Fix Your Sleep
Two big pieces of the healing puzzle that I work on with clients are mindset and sleep because they are both big needle movers. If you are struggling to restore your health but you aren’t getting quality sleep, you are missing a big piece of the healing puzzle. Read on to learn more.
Sleep is important and it should be a priority.
When you sleep, your brain heals. Did you know there are more than 700 genes that are activated while you sleep?
While you sleep, your brain actually allows more lymph around it while you are sleeping to detox it and heal it. Read more about your glymphatic system here.
Circadian Rhythm
Cortisol is the hormone that prepares you to deal with stress, and stimulates the immune system. Cortisol has a dark side when it is/has been chronically elevated due to chronic stress (perceived or real) and it wakes you up at 2am, gives you belly fat, and makes your blood sugar spike.
Melatonin regulates the internal clock that controls your circadian rhythm. Melatonin production goes up as the sun goes down to promote sleep. Melatonin also decreases cortisol, boosts your immune system, and improves your mood.
Cortisol and melatonin have an inverse relationship. Normally melatonin takes over at night slowing down the production of cortisol so you can sleep and your body can repair. In the morning, melatonin wanes as cortisol takes over making you alert and giving you energy.
Quality sleep begins in the morning
Wake up about the same time each day.
Create a rhythm: make your bed, get dressed, leave your bedroom.
Get natural, unfiltered light in your eyes and on your skin daily. Aim for about 20 minutes.
Exercise, the earlier in the day, the better. Often a late workout can boost energy levels and make it difficult to unwind and go to sleep.
During the day
Eat regularly to keep blood sugar stable.
Prioritize high quality protein and fat at each meal.
Drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water. A 150 lb person would drink 75 oz of water per day. If you drink multiple caffeinated beverages each day, you might need to increase your water consumption.
Avoid caffeine after lunch.
Avoid alcohol. Yes, it makes you sleepy initially because it suppresses neurotransmitters but that effect wears off and you wake up in the middle of the night or have restless sleep.
Retrain your brain
Limit your media consumption.
Become aware of mindset and negative thought loops. When you notice that you’re caught in a negative thought loop, flip the script.
Use grounding techniques
EFT (tapping)
Breath work
Apps like Calm & Headspace
Heart Math
Yoga
Tai Chi
Qi Gong
Get outside barefoot
Process and release your emotions. Journaling is a great tool for this.
Practice gratitude. Making note of what went right and what you are grateful for each sets the stage for a calm mind.
Mind Body Spirit Release™ is a powerful tool for de-activating emotions, memories, and traumas trapped in the sub-conscious. I use MBSR regularly with clients to help them become the healthiest, most vibrant version of themselves in body, mind, and spirit.
Prayer helps you turn your focus outside of yourself while nurturing grace, joy, and peace.
Sleep hygiene
Setup your bedroom
Cool room + cool bed (especially for my peri-menopausal and menopausal ladies).
White noise or a small fan
Epsom salt bath with lavender
Warm your feet
Go to bed at a regular time even on the weekend
No screens for at least an hour before bed. This means TVs, laptops, and phones. If you absolutely have to look at a screen, wear blue light blocking glasses.
I don’t like gadgets in my room and this is a point of contention with my husband. If there is a device in my room, it’s in airplane mode.
Don’t eat right before bed. I aim to finish dinner at least three hours before I go to bed so my body can do the heavy work of digesting my meal before my body systems slow down during rest. Some clients struggle with waking in the middle of the night and find eating a small protein snack before bed—no carbs—helpful.
Shut off your mind so you can fall asleep (or get back to sleep)
Sleep stories (Calm, Headspace).
Read something but no news.
Practice breathing techniques and mindfulness.
If you are struggling with a problem, write down a clear question for your mind to work on overnight.
Supplements
Shopping for supplements can be overwhelming. There are so many brands, types, and dosages making it hard to know what to take. Work with a practitioner that knows your health history and current health struggle(s) and can help you find the right supplement to support you getting quality sleep.
If you are struggling to get quality sleep, book a free 20-minute Discovery Call to see if we might be a good fit to work together.