Get You Some of That Good Sleep

If you want to feel good throughout the day, without drinking a bunch of coffee, you gotta sleep. Without enough sleep, you can’t function effectively. Not only does a lack of sleep impact how you get through your workday, it can also cause some serious medical issues. A poor quality of sleep can lead to mental health problems like, anxiety and depression, not to mention physical issues, such as hypertension and heart disease. Bad sleep can also affect the way you look. It causes bags under the eyes, bloodshot eyes, blotchy-red skin, and the deterioration of hair and nails over time. It also leads to weight gain. I don’t know about you, but I’m not for any of that.

In these crazy times we need our immune systems to be at their best. One of the best ways to ensure that is by getting good sleep. I’ve always been one of those people that think of all the things I could’ve done with my life at like 3 in the morning when I should be sleeping. My mind would just race and race. I would literally have to tell it to shut up. Fortunately, I’ve found some ways to fall asleep and to stay asleep through the night.

Create a Routine

Getting your body into a routine will trick it into falling asleep at a specific time. When you’re feeling tired, don’t fight it, go to bed. I know fomo is real, but I promise you, that show on Netflix will be there the next day. If you’re not tired, don’t try to force the sleep to happen. When you find yourself tossing and turning, go to another part of the house and do some breathing exercises or meditate, anything that doesn’t cause stimulation, then go back to bed and try again. Create a routine that allows you to complete everything before your bedtime, so that you won’t think of those things when it’s time to go to sleep. Try to get up at the same time and go to bed at the same time every day, even on weekends and vacations. I know this can be hard, but it’s necessary. Staying up late on the weekends will throw your body’s inner clock off and make it extra hard to start your routine back up on Monday. You can set an alarm that will tell you that it’s time to prepare yourself for bed. That way, you are less likely to forget what time it is and be more successful at implementing a routine. A bedtime ritual is s great addition to your schedule. It allows you to relax, disconnect from the stress of life, and slowly tell your body that it’s time to shut down.

Create a Comfortable Atmosphere

Make your bedroom a vibe. Don’t underestimate the comfort of your bed and pillows and the power of fresh linen. If you are uncomfortable, you will likely have a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep. Keep it extra cool and run a fan if you have one. I keep my A/C on 72 in the daytime, but before I go to bed, I turn it down to 68. The snuggle is real (ba dum tss). If you like essential oils, drop a lil’ lavender on your pillow, it helps the brain relax. Try only using your bed for sleep and sex. If there’s light in your room, from the bathroom or coming in from outside, it could interrupt your sleep. Maybe, get yourself a mask, (for your eyes, it sucks that I have to say that) or invest in dark shades. If the light on your laptop charger or your alarm clock is too bright, make sure you cover it. Your phone should have a feature that makes the light dim at a certain time. You may also want to consider moving the television from your bedroom. It will keep you awake, instead of encouraging sleep. This may come as a shock to your system at first, but one of the most effective ways to get good sleep is to turn off any electronics 1 hour before bedtime. Spend the last hour doing something calming and relaxing.

Some examples: Take a bath with essential oils and Epsom salts Write in a journal Make tea and drink it in silence Do some stretching Things to Avoid Caffeine-containing beverages or foods after 2 pm; if you’re sensitive to caffeine, avoid it after 12 noon Alcohol (wine, beer, and hard liquor) within 3 hours of bedtime (I am also devastated by this) Anxiety-provoking activities close to bedtime (watching the news, reading exciting material) Paying bills before bedtime (no, for real) Checking your financial reports or the stock market before bedtime Arguments before bedtime (you should never go to sleep mad at your partner) Getting in bed after 11 pm, late-hour sleep is not as helpful as earlier sleep. Drinking more than 4-8 ounces of fluid before going to bed (ladies, I know you feel me on this)

Sleep is not optional; you need it for healthy living. It’s important for memories to be consolidated, for creativity to happen, for resiliency with emotions, for energy, and for your ability to metabolize and burn food properly and lose weight. If you’re having trouble losing weight you may want to think about your sleep habits. Sleep also removes toxins from your brain and is essential in healing your body. I used to say, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” Turns out, I may get there faster if I don’t get proper sleep. We’ve been taught that working ourselves to death, and only sleeping for a short period of time is the way to become successful, but we are never at our best when we aren’t getting quality sleep.