Today we are going to talk about sleep!
The CDC recommends 7-9h of sleep per night for optimal mental and physical strength and function, there are also numerous studies to show how important sleep is for your everyday life. Studies also show that only 5% people can functional optimally on 6h of sleep per night and most likely you are NOT one of these people.
Every night isn't going to be perfect but here are some tips to help you get the best quality sleep as possible:
Routines for a sound night of sleep:
- Track your sleep: wearing a Fitbit, apple watch, Oura ring or any sleep tracking device to bed can allow you to have a visual of what your sleep looks like and how you can improve the time you’re spending resting.
- Exercise regularly: even short sessions of elevated heart rate will help your body unwind into peaceful sleep in the evening.
- Eat well balanced meals: to manage blood sugars as well as help avoid late night craving and keep you from waking up in the middle of the night due to hunger pangs.
- Turn off or dim your screen: shut off screens an hour before bedtime: this protects your eyes from strain and allows your mind and body the time it needs to wind down, fall into deep sleep, and be productive the next day. If you need to work late into the night, dim your screens or set them to evening mode (an orangey hue), you can also read beneath a bright red light to prevent the negative side effects of screens in the evening.
- Red light and low light in the evening: keeping lights dim, cutting out as much light as possible to stimulate your body’s natural production of melatonin.
- Keep it cool: our bodies need to drop by 1-3 degrees to enter and stay in deep sleep so keep your bedroom cool!
- Avoid caffeine before bed: caffeine suppresses adenosine (which when built up is responsible for modulating our sleep and wake cycle). As your day goes on, adenosine will build up to bring you into a sound sleep once it’s time to sleep. Try to avoid drinking caffeine 8-10 hours before you are planning to go to sleep that night.
- Add a sleep light - exposing yourself to 100,00 lux of light or the beautiful sun (whichever is most convent for you) no more than 60 minutes after waking has shown to have significant improvements in mood, reduction of “grogginess," and can offer some relief as our days shorten and our exposure to light can increase symptoms which may present with or without SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) diagnosis.
Sleep well!
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Dedicated to your wellness,
Team Motivate Fitness