Trouble sleeping through the night?

Do you wake up exhausted?

Do you rely on caffeine in the morning to start your day?

Do you have trouble shutting down your brain at night?

Do you struggle with weight loss?

Do you suffer from low libido?

Do you find yourself craving an afternoon caffeine boost to finish your day?

All of these concerns can be triggered by poor sleep and a poor sleep regimen.  That whole saying, “you  can sleep when your dead,” well yes, but I prefer to feel awake, well rested and refreshed on a daily basis.  There are many components to your day that can be contributing to your lack of sleep.  

It is important to wake up in a calm atmosphere.  We all have that annoying alarm tone that rings in the morning to wake us up.  What most of us do not know is that is not necessarily the most ideal to solution to wake up.  My suggestion is to leave your blinds open so when the sun comes up, you naturally will start to wake due to the sun, making it less chaotic and more of a calm wake.

As much as we all love our caffeine, if you can eliminate caffeine from your diet you would really be helping your sleep at night.  Caffeine has the ability to disrupt your body and its “shutdown” at night, even if you drink a cup in the morning.  Now if you absolutely cannot eliminate that morning cup, which i am guilty of, then make an effort to eliminate your caffeine intake for the rest of the day.  That means no hot tea (with caffeine) or coffee after dinner, and don’t forget that sweets have caffeine.  So not chocolate to late at night to all you sweet lovers out there!

What we eat plays a huge part in our sleep patterns and quality.  By decreasing, or even better, eliminating sugars, processed foods, dairy, and wheat products, you can increase your sleep quality.  A little inside tip, all of these foods are considered metabolic disruptors and/or common sensitivities for most people, which long story short means that they are effecting the way your body works and its ability to shut down at night.  Meaning interrupted/lack of sleep for you.

Physical activity can help your sleep regimen too!  Dr. Frank Lipman shares that exercise “increases the amplitude of our daily rhythms and signals the body to promote deeper sleep cycles.”  So get your butt off the couch and get out there!  Whether its a workout at your local gym,  a nice walk/run in your neighborhood, whatever works for you and your body, just get it moving!

If you can adhere to these simple tips throughout the day, finish string with these nightly regimen tips.

Go to sleep at the same time every night.  This allows your body to create a routine and patterns, letting your body shut down appropriately.  Maximizing your quality of sleep at night.

Don’t eat or drink too late at night!  That late night snack you love, or hot tea is not helping you get some shut eye.  Your body needs time to wind down before bed, just like we do.  Try to make sure your eating dinner a couple hours or more prior to bed.

After work naps?  Its easy to come home and relax, but napping can interrupt your sleep throughout the night.

Are you relaxing your body prior to bed?  Our bodies need to decompress and slow down, just like us.  Turn off your tv’s, and replace it with a book before bed.  The blue light that comes from our phones and tv’s disrupts sleep, so put the nighttime mode on your phone and eliminate too much time on electronics right before bed.

I hope these easy steps can help you get some shut eye and wake up refreshed!