Bye Bye Sleeping Through the Night

Have you said “bye bye” to sleeping through the night?

Are you feeling exhausted or “running on stress hormones” all day?

Do not fear, I have some great tips (and an amazing recipe) for you!

I AM SO TIRED!

I used to say this allll the time (and let’s be honest, sometimes I still do!). It’s hard working full-time and then finding room in the hours left in your day to get everything done that you want and need to.

On top of that, where’s the time to get a full night’s sleep?

If you struggle to find balance, I beg you to NOT settle and give up on trying to fit in 8 hours of sleep. It’ll take work to find the right balance in your life but the sleep is SO important!

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 of the ways it helps us and all of the factors that can affect it.

Lack of sleep affects just about everything in your body and mind. People who get less sleep tend to be at higher risk for so many 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 don’t 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? (Gasp!)

OMG – What aspect of health does sleep not affect???

Knowing 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 orange-flavored snack). 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.
Cut off your caffeine and added sugar intake after 12pm. Whole foods like fruits and veggies are fine, it’s the “added” sugar we’re minimizing. Yes, this includes your beloved chai latte. Both caffeine and added sugar can keep your mind a bit more active than you want it to be. (HINT: I have a great caffeine-free chai latte recipe for you below!).
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). I love to call this the POWER DOWN HOUR. This would include dimming your artificial lights, nixing screen time and perhaps reading an actual book or having a bath.

So how many of these tips can you start implementing today? If you would like 3 additional bonus tips CLICK HERE NOW and get your copy of my eBook. I created this just for you for the purpose of gaining more energy throughout your day.

Here is the recipe I promised!