I'll Help You Get Your zzzzzzz's
Posted on April 26, 2013 by Katie Nichols, One of Thousands of Health and Fitness Coaches on Noomii.
Have you ever had trouble sleeping? Here are some reasons why and how to make sure you get a good night's sleep, every night!
Action Required: For 5 days, on a piece of paper, write down what time you go to bed, if you wake up during the night (and why), what time you wake up, how you feel and how long it takes you to get going.
You may notice things like inconsistent bed time or wake time, how many times you wake during the night, how many hours you get, how you feel in the morning, how long it takes you to get going and how long it takes you to fall asleep.
When I first did this, I realized that I have more energy when I get AT LEAST 7 hours of sleep, I get to sleep faster if I don’t eat too late, I require around 10-15 minutes in the morning to just lay, drink lemon water and slowly wake up, I only wake up in the middle of the night if I have had too much liquid after 8pm, I can’t fall asleep if I have had caffeine after 3pm and I feel awesome if I go to sleep around 9-10pm and wake up around 7am. Due to these observations, I made a pact with myself to take the care I need to get a good night’s rest.
Tips:
- Try to get to sleep and wake up at more or less the same time- Don’t eat or drink after 8pm, if you MUST snack, try cherries (they contain melatonin) or bananas!
- Avoid watching TV, reading something heavy or scary, texting or using devices before/in bed
- Set your alarm for 15 minutes before you need to wake up and DON’T hit snooze, but rather sit up and sip water while you slowly and peacefully wake up
- Set the mood – wear something comfy, bring the temperature of the house to at or lower than 65 degrees and cuddle under a warm blanket
- Avoid spicy or heavy/fatty/greasy foods that will require a lot of digestive work all night
- Exercise! Getting at least 30 minutes of exercise a day can improve your sleep!
Why is sleep so important? Let’s be honest here, you already know the answer to that! Benefits of include better energy, sharper focus, happiness, relaxation, less need for caffeine, overall health to name a few. Try the experiment and see how little changes can have a big impact! Especially now as the seasons change, why not do some spring cleaning of your sleep routine and see how much happier your mornings can get!
