Sleep Better Tonight

Springtime comes with an influx of energy, but the Daylight Savings time change can throw your circadian rhythm out of whack and set you back a few weeks (or more).

The majority of us have a natural rhythm that syncs with light: rise with the sun and rest in the darkness. But modern conveniences that include 24/7 exposure to lighting and stimulation can cause a disturbance in natural patterns. If you consider yourself a night owl, chances are you’ve trained your body into that pattern. Burning the midnight oil occasionally isn’t a problem. But if you continually push yourself beyond natural limits, your glands become weakened and you exhaust your natural resources. Feeling tired but wired or catching your second wind when it’s time for bed is a big sign that your adrenals have been affected.

For more energy and resilience, prioritize healthy sleep hygiene and if you usually stay up after 10pm, make small, incremental steps towards an earlier bedtime. Everyone is different, but give one or two of these suggestions a try and start sleeping better tonight!


6 Things to Avoid for Better Sleep…

• caffeine & other foods you’re sensitive to
• sugar and high starch foods- blood sugar imbalances can wake you up throughout the night and make it difficult to fall back to sleep
• large or heavy meals at dinnertime
• using devices and watching tv after 7pm
• intense workouts in the evening (but slow movement and gentle stretching is a-ok!)
• big changes to your sleep schedule (like waking at 6 a.m. all week but sleeping in until 10 a.m. on the weekends or forcing bedtime a full hour earlier after the Daylight Savings time change)

...and 7 Healthy Sleep Habits to Try Tonight

• diffuse essential oils
• use blackout curtains to block out unnecessary light
• warm your feet but cool your room (I’m a fan of wool socks or a hot water bottle)
• opt for candlelight or red light an hour before bed
• relax before bed with light reading, journaling, gentle stretches or deep breathing
• stick to a sleep schedule- and if you need to bump your bedtime up, do it in 15 minute increments over several days or weeks
• wake up and get sunlight on your face in the morning to tell your body it’s time to wake up- this can help reset your internal clock if you’re a reforming night owl

Looking for more sleep hacks? Try this Brahmari breathing technique to soothe overwhelm and make your slumber that much sweeter.