Simple Steps Towards Better Sleep
Have you experienced waking up feeling like you've been hit by a truck after traveling to a new place? Next thing you know, you are ordering that Oatmilk Venti Latte to get you through the day and by the time you finish your day, you feel like your body is ready for sleep but your mind isn’t ready to disconnect. You then end up wide-awake in bed, feeling tired and you start an endless cycle of scrolling!
Before you know it, you’ve just spent an hour going through your feed and you've just missed your opportunity to sleep early. Gone are your goals of waking up early and working out. This then starts a vicious cycle of unhealthy sleeping habits.
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Why You Need More Sleep
Getting enough sleep is one of the most important parts of a healthy lifestyle. It's also the first thing to do if you're busy or stressed. If you're an entrepreneur or your own boss, it can be super hard to disconnect. While some people are fine with just 6 hours of sleep, most of us need seven to eight hours. High chances you're part of this majority. If you're one of these people who tell everyone how you get by just fine on 5 hours, I hate to break it to you, but that's probably not true.
Also, it’s not just about getting the right amount of sleep but also about the quality of sleep. You’ll know you’ve had a good quality sleep when you wake up feeling refreshed and ready- both mind and body - to take on the day. If you're like me and sometimes you just can't feel rested no matter how long you sleep and just feel like the worst version of yourself, keep reading, the people who share your life will thank you for it.
Sleep deprivation can have effects on mental health and your mood. Memory problems, lack of mental clarity, weakened immune system and depression are just among the many effects of having too little or poor-quality sleep. Even before this, you can notice right away how grumpy you feel the next day if you've had a bad night of sleep. It’s time to look into your sleep hygiene and your sleeping habits.
Sleep is an opportunity for our body to rest - it conserves energy, decreases heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and body temperature. Our body is undergoing a repair process from whatever’s lost or malfunctioned during the day.
Sleep plays a crucial role in having your body works the way it should by:
Boosting your immune system
Restoring memory and maximizing brain function
Controlling body temperature and metabolism
Keeping a healthy heart and circulatory system
Promoting healing and repair, in particular through REM sleep.
Regulating the appetite
If all of these processes are not functioning well, you won't either! Fortunately, you can act on your eating habits and on your environment to improve sleep so you can be a better version of yourself each time you wake up.
Eat Well, Sleep Well
As a Holistic Health Coach, I always promote well-balanced eating habits based on mindful choices and a lot of plants. You need to investigate what you eat and see if it is truly nourishing you and setting you up for a good night of sleep: are you depending on caffeine and other stimulants? Are you eating a lot of added sugars and processed food?
The kind of meals you go for and the time you eat them can also affect how you feel. Digestion necessitates energy: if you go to bed after having a heavy dinner, you might not be able to sleep well as the body focuses more on digestion instead of resting. To get enough sleep, keep healthy eating habits:
Eat different kinds of food, but limit caffeine and sugar consumption.
Have the largest meal in the middle of the day or away from your bedtime.
Are you craving for late-night snacks? Channel your energy instead on reading or yoga.
Skip the excessive late-night drinks: you don’t want your sleep interrupted by the need to go to the bathroom.
Avoid drinking alcohol more than a few times a week: it disrupts your REM sleep, which helps your body heal and restore.
Set yourself up for success, even when traveling
Where you sleep is a determining factor of how you sleep, but when you're traveling, you can't really control that factor. Late nights because of jet lag, night travel, and waking up in a different place every day can be really taxing on your body.
You need a peaceful sleep environment to easily drift off to dreamland. Ideally, your bed should only be for sleep, sex, and gentle yoga. Otherwise, you’ll only have more distractions that will prevent you from getting that good sleep. If you're traveling full time, high chances you're often working from your hotel room. You're probably in bed right now reading this.
Here are my quick tips on how you can turn your bedroom into a relaxing place to retreat and practice good sleep hygiene:
Keep your room dark; use a light-blocking eye mask - or maybe one that you got for free from the plane.
Electronic are off-limits in your bed. Set your alarm and put your phone far away.
If you REALLY need your phone beside you, place it with the screen faced-down and on flight mode to not be woken up by the notifications.
Make your room clutter-free and put away your stuff for the night, back in your suitcase if you are only staying a few nights or unpack for real if you're there for longer.
Keep your room cool or you can sleep with thin nightgowns - sleep naked if you must.
It is easier to settle down at bedtime if you create a routine. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time to establish a healthy sleep pattern. It also helps if you track your sleeping habits, if that doesn't stress you out. That way you can see if there are any adjustments needed.
Getting enough sleep might just be what you need to bring you to the next step in your wellness goals. What are your favorite tips for better sleep?
Did you know that your workouts could be impacting how well you sleep? Check out this article to find out what you can do!