Everything in our lives gets easier to handle when we're well rested. If you've ever gone through a stretch of poor sleep you're probably keenly aware of this.
Did you know that our habits have a big impact on how we sleep?
Here are some tips you can use right away to start getting a better night's sleep.
1. Keep in sync with your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle (Circadian rhythm). ☀️🌙
Wake up and go to bed at the same time every day. This helps create an internal clock and maximizes quality of sleep. This can also mean you should avoid sleeping in, even on days off or weekends.
It's recommended to get up at the same time every day, and take a 15-20 minute nap if needed rather than sleeping in. However, if you have trouble falling asleep at night, napping during the day can make falling asleep more challenging.
2. Control your exposure to light. 📲
Melatonin - Our natural hormone that regulates sleep/wake cycles. We create more melatonin when it's dark vs. when it's bright. This is where screen exposure at night really disrupts our natural cycle of sleep.
To help regulate the production of melatonin it's recommended to get lots of light during the day – natural sunlight. Whether it's from you being outside or keeping the blinds open and letting more natural light in your workspace, it helps keep you awake and alert.
When it is time for bed, we want to do the opposite. Avoid screens at least one hour before bedtime. The blue light emitted from TV’s, phones, tablets, and computers disrupt your natural melatonin creation.
When it is finally time to sleep, make sure the room is as dark as possible. This may include black out curtains, or a face mask if necessary. If you do need to get up during the night to go the bathroom, try to limit the light you use to get there (safely of course). Any light disruption can interfere with the sleep cycle.
3. Exercise during the day 🏋️♀️
People who exercise regularly sleep better at night and feel more awake during the day. Exercising can also increase the amount of time you spend in deep, restorative stages of sleep.
This also means timing your exercise session correctly. If you workout too close to bedtime, you can be too “wired” afterwards. Your heart rate and cortisol levels can be elevated for 1-3 hours after your workout! Depending on intensity level. So you want to make sure you're not working out too closely before bed.
On the flip side, if you do some gentle, slow paced stretching, rolling, or deep breathing closer to bed time, this can help relax your body and promote sleep.
4. Diet and sleep ☕️ / 🛌
The choices you make of food and drink during the day can greatly affect your sleep quality. The biggest one is caffeine. This is tricky because some people are more affected by it than others.
We suggest limiting caffeine intake after 12pm. It's hard to know exactly how long it affects your nervous system, so better to play it on the safe side!
Eating big meals at night can also be detrimental to your ability to sleep. Spicy or acidic foods can result in stomach pains or heartburn. It also causes the digestive system to work harder and draw blood to organs while you are trying to unwind and relax.
Drinking too much liquid before bedtime can result in trips to the bathroom that interrupt sleep cycles. Try to limit intake of liquids 1-2 hours before your bedtime.
For many of us, the biggest elephant 🐘 in the room (in regards to our health and fitness) is sleep. By improving the quality and quantity of sleep we get, we can see positive change in virtually all aspects of our life. It's that impactful.
Today see if you can focus one changing on thing that will help you move in the right direction. 😎
To your good health,
The Evertrain Team
P.S. Are you looking for help managing the juggling act of fitness, nutrition and lifestyle? We help people over 50 get out of pain, lose weight and live the quality of life they want with the structure and support designed for 50+ folks. Just schedule a call with one of our success coaches today and we’ll show you how.
