Hey,
Can we take a hot minute to talk about YOUR sleep?
Yes, you!
I feel like we 'know' the things we're supposed to do to get good sleep, but do we do it....?
So this week, I'm popping in your inbox to send you some friendly reminders of how to help your own sleep:)
Here goes!
1) Going to bed past 11 pm, is probably not helping
I 100% am stealing this from Jessica Ash Wellness, I love her content and I binge it all the time, but she proves a really good point.
After dark, we are no longer the 'apex' predator.
Okay, so that's not a real problem for most of us these days, but our bodies and brains don't really know that.
So once the sun goes down, and it gets later in the night, if we don't go to sleep before a certain time, our brain thinks that we are going to stay awake...
So you know what happens?
It gives us more cortisol and adrenaline to stay alert!
I'm sure you can see how that's not helpful for your sleep.
So if your sleep is bleh- I want you to work on getting to bed before, or by the lastest, 10 pm.
Hmm, okay? Cool.
2) Screen time- we know it's not helping, but you really need to know that it's not helping.
There are countless studies that show how blue light ignites our brain, and makes it incredibly active.
Even if you feel sleepy while watching T.V.
So once you finally go to sleep, it keeps your brain active and can steal away from rest.
Bleh.
"But I wear blue light blocking glasses!" you say.
Sure, those help.
But the scrolling, the images, the lights, all of those things don't help your brain calm down.
So here's your challenge: Turn off the T.V., phones, tablets, etc. one hour before bedtime (so, that would be 9 pm).
And see what happens! Try it for a week!
3) Releasing stress is something we often skip
Feeling tense from the day or week you've just lived?
Releasing stress, doing soothing, calming activities, helps us to prepare for sleep.
Examples:
Journaling
Listening to music
Stretching
Dry Brushing
Gentle yoga
Drinking herbal tea
Bath with epsom salts (magnesium for the win!)
Reading
Progressive relaxation
Let's be gentle to ourselves and give our bodies and brains a chance to unwind.
4) Guided sleep meditations are awesome
I LOVE Youtube.
I mean, really, what information is not on that app?
There's some great sleep meditations on there and when my brain feels extra busy- I have a few go to's.
Seriously, it's awesome.
Here are some of my favorites:
Spotify also has a huge range of guided sleep meditations that you can download.
...
Can you do me a favor? If you found this helpful, can you hit the 'forward' button and send it to a friend?
Thank YOU!
Here for you,
Melody Patton
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