Have you heard? Sleep is all the rage! With more and more research coming out on the importance of sleep for preventing chronic conditions (and more and more people feeling the impacts of low quality sleep from excessive stressors), sleep is suddenly a hot topic in the health and wellness world. Fortunately, this is something everyone on our Wellness team has been talking about for years so we are ready to prepare you for some really good zzzzz’s! Here are our top tips for a deep, restful, restorative rest.
- Dim the lights. Have you ever been camping and felt yourself starting to snooze at only 7:30pm? That’s because your body responds beautifully to darkness! Get dimmers on your lights and bring the lights down at least an hour before bedtime – 2 hours is even better! Turn off any lights that aren’t essential and you will feel your body start mellowing out from this one change alone.
- Turn off the screens. This is one of the hardest ones. But the blue light coming from your TV, tablet & phone is stimulating, meaning your body is not ready for sleep the second you turn it off. (not to mention the stress you are feeling from the “doomscrolling” topics on your social media feed!) Two, yes TWO, hours before bed, turn off the screens. Use this time to prep your lunch for the next day, or play games with your family, or read a book. Absolutely cannot get rid of the screen? Try blue-blocker glasses &/or an app to block the blue light from your screen.
- Set the mood. Calm, peaceful music, essential oil diffusers, maybe even a warm weighted shoulder pad or an eye mask. Think like a spa and let yourself just relax – this tells your brain it is safe and ok to start getting sleepy. Ready to take it even further? Consider an acupressure mat or some therapy ball work to do some self-massage and really relax those limbs.
- Turn down the heat. A hot room means a sweaty body in bed, which does not allow for deep rest. Allow your room to be on the chilly side and instead get cozy with warm, weighted blankets in bed that will counteract the atmospheric chill beautifully. There are even weighted, temp-controlled blankets you can get if you tend to run on the hotter or colder side and share a bed with someone who is the complete opposite!
- Breeeeaaathe. Counting sheep really does work! It’s because as you count, your mind is allowed to rest and natural deep breathing kicks in. Our favorite trick is just to count your breaths instead. We made this simple guided breath work video for you so you can practice under the covers – we doubt you’ll make it past 10 rounds before sleep takes over!
