WELLNESS WEDNESDAY: Importance of Sleep

WELLNESS WEDNESDAY SPRING HEALTHY HABITS 💛⁠

⁠This week we wanted to share with you the importance of SLEEP (!!!) 😴⁠

⁠Sleep is an underrated wellness habit that is actually at the core of changing our over all health. During sleep, our bodies restore, retune, and balance. 🙌🏼⁠

Sleep is SO important for health and quality of life. Here are some easy sleep habits you could add into your routine!⁠

* Research shows the best time window to be asleep by is 10-11pm.⁠

* Plan to fall asleep and wake up at the same time everyday.⁠

* Begin your night time routine an hour before your sleep window.⁠

* Remember to stop eating 3 hours before your sleep window. This habit allows your body to free up the digestive system from working while you sleep so your body organs can go through each healing cycle.⁠

* In our modern world, research and studies have also proven it is highly beneficial to give up screen time an hour before bedtime.⁠

* Watching sunset followed by darkness helps to increase natural melatonin release, which in turn helps to improve sleep quality. Alternatively, the color of light at sunrise, blue light, helps to suppress melatonin, which helps our body wake up.

Creating a healthy, relaxing bedtime routine for yourself is one of the smartest and most nurturing things you can do for your body and mind. Most adults spend their days in a state of mental and physical overdrive. By establishing a proper routine, you’ll give yourself a chance to slow down, unwind, and refocus your attention on what matters the most to you. Set a notification or alarm on your smartphone to remind you of your routine at a set time, from Monday to Sunday. This alarm will act as a signal that it’s time for you to unplug from your blue light-emitting devices and start winding down for the night.

Dim Your Lights and Lower Your Thermostat

Our circadian rhythms regulate our core body temperature, which usually runs at 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Interestingly, humans tend to sleep better in rooms at significantly lower temperatures than their own body temperatures. Lowering your thermostat to 65 degrees may help to induce sleepiness and promote longer, more restful sleep cycles.

Limit Blue Light Exposure Before Bed

The screens of our televisions, smartphones, tablets, laptops and computers emit powerful blue light that stimulates your body’s circadian rhythms. Exposure to blue light keeps you awake long after it’s time to settle in for the night by tricking your brain and body into believing that it’s still daytime. Various sleep studies have documented that exposure to high levels of light at night can lower our melatonin levels, delaying our REM sleep cycles and promoting restlessness. We recommend turning off all screens at least 30 minutes before bedtime, but preferably 45 minutes to an hour before sleep.

Enjoy a Relaxing Warm Drink

Warm drinks are soothing and comforting, and have the power to promote better sleep. Try a drink with notable sleep-promoting benefits, such as chamomile tea, which has been used for centuries to alleviate insomnia and sleep issues. Many people swear by turmeric to promote better sleep at night. This superfood reduces inflammation and pain in the body while supplying it with the antioxidants it needs to fight free radicals and regenerate tissues overnight. Add the spice to a delicious bedtime drink like golden milk, and remember to use a low-carbohydrate sweetener in place of sugar so you don’t receive an unwanted energy boost!

Following a healthy bedtime routine should form part of your schedule, just as much as eating and exercise should.

There are foods that can help sleep, as well! These foods are almonds, cherries, chamomile tea, eggs, pistachios, and greek yogurt, to name a few!

The body benefits from sleep by producing certain hormones that stimulate the regeneration of damaged and dying cells, such as growth of hormones. Sleep is essential for boosting our immune systems. It allows the brain to refresh, sort and file all the information it has taken in each day; sleeping is like a reset button, all the chemical reactions and cellular processes are cleansed. Developing a nighttime routine will help set you on the path to becoming your Truest Form.

Sleep is an overlooked aspect of health in modern times. Many people struggle with getting to sleep, staying asleep, and waking up refreshed. We hope that this blog can motivate you and encourage you to implement some new healthy habits to help your sleep and your health!