The value of a good night’s sleep cannot be underestimated! In fact, sleep is so important that it’s worth planning for all day!

Follow these 10 tips to get more restful sleep tonight!

1. Follow the light… literally! Try to get exposure to natural light upon waking and throughout the day. This sends signals to your brain that it is daytime and stimulates normal melatonin metabolism.
2. Enjoy caffeine… before noon! It’s ok to savor your morning tea or coffee, but limit it to mornings. If you need a pick-me-up in the afternoon, reach for peppermint tea, decaf green tea with some honey, do some jumping jacks, or take a 10 minute walk in the fresh air.
3. Eat real foods. Processed foods are associated with shorter sleep duration and poor sleep patterns. Make it a point to get whole, unprocessed foods throughout the day. Also, try to minimize refined sugars, which can interfere with sleep cycles.
4. Think before you drink. If you enjoy some evening wine or beer, that’s not a problem, but move it up a few hours earlier. Yes, alcohol can make you sleepy, but if you have it right before bed, it won’t necessarily give you the most rejuvenating sleep.
5. Unplug 2 hours before bed. Since the blue light from screens sends signals that tell your brain that it is daytime, it will suppress melatonin production and leave you wide-eyed when it’s time to get shut-eye! It’s much easier to drift off to dreamland after reading a paperback book or doing some calming meditation or prayer before bed. (This works best if you have a patient husband who puts your book and Rosary away after you fall asleep with it in your hands each night 😉 )
6. Dim the lights. Same concept as the screens – less bright light entering your eye will automatically help you to calm down. In our house, we start turning down all lights in the hours before bedtime. We turn off overhead lights and turn on 1 lamp in a room. It really makes a big difference! (Pink Himalayan salt lamps are amazing for setting the ambiance too!)
7. Bedrooms are for sleeping! Adjust the thermostat to a comfortable temperature, turn off (or remove) the TV, and do not bring work into the bedroom. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t have very ‘sweet’ dreams if my to-do list, school books, and a laptop were staring at me while I slept!
8. Phone on airplane mode. For the last several months, I have been setting my phone to airplane mode so there is not a wireless signal being emitted next to my head. It makes for a calmer, more peaceful feeling – and eliminates the possibility of being awakened by a text message.
9. Let your stomach rest too! Stop eating 1-2 hours before bedtime… and don’t binge on the “hot” salsa and greasy tortilla chips either. If you get the late-night munchies, bananas, oatmeal, cashews, turkey, milk, dairy-free yogurts, and almonds are much easier on your tummy before bed and also contain magnesium and tryptophan, two nutrients that assist your body to drift off into a dreamy sleep.
10. Diffuse some essential oils! (You knew this was coming…) Lavender or any calming blend can do wonders for deep and restful slumber. My diffuser sits on my nightstand and it takes less than a minute to fill with some fresh water and a few drops of lavender.

I hope these suggestions are helpful! It you have ANY questions, please reach out! Sleep is SO important for you to feel your best!!

Thank you for reading… and SWEET DREAMS!!