Natural Helpful Ways To Improve Your Sleep
We all know and have heard how important it is to get a good night’s sleep. But what about when we can’t fall and or stay asleep? This looming stress each night can cause what many call “sleep anxiety.” Knowing how important something is for our overall health and then not being able to do that thing can most certainly make situations worse and as for many, it can become more mental than physical as time goes on.
WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER SOME EASY TIPS AND TRICKS TO HELP YOU NOT ONLY FALL ASLEEP, BUT STAY ASLEEP!
1.) HYDRATION.
Avoid drinking any liquids at least 2.5 – 3 hours before bed. It can be so frustrating when you have finally fallen asleep (and are sleeping well) only to be interrupted and woken up by the need to use the bathroom. Let’s just wipe away this issue from the start, as it's one that can easily be controlled, and avoid consuming any liquids a few hours before bed each evening. Additionally, keep all caffeine intake to before noon each day.
2.) LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL ON THE BOTTOMS OF YOUR FEET.
Yes, you read that right. Each night when you get into bed, place 2-3 drops of lavender essential oil on the bottoms of your feet. This helps to calm the nervous system and help to more deeply relax your body for a restful night’s sleep!
3.) ADEQUATE DAILY CALORIES.
This is one of the most common reasons why many men and women have a hard time not only falling asleep, but staying asleep. I recommend popping into www.myfitnesspal.com and logging in what you have eaten for the last two days. If you are not meeting your bodies minimum daily calorie requirements, then the body will go into fight or flight. This is not the state to be in for a restful night’s sleep. Ensure you are eating enough to balance your nervous system and that your body is able to naturally go into a parasympathetic recharging mode for consistent restful sleep.
4.) EPSOM SALT BATH.
Epsom salts are loaded with minerals which help to not only detoxify the body but also calm the nervous system. Add a few drops of lavender essential oil with 1-2 cups of Epsom salts to a hot/warm bath and soak for at least 20 minutes. Don’t have a bath tub? No worries! You can use a foot bath instead – in a large bowl place warm/hot water with 1 cup of Epsom salts and soak your feet for at least 20 minutes. Enjoy this soothing bath before bed and fall peacefully to sleep.
5.) CASTOR OIL PACKS.
Castor oil packs have been around for years for a wide range of medicinal uses ranging from detoxification, hormone balancing and lymphatic drainage. There is a combination of both mechanical and neurological benefits - castor oil packs help to stimulate the body’s skin receptors which then stimulate the natural oxytocin feedback loop activating the vagus nerve, shifting the body into a rest and digest state where liver detox is optimized. Thousands report that using Castor Oil packs at night before bed GREATLY improves overall sleep. Our favorite is Queen Of The Thrones castor oil packs.
6.) MAGNESIUM.
Magnesium is an essential mineral as well as calmative. It has been shown to help improve digestion, headaches, energy, carbohydrate cravings and SLEEP. When taken at night, magnesium helps to calm the nervous system promoting a healthy night of restorative rest.
7.) SLEEP MASK.
Preferably a soft silky one! Wearing a sleep mask at night can greatly improve your sleep by ensuring your eyes stay shut and if they do open, you are not exposed to the light. The smallest bit of light can cause our bodies to begin to wake up, but there are no random red or night lights that can keep you up once your eyes open in the middle of the night when wearing a sleep mask. One of our favorites is the Slip Silk Sleep Mask.
8.) DAILY BLOOD SUGAR REGULATION.
Whatever our blood sugar does during the day, it will continue that same pattern during the night. Therefore, if our blood sugar is going too low and or high during the day, we can experience those same lows and highs at night which can make us more prone to waking up and not receiving the deep, restful sleep that our body requires to truly recharge.
Some easy and effective ways to keep your blood sugar stable during the day:
-Eat one portion of quality protein AND healthy fats at each meal for a total of 3 main meals a day.
-Choose foods that are organic whenever possible. Consuming food and beverages that contain chemicals throws off blood sugar and hormone levels. (See our Clean 15 And Dirty Dozen Free Guides for a list of the best organic and non-organic foods to purchase.)
-Limit caffeine intake to 1 cup a day maximum! Excessive caffeine throws off our blood sugar, adrenaline and cortisol levels.
-Limit sugar intake as sugar strips major minerals out of our body and helps to spike our blood glucose levels.
-Aim on eating 3 main meals a day and 1 to 2 snacks. This will help to support healthy blood sugar levels throughout the day.
-As a general rule of thumb, aim on consuming your body weight in grams of protein per day. Example, if you are 150 pounds, aim on consuming 150 grams of protein per day. Consuming adequate daily protein can dramatically help to balance blood sugar and hormone levels promoting a healthy nights sleep.
We hope these tips are useful in helping you get the quality sleep that we all deserve!
