6 Simple Hacks for Better Sleep

Sleep is one of the most important times of the day, if not, the most important! Not only does it help us look great, but it is essential to help us feel great too. Let’s review some of the health benefits of 7-9 hours of shut-eye. 

• Helps regulate appetite (and our metabolism). Good sleep increases leptin (fullness signalling hormone) and decreases ghrelin (hunger signalling hormone).
• Improves immune function. Important immune cells called cytokines are produced when you’re sleeping.
• Deep sleep helps lower blood pressure taking pressure off the heart.
• Improves attention, learning, and cognitive function because the glymphatic system is able to nourish and detox the brain as you sleep.

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In my latest video, I review 6 simple sleep hacks.

1. Set the Right Room Temperature.

Having a cool room ensures that your body temp will drop so you can get deep, restful sleep. A higher core body temperature has been associated with a decrease in restorative slow-wave sleep.

2. Know when Blue Light is Best.

Recent research has shown that exposure to blue-light emitting devices such as cell phones, televisions, and computers prolongs the time it takes to fall asleep, delays the circadian clock, suppresses levels of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin, reduces the amount and delays the timing of REM sleep. BUT, and that’s a big uppercase but because not all blue light is bad. The biggest source of blue light is from the sun which you need to stay alert.

3. Get Natural Sunlight In The Morning.

Sunshine helps to regulate our  circadian rhythm  , which manages our sleep/wake cycles.

Our circadian clock uses light and dark signals to predict what to do in the future: when to prepare you to be active and when to prepare you to sleep.

4. Manage Stress.

Stress hormones such as adrenalin, cortisol, etc. increase arousal and play a role in insomnia. By managing stress levels, you can produce the right hormones at the right time in the right amount to help you achieve deep and restful sleep.

5. Stimulate the Relaxation Response.

Activating the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) is a key to deep and restorative sleep – it’s literally called rest & digest mode! A simple way to activate our PNS is through deep breathing.

Try my favourite  4-7-8 breathing exercise   or experiment with diaphragmatic breathing to calm the brain and body and get those Zs! Also know that there are  herbs that can help promote stress relief   and relaxation too.

6. Try a natural Health Supplement.

There are many natural health supplements on the market today that can help with sleep. Some of my favourite supplements to consider for sleep are magnesium, melatonin and reishi. Each works a little differently so it’s best to work with a natural healthcare practitioner to decide what is best for you.

• Magnesium Bisglycinate: This is a highly absorbable and gentle form of magnesium that reduces anxiety and promotes a sense of calm to help deepen sleep.
• Melatonin: This is the primary hormone that regulates our sleep/wake cycle and circadian rhythm.
• Reishi Mushroom: This is an adaptogenic mushroom and it reduces length of time it takes to fall asleep, increases sleep time, and improves sleep quality.
• Helpful herbs for sleep are chamomile, passionflower and lemon balm. All of which you’ll find in our T.L.C. (Tender Loving Cuppa) organic herbal tea.

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There you have it, 6 hacks to help you sleep better. I truly hope this does help you given the importance of sleep for our wellbeing.

Joy xo