10 ways to sleep better
Most people have trouble sleeping from time to time, and sometimes the bathroom calls to you in the middle of the night. I participated in a sleep class this week and I thought you might like some of the useful tips I learned.
#1 Get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. Why? They have done longevity studies and those were the ideal amounts of sleep. So sleeping too much can be detrimental as well.
#2 Bad sleep…Big bellies! It is possible. When you don’t sleep well a hormone from your adrenal glands called cortisol will spike abnormally high. If it does it can increase your hunger, and also increase mid-section fat storage.
#3 One other tidbit for those of you who don’t enjoy being sick. Sleeping recharges the immune system.
#4 Spinal Rehydration. During the night your spinal fills back up with fluid after the day of compression from standing up. So good spine health relates to adequate sleep and good sleep posture.
#5 “Warm hands and feet induce sleep quickly”-Mayo sleep clinic
#6 Get up at the same time everyday. This is probably the most important aspect of regular sleep. If you are not sleeping well this would be a great place to start. You should not need an alarm clock. If you need an alarm clock and you are not working shifts, you have sleep problems, lifestyle problems, or adrenal gland problems. Once again I’ve been on that path and I know when I don't wake up easily, I need to slow life down.
#7 Go to bed at the same time.
#8 The room should be quiet and dark. Darker the better.
#9 No caffeine within 6 hours of going to bed.
No Alcohol before bed
No Exercise before bed.
No Long naps…(anything over 20 minutes)
#10 Don’t face the alarm clock out if you tend to wake in the middle of the night. You will stress about the time and fret about not sleeping. Don’t watch the clock at all. Just lay back down and start counting backwards from 100-1.
Bonus material:
If you are having trouble going to sleep, try these tips on different nights.
#1 Don't eat before bed
#2 Eat a hard boiled egg before bed
#3 Eat a hard boiled egg with salt before bed.
Let me know the difference. They each mean some thing different.
Now, if you wake up between 2-4 am you most likely have adrenal problems. We should definitely talk.
If poor sleep is a regular problem there is likely a circadian rhythm issue. That is a bigger problem for another post or questions in the office.
For more info check out this video:
