How to Get a Good Night’s Rest
Getting enough sleep is one of the simplest and most important things you can do for your health.
Our bodies need sleep to recharge mentally and physically for the next day. While this is a no-brainer for most of us, getting a good night’s sleep can sometimes be a challenge.
I field questions all the time from clients who are having restless nights. Here is a quick tip to get a more peaceful night’s sleep.
I find it hard to switch off at night before bed. it takes me so long to fall asleep even though I feel so tired. How can I get a better night’s rest?
Often, the most common culprit for a wired mind before bed these days is technology. Are you watching TV, texting, or looking at your computer screen before bed? If the answer is yes, that’s the first place to start. Looking at a screen — whether it’s a TV, a backlit e-reader, a phone or a computer — can greatly interfere with sleep and the brain’s ability to quiet itself before bed. Some studies suggest that the blue light emitted by LED lights in screens interferes with the body’s production of melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate sleep, so even if you feel drowsy while watching a movie on your laptop in bed, you find it hard to fall asleep afterward or find that your sleep is less restful than you want it to be. Texting or checking your email before bed can have a similarly disturbing effect on sleep patterns, often because it gets your brain stimulated, thinking about the things you must do tomorrow or the meeting you have to prepare for.
Instead of allowing for the day to end, you fall asleep already anxious about what is to come. Here are a few ideas for how to improve your sleep.
Put away all your screens at least an hour before bed.
Avoid sugar and caffeine in the evening which will only serve to heighten any existing feelings of anxiety.
Drink a cup of relaxing herbal tea, like chamomile or lavender, half an hour before bed.
Instead of making a mental to-do list before bed, write down three things that went well today and why they happened. You may be surprised to see that you accomplished more than you thought you did. Leave the to-do list for the morning.
Breathe! Breathing is the key to relaxation. One easy exercise for relaxation and insomnia is to count your breaths. Count silently to three on your inhale and six on your exhale. Extending your exhale helps to lower the heart rate and relax the mind and body. Keep counting your inhales and exhales until you fall asleep.
Download a free app like “Relax Melodies,” which has different nature sounds to help you fall and stay asleep and play it softly when you go to bed. Just make sure you aren’t playing it from a device with a backlit screen close by.
Want more? Check out this supplement on top of these tips for catching more z’s and waking up with more energy!
Each night I mix 1st Phorm’s Magnesium and Collagen together about 30 minutes before bed.
