Invest in Rest: Optimizing Your Sleep Routines

Today I want to discuss all things sleep health, and habits I have been implementing to ensure I am getting a restful and restorative night's sleep.

The Importance of Sleep

Running the risk of sounding dramatic, sleep is truly at the core of our health and wellness. Sleeping resets our ability to be focused, alert, and emotionally stable. It also restores our bodies and allows our muscles to recover, which is vital to overall fitness, and supports the immune system and hormone production.

Since learning about how much sleep impacts performance, energy levels, mood, hormone regulation, recovery, etc. I have made it a goal of mine to prioritize improving my sleep routine. Below I will discuss in detail what I do from dinner time until I close my eyes to optimize rest.

My Current Wind Down Routine

After a long and busy day, it can be difficult to transition the mind and body to be in a relaxed/restful state that allows you to fall asleep. Once I shut my laptop for the day I take a deep belly breath to consciously release all of the stress that I felt during the workday. This may sound silly, but visualizing yourself letting go of this tension can truly help to reduce your cortisol and shift your brain out of work mode.

Caffeine Habits

Caffeine affects everyone's body differently; some people have a high tolerance for caffeine while others can't drink caffeine without having major anxiety or physical side effects. I love my morning cup of coffee and maybe the occasional afternoon cup when I hit an afternoon slump. With this, I put a hard stop on my caffeine consumption at 2 pm because I find that this is the time that allows my body to get the caffeine out of my system before it's time to go to bed. Find what works for your body!

Dinner

I aim to eat a balanced dinner each night; focusing on healthy fats, starches/carbs, and high protein. Eating a nourishing meal a few hours before bed will help keep you satiated and lead to a better night's sleep since you aren't going to bed hungry. (I do like to leave a little room for a post-dinner sweet treat). It's important to go to bed with a full tummy and enough protein, as the amino acids are essential for recovery and muscle growth!

Walking

Weather permitting, I love to take an evening walk. Aside from the enjoyment of it, taking a walk after dinner is great for blood sugar regulation, and digestion, and improves sleep quality! First off, low-impact movement such as walking releases serotonin in the body, a precursor for melatonin (the hormone that helps us fall asleep). Secondly, walking as the sun goes down signals our internal clock (known as the circadian rhythm) that it is nearly time to sleep. Pretty cool stuff.

Getting Ahead

Something else I do before I go to sleep at night is prepare myself for the next day; including meal prepping my breakfast and lunch, laying out my clothes for the work day, and creating a list of tasks I am prioritizing. I find that this helps me reduce my anxiety and saves me time in the morning, making my life easier for myself. Trust me, your future self will thank you.

Self Care

Once I finish preparing for my next day, I typically take a nice hot shower and do my skincare. While showering, I like to think of myself washing off the day and allowing myself to release any stress I am holding onto. I don't have a super extensive or fancy skincare routine, but I love taking a few minutes to prioritize taking care of myself and showing myself love.

Screens Away

Blue light (and any bright light) stimulates our brain as well as our circadian rhythm. Viewing bright light before falling asleep can hinder sleep quality and make it more difficult for us to fall asleep. I love scrolling or watching my favorite show on Netflix as much as anyone, but these types of habits can be counter-intuitive when trying to wind down for the night. During the week, I try to put my phone away 30-60 minutes before going to bed. This allows me to spend some time with myself and allow my mind to relax without being stimulated by social media, TV shows, etc. During this time I like to wind myself down by journaling, reading, coloring, drinking herbal tea, etc.

Magnesium

Magnesium enhances GABA activity, which helps calm the mind, relieves anxiety, and promotes a good night's sleep. Magnesium is a chemical that our bodies need, but do not naturally produce. Natural sources of magnesium include green leafy vegetables, beans and legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. However, 75% of adults are deficient in magnesium, which is why I believe that (almost) everyone should be supplementing with Magnesium. I have been consistently taking magnesium at night for about a year now, and I can confidently say it has improved the quality of my sleep. Love Moon Juice Magnesi-Om powder at the moment!

Hatch Restore

I was gifted a Hatch for my birthday, and let me just say it truly lives up to the hype. I love that I'm able to customize my own wind-down and wake-up routine without having to use my iPhone alarm. At night, I have my Hatch set to signal me when it is time to put my phone away and begin to wind down by lighting up and playing peaceful music. I use the Hatch guided meditations to help me relax my mind and slowly drift to sleep. Additionally, I have my Hatch play brown noise throughout the night which is known to improve sleep quality and reduce anxiety. In the morning, my Hatch begins to slowly light up mimicking a sunrise about 30 minutes before my alarm wakes me up gently. I swear this isn't an ad, I just love my Hatch and it has truly changed the game for me!

This may seem like an overwhelming amount of information and steps that I've discussed in this blog, it truly all boils down to emphasizing the fact that sleep is important to our overall well-being and is something we should all be prioritizing. This isn't a step-by-step guide to the perfect formula for a good night's sleep, it is simply what works for me and I encourage you to find what works for you. Get your beauty rest!!