand New Day!
 
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Check out the recipe below for your -Caffeine-free latte afternoon “coffee break”: 
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Caffeine Free Chai Latte Recipe