In my opinion, sleep is truly our super power, and when we make a conscious effort to get better quality sleep we can tremendously impact our long-term health and vitality, as well as reduce our risk of disease. Sleep is something I also struggle with and I have found when I prioritize it, rather than it being an after thought, I tend to get better sleep. This means really digging into the suggestions below and going through your day maximizing all the D.R.E.A.M. levers!
Here are my five tips for getting better sleep. I like to call it D.R.E.A.M.
D is for “diet,” and that includes both what we eat and what we drink.
I recommend limiting your caffeine to early in the day and avoid high-sodium foods. If you choose to drink alcohol, I would highly recommend that you limit the amount and avoid drinking within 3 hours of your bedtime.
R is for “rays,” or light in general. Iincreasing our exposure to daytime sunlight is really helpful, as well as eliminating exposure to light at least an hour before bedtime. Some tips are dimming the lights in your house, putting away the iPad and phones. I would also highly recommend removing your phone from your bedroom or putting it far away from your bed so you're not tempted to look at it at night. Lastly I would save the kindle (e reader) for during the day.
E is for “exercise,” getting outside in the daytime and getting in some good motion and exercise is extremely helpful in getting better sleep.
A is for good, old fashioned “agua!” Upping our water intake, especially in the late afternoon can have a profound effect on how well your body can cool itself. This cooling is crticial to helping you get into deep and restful sleep.
M is for “mindfulness.” That includes actively relaxing, or if you meditate, engaging in some meditation at least an hour before bedtime. I'm a huge fan of the Peloton App and Headspace - they are both excellent and have lots of options for guided meditation.
So those are just five quick tips that I know can really help you start to get better sleep starting today! I didn't get into the science and how your body actually works, but if that interests you leave me a comment. I’ve done a whole lecture on sleep physiology that went into a lot more detail on how we can modify and improve our sleep quality. I’d be more than happy to share it with you!
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