Get a Great Sleep Without Sleeping Pills
“I’m far too tired to exercise regularly, how do you do it?”
“I don’t know how to get a good night sleep anymore!”
“I’m just not tired when I go to bed, what should I do?”
These are just some of the things I hear on a week-to-week basis from all sorts of women, from mums to uni students. Lack of sleep is becoming an increasingly common problem in so many people’s lives that it’s no wonder why people are finding it hard to sustain the energy needed to juggle everything in their busy lives.
We all know sleep is important and not just the number of hours per night, but also the QUALITY of the sleep.So, how can you go from a walking zombie to a winning, healthy, zaftig aka a curvy goddess!?
By the end of this blog, you will learn:
- The 2 things you need to stop doing before bed to get the best sleep ever!
- The essential keys to better quality sleep to have you leaping out of bed the next morning
- The best foods to eat before bed to improve your sleep hormones
In our 6 Week Tight and Toned Challenge, there’s some really important factors we make sure our clients understand when it comes to sleep and recovery before even getting started on their journey.
In our initial ‘Body Blueprint Session’ we map out exactly what’s going on with their routines and make sure we can make a plan for them to get the best night sleep of their lives time and time again.
So, now it’s time to wake-up and pay attention – here are the main things you need to know:
STOP doing these things before bed to START getting better quality sleep.
1.No screens at least 30min before bed
Now, this may be a tough one for a lot of people who practically live their lives through their phones, TVs and laptops. BUT the fact of the matter is, all of these devices that we depend on so heavil,y give off a type of light that tells our brains to be alert and switched on.
Therefore, when it comes to sleep time, our brains can’t switch off instantly because it’s been told to be alert just moments before.
Researchers at Harvard found that “At night, light throws the body’s biological clock—the circadian rhythm—out of whack. Sleep suffers. Worse, research shows that it may contribute to the causation of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.”[1]
The solution: Detach yourself from any electronics at least 30 minutes before bed OR at least switch your phone to a night setting that emits a different colour light to the regular blue light.
2. No caffeine 3-6 hours before bed
Although a dessert coffee may seem like a good way (to some) to take the edge off a tough day and help you wind down, chemically, it’s going to do the opposite.
Caffeine is a drug that suppresses sleep hormones and promotes the production of adrenaline in the body. People will respond to its effects in different ways and some people can in fact still get a good night sleep shortly after consuming caffeine.
However, many people will be effected by the anti-sleep properties of having caffeine a few hours before bed so best to leave those coffees, teas, chocolates for earlier in the day.
3.Find your zen before bed to feel fresh and recharged in the morning
Although you may have tried traditional meditation in the past and ‘failed’, some form of meditation may be just what the doctor ordered when it comes to getting a great night sleep.
Personally, I’ve found meditation to work so well, that it actually puts me to sleep during the meditation… whoops! What works for some, when it comes to meditation, may not work for others, so I recommend testing and trying a few different techniques to see what suits your style best.
Meditation can be as simple as taking 90-seconds and focusing solely on breathing right before you sleep, or you can even enlist in the help of free guided meditation apps like Head space.
My best advice is to just give SOMETHING a go!
4.Wash away the stresses of the day with a warm shower or bath
One thing that I’ve relaxes me better than most other things before bed is calming my muscles and body with a warm shower or bath. Ensure the temperature isn’t too hot or too cold as these can have effects that may wake your body up rather than calm it down.
If you’re looking for an extra recovery boost, you can even try bathing in some Epsom salts or a relaxing aromatic oil like lavender or chamomile.
5.Eat more carbs before bed to promote your sleep hormones
Some people claim that they gain weight as soon as they so much as read the word ‘carbs’ and you might’ve also heard something like “having carbs after 6pm will lead you to instantly gain fat.”
Thankfully, those statements are absolutely FALSE and having carbohydrate rich foods before bed can, in-fact help promote tryptophan and serotonin levels within the body, in turn helps us go to sleep. This is probably where the term ‘food-coma’ came from because after a big, carb heavy meal, people will often feel like taking a nap.
So there you have it, it’s really as simple as:
- Switching off screens before bed
- Cutting out caffeine 3-6 hours before you sleep
- Zen out to get more Z’s
- Wash away your day to relax
- Eating carbs before bed to help sleep quality
If you want a to get more natural energy throughout the day and stop feeling sluggish and flat, then apply for our 6 Week Tight and Toned Challenge here – http://bit.ly/2hN9aAa
Keep an eye out for our next blog where we test and try mediations, so you can find out what’s the best style for you!
Happy toning!
References
- http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side