Nine months ago my Husband and I decided that we needed to overhaul our approach and attitude toward sleep. Incorporating these suggestions into our routine has changed our lives. Get ready for the best sleep of your life.
Refreshed, rejuvenated, and well rested. These are the symptoms of an exceptional nights’ sleep.
Achieving Adequate Sleep
- Treat sleep as an event, like a marathon, we don’t show up at the start line and expect a great race!
- Stop caffeine intake at 12:00 pm.
- Bed time and Wake time should be consistent each day. Sleeping in by two – three hours is as hard on your body as a flight to Paris. When we sleep in, we give ourselves jet lag. A one hour variance is acceptable but consistency is the key.
- Two hours prior to bed stop all intake of food and liquids, including water.
- One hour prior to bed stop the use of all electronic devices. No TV, phone, or tablet even with blue light blocking glasses. This is the time to wind down. Charge devices away from your sleeping area.
- One hour prior to sleep time take a warm shower or bath, foam roll, stretch, take your sleep supplements (magnesium, melatonin, and/or valerian root), put on essential oils that promote sleep (lavender).
- Pets out of the bedroom.
- Bedroom temperature should be between 60-67 degrees, as dark as possible and as quiet as possible. You might need to cover electronics with electrical tape including your alarm clock if they emit light and ear earplugs if your neighborhood is noisy.
- Schedule the time to achieve at least 5 REM cycles per night. Each REM cycle takes 90 minutes to complete 90 x 5= 450 / 60 = 7.5 hours
- In the morning seek light, take small sips of water or water with lemon, and eat breakfast within an hour of waking.
- Clean your sheets a least once a week and pillow cases every 3 days to inhibit bacteria growth.
Sweet Dreams!
-Ashley Merz, Small Group Fitness Instructor