Why is sleep important?  Sleep is one of the ways that your body resets itself. It improves your brain function, your mood, and your overall health.  Your body cannot function at its peak when it doesn’t get proper rest.  Let’s dive into why getting a good night’s rest can help you reach your goals.

The body does certain functions at night that it does not do in the daytime, for instance:  

• The brain uses sleep to “file” away memories and new knowledge
• During sleep your body tells the sex glands to release estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.  
• Sleep affects your immune functions (not enough sleep? You may get sick more easily)
• Sleep gives your cardiovascular system a rest (it doesn’t have to work as hard while at rest)

Studies show that lack of sleep can lead to the following:

• Higher risk of high blood pressure
• Higher risk of obesity
• Higher risk of Insulin resistance
• An increased desire for sweet or fatty foods
• Metabolic syndrome
• Impaired focus and concentration

So now that you know the WHY, let’s get into the HOW.  How can you get better sleep?  How much sleep do you really need?  How does your morning affect your nights?

In the evenings, you should be aiming for a minimum of 7 hours each night.  If you can get closer to 8 or 9 hours, your body will thank you.  But besides the number of hours each night, what else can you do to improve your sleep quality each evening?  Setting up a solid routine to follow each evening will help to teach your brain and body that it is time to settle down.

1. Try to go to sleep at the same time each evening.
   • Your parents had it right when they set up your bedtime.  A consistent time gets your body’s internal clock set.  It helps your body to know when to start detoxing the liver and kidneys, and when to start making hormones.  
2. No blue light for 1-2 hours before your set bedtime.
   • This can directly decrease your brain’s production of melatonin, which actually causes you to stay awake longer.  Watching a show on Netflix actually stimulates your body to stay awake!
3. Take a warm bath or shower.
   • Taking a warm bath as part of your routine can be a game changer for sleep.  The hot water actually causes a change in your body’s core temperature, which signals the brain that it’s time for bed.  
4. Sip on some Chamomile tea or similar, 30 minutes before bed
   • Tea time should be part of your routine, especially if you have trouble winding down.  It has been shown to decrease anxiety levels, which helps you feel more calm.
5. Read for 15-20 minutes
   • Helps to ease stress and may contribute to helping you stay asleep longer.  Of note, these studies also showed that reading an actual book, rather than using an e-reader, was the most beneficial.  Using an e-reader (i.e. Kindle, ipad, etc,) does emit blue light, which will actually stimulate being awake.
6. Listen to, or practice, a calming meditation
   • Using a meditation app, or saying a chant for 5 minutes before bed, can help to 
   • calm and soothe the mind and body.  Other techniques involve breath work that helps to decrease the sympathetic nervous system’s response and decrease the fight or flight mode from the day. 

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What you do in the mornings can have an equally important impact on your evening routine.  A few things to consider in the morning that will help set your evening up for success include the following:

1. Wake up around the same time each morning
   • This helps your body to “know” when to go to bed
2. Exercise first thing in the morning
   • This improves sleep rhythms, and tells your body to produce melatonin earlier in the evening.
3. Expose your eyes to natural sunlight as soon as you possibly can
   • Natural sunlight in the morning helps your body’s “inner clock” to set.  Sunlight is a powerful signal to the brain and body to shut off melatonin and to begin to wake.

I challenge you this week to incorporate at least one of the evening tips for at least 7 days, and see if you notice a difference. If so, consider adding a second or third tip from either the morning or the evening routine.  Honor your sleep, put up boundaries, and you will be well on your way to better total health.