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Last month we talked about taking some time for yourself, whatever that looks like to you. I hope that you had a chance to reflect and notice how much time you spend doing things you love, or taking time for yourself. I encourage you to continue to take the time to do these things, maybe adding a little more time each week. Continuing to give yourself what you need, in order to take care of yourself and helps you to also take care of those around you with more ease.
This month I would like to talk about sleep. As I mentioned last month, this month I am attending two in person events. I have put together two baskets to raffle off at the events and I decided to go with a sleep theme for both baskets as it seems to be a common theme coming up in my practice right now.
I am passionate about helping my clients get the best sleep possible. Most of my clients are busy moms or caregivers and getting the rest they deserve is so important to being able to show up for others in their lives.
Sleep is such an essential part of our health. And if we are not getting enough sleep, or enough quality sleep, it can make every aspect of our day harder.
Recently a new study was released that women actually need about 1 hour more sleep than men do, and an extra hour when they are menstruating! That's 9-10 hours total! (Go figure the numbers we have been basing a good night's sleep off of were based on the best numbers for men.)
Sleep concerns tend to always be a common thing women come to see me for. The two main things I am seeing people wanting help with are:
Being able to fall asleep when they get in bed, and not sitting there overthinking about every little thing when their head hits the pillow.
Staying asleep once they have fallen asleep.
If this sounds like you, here are my top 5 secrets to getting better sleep.
Stick to a sleep schedule. Make sure you are getting in bed at the same time every night, and waking up around the same time every day. Set an alarm to remind you its time for bed.
Avoid caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant and its effects can take as long as 8 hours to fully wear off.
Avoid alcohol. When you drink alcohol it can help relax you in the moment but it can disrupt your sleep in many ways, it can impair you breathing, wake you up in the middle of the night when the effects wear off, and can disrupt your REM sleep.
Avoid screens and overhead lighting 2 hours before bed. In this modern world it is hard to avoid screens. At the end of the long day you wanna chill out in front of the tv and watch your favorite show, or scroll instagram reels and get a laugh. But before bed is not the best time for this. The blue light from screens actually stimulates your body and makes it think it's day time, and not time for sleeping. The better option is to read a book, journal for the day, meditate, or anything else you can think of that you enjoy that doesn't involve a screen.
Set your room up for success. Keep your bedroom dark and cool. Keep it free from distractions such as cell phones, tv’s, bright lights from electronics, animals, noises, etc. Make sure your bed is a comfortable place you want to be. Uncomfortable mattresses, sheets, blankets, and pillows can play a big role in getting a good night's sleep. If possible replace these things.
I hope this is helpful to you and you can try out a couple of these suggestions if you are struggling with sleep. There are also many herbs that can be helpful in supporting us with our sleep, and finding the right herbs for you is something I help clients with in our one on one sessions. If you’d like more info on that you can visit my website.
Love, Danielle
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