02/12/2020
Sleep ๐ด
How many hours do you average per night??
Getting enough sleep is one of the best gifts you can give yourself because it directly affects your mental AND physical health! It impacts your productivity, emotional balance, brain and heart health, immune function, creativity, vitality, and even your weight. No other activity delivers so many benefits with so little effort!
Truth...most adults need 7-9 hours of quality sleep to function at their best and children and teens need even more. Itโs not to say we canโt function on less because Iโm betting that a lot of us donโt achieve that per night. As adults our babies, toddlers, teens, work, stress, anxiety etc all collaborate to steal those hours from us!
Here are a few things we can do to establish better sleep:
1๏ธโฃ Make sure to rule out any health problems that may cause sleep deprivation.
2๏ธโฃ TRY and stick to a regular sleep schedule
3๏ธโฃ Get regular exercise-aim for at least 30 minutes per day and not super close to your bedtime window.
4๏ธโฃ Notice what youโre ingesting-avoid caffeine, alcohol, sugary foods, heavy meals and excessive fluids before bedtime.
5๏ธโฃ Stress management-thatโs a big one but the โmanagementโ part is different for everyone.
6๏ธโฃ Improve your sleep environment-dark room, quiet and cool.
7๏ธโฃ Develop a relaxing bedtime routine-try to avoid screens, work, and stressful conversations in the evenings. I KNOW....way easier said than done!
A warm bath, dim lights, and practicing relaxing techniques will assist in a peaceful bedtime routine.
8๏ธโฃ Postpone worrying-if youโre like me and wake up in the middle night with your mind racing, jot it down and get to that in the morning. Your brain will release it and you get the benefit of returning to a peaceful slumber!
โฌ๏ธPosted below is a short 3-minute yoga practice for deep sleep! Easy body movement to send you into a state of relaxation โค๏ธ
