We often hear questions like, “what supplement can I take for X?” And it’s not that we don’t like supplements, but we know the power of the foundations. And the very first foundation is sleep. If you don’t have proper sleep, everything else is going to feel very hard. So before you go spending hundreds on supplements or tracking your macros, start with the basics of sleep.
Where To Start?
- Consistent Bed TIME
Can you slowly start to build your daily schedule so that you can get to bed on time (your goal time), plus or minus 30 minutes? If your goal is 10pm, but you’re currently going to bed at 11:30, can you aim to get to bed 15 minutes earlier each night until you get to 10? Can you start to plan to have dinner 3 hours before that time so you have proper digestion for better sleep? Start here.
Next, in order to fall asleep faster, we want to look at the couple hours leading up to it. We want those hours to be as calm and down regulating as possible. Things to help with this include avoiding exercise or large meals 2 hours prior to laying down for bed, and putting away work and bright screens as well. If you do have bright lights, can you dim them or use orange tinted blue light blocking glasses? If you do eat, can you have a smaller snack that’s paired with protein? Start chipping away at having a calming bedtime routine. We love including things like relaxing reading or funny TV shows (with a time limit), baths/saunas (external heat is good for sleep), stretching, folding laundry, breathwork, and drawing.
- Environmental Factors
Oftentimes we don’t fall asleep well or stay asleep due to our environment. Things like lighting, room temp, or sounds. For lighting, we recommend you use very dim lights (dimmers, Casper Glow Light, Bon Charge lights, or candle light) once the sun goes down. And for when you’re trying to sleep, black out shades can be a game changer, as well as using black electrical tape over any lights in your room. Light increases cortisol and suppresses melatonin – the exact opposite of what we want for good sleep! Also check the temperature of your room, we recommend staying in the mid to high 60’s, no higher, for better sleep. Lastly, if you have dogs or live in a noisy neighborhood, have you tried ear plugs or a gentle sound machine? If not, definitely try it out!
Start With One
Sleep is the elixir of life! Seriously. Try one of these and feel the change. Can you work your way up to 8 hours of sleep? Can you prioritize your health and help your body feel better and less stressed? We think so! If this even feels hard, reach out! Book a free coaching call with us and we can help dive deeper to see how we can help you create change so you can feel more in control.
