Better Sleep
We all work our fucking tits off right? The best way to reward your body is with a good night’s rest but we all know that doesn’t always pan out. Life gets in the way, and so does stress and other factors such as work and relationships. Take a knee players, I challenge you all to take charge and win this sleep game. Not just for the trophy and the glory, but for the damn privilege of knowing that you made a difference in this world. Don’t forget little Timmy!!!! Wait what was I saying? MAKE SLEEP A PRIORITY.
Melatonin is a hormone that regulates the body’s natural sleep cycles. Your brain produces it in the pineal gland which is right in the center of the brain and melatonin levels are at their highest right before bed. JULIA WHY IS THIS TURNING INTO SCIENCE?!? Being aware of your sleep patterns and especially having a bedtime ritual is extremely important because without listening to these signals your sleep will suffer. I know we all love to come home from work, crawl into bed with a microwaved burrito, and watch endless episodes of VEEP…or maybe that’s just me, but with these tips I hope you’ll find some tweaks to your bedtime ritual. ELEVATE YOUR HABITS TO AWESOMENESS!
- Turn your electronics OFF at least an hour before bed. This is the most difficult for me but the lights in your screens throw off your body’s natural sleep cycle. Those lights are saying “IT’S MORNING WAKE UP AND DO THINGS BITCH!!!!” while in reality your melatonin is trying to put you to bed. Trust me you will sleep better. I recommend using a sleep machine too. There are plenty of apps out there like Calm and Sleep Pillow that you can use for white noise that is CHIC AS SHIT!
- Limit caffeine, alcohol, and large meals before bed. Goodbye burritos and wine in a helmet that leads the nectar of the gods through a straw to my mouth! These things are more likely to wake you up throughout the night and on top of that set your body into a digestion mode that takes away energy from all the other things your body wants to repair during the night. By all means have a drink after work to relax and a light snack late at night but try to keep it in check before you crawl into bed.
- Make your bedroom an OASIS. Take out all work stuff, invest in fluffy pillows, light some candles, and hire someone to feed you grapes. Your bedroom should be free of all the stresses that attack you during the day. Don’t bring that shit in there!!! TREAT YO SELF! Find simple things that make going to bed feel like a mini spa treatment. Brew a cup of tea, read a book (one with real pages!!!) journal what you are grateful for or what stresses you out so you can get it off your chest, or my favorite a little dab of lavender essential oils on my wrists, neck, and pillow. Find something to have a little indulgence instead of falling face first into your bed with your pants still on. NO PANTS!!
- DO NOT rely on sleep medicines. They can become habit forming and we all drink too much anyway so lay off the candy! I use a natural vegan melatonin spray when I find my thoughts racing at night. A few sprays and it helps me go to sleep naturally. I recommend this one or anything at an organic market that is vegan. Other melatonin supplements use cow brains and that is just too close to a zombie apocalypse for me.
- If you have to take naps during the day, the Mayo Clinic demands that you keep it 10-30 minutes. If you go longer your rem cycles reset and you’ll wake up feeling like the bride of Chucky. For those that work the late shifts, invest in good curtains or blinds to block out the sun. When that asshole pokes its head through the window it throws off your internal clock. You worked late so you deserve quality sleep like the rest of the world! When it’s time to get up open the blinds to let natural light in and DO NOT hit the snooze button. If you are planning on snoozing ten times for another hour, just reset your alarm for another hour. The constant wake up is terrible for you.
Now go and get some quality shut eye you maniacs!!!
Teas and zzzzz’s, Julia