Let’s talk sleep! Are you getting enough of it? How uninterrupted is it? Do you feel refreshed upon waking?
Whether it takes you an hour to fall asleep, or you fall asleep fine but wake up at 4:00 a.m. unable to get your full night’s rest, don’t settle for a bad night. Sleeping 7 to 9 hours per night is essential for adults (more for children and teenagers) to feel their best. Here are some ways you can work on giving yourself a better chance night after night:
Work on your sleep hygiene
Sleep is a process—many people can’t just jump in bed and be soundly asleep five minutes later. Planning your time before sleep can be as important as the sleep itself. Try to give yourself at least a half hour to relax before bed. Turn off your screens (the light can be disruptive) and choose a quiet activity, such as reading, journalling or listening to music, to help relax you. Make your bed your sanctuary, with comfortable clothing and blankets, and even relaxing scents you enjoy. As you close your eyes for sleep, focus on positive thoughts and try to push away the worries of your day. Breathe deeply.
Curb your caffeine
Caffeine can affect different people differently, so experiment with how it works on your body. Try reducing your coffee and tea intake, and back up the time of your last coffee to late afternoon. If you’re still having trouble with sleep, back it up even further to the morning or try eliminating it for a few days. Remember that caffeine can affect not only your ability to fall asleep but stay asleep. Alcohol can also be disruptive, so that’s another culprit to experiment with cutting down or eliminating.
See a naturopathic doctor
If you need help with sleep hygiene or other ideas to work on getting a better sleep, further tweaks to your nutrition and even therapy can help. I test melatonin, hormones, and cortisol levels to identify what your body is deficient in and needs. Nighttime snacking can be a problem and so can imbalance in blood sugars. Stress or hormone deficiencies can also play a role. I prescribe supplements and herbs to help with sleep too!
Book a meeting with me to start working on your sleep routine. I take an individualized approach, and you’ll be surprised at what a difference it can make to your overall health and mood when you start consistently getting enough rest!