Trouble sleeping? You are not alone. Many people struggle with sleep occasionally or on a consistent basis. The importance of sleep cannot be underestimated and being even slightly sleep deprived can negatively affect your cognitive abilities, your weight loss efforts, blood sugar regulation and much more.

Whether you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, starting with changing some habits may add some 
ZZZ´s to your evening.

Some tips for better sleep:

  1. A good night´s sleep starts when you wake up! 
    Get outside early in the day. Cortisol naturally increases when we wake up and getting sunlight helps to stimulate the production of cortisol. This helps to get your circadian rhythm on track
  2. No electronics at least one hour prior to bedtime. The blue light emanating from all electronics depresses melatonin levels which we naturally produce more of leading to bedtime. A disruption in this process will keep you awake longer and cause disruptions in sleep.
  3. Set your room temperature between 60 and 68 degrees. Research has shown that this is the optimal range for good quality sleep.
  4. Avoid consumption of caffeinated beverages after 11:00 am. Caffeine has a half-life, which means half of a substance remains in your system after a specified period of time. For example, 8 hours after drinking 200 milligrams of caffeine (about one to two cups of coffee) about 100 milligrams would be remaining. Depending on how you metabolize caffeine, the timing of consuming caffeine could be impacting your sleep.

These are just a few tips - there are many more!

To learn how to live a healthier life by utilizing proper nutrition, sleep, relaxation, and movement, please contact me. I can create a custom plan for you to live your best life now and for years to come!

Thanks to Shawn Stevenson author of ¨Sleep Smarter¨ for the sleep education and inspiration!