STOP Hitting the Snooze Button

Whether you sleep like a baby, miss your alarm, or need an alarm to wake up in the morning, or want to get up earlier (5 am club)…

I wanted to share how I’ve learned and helped many clients improve their sleep routine (even with a baby):

• Keep a consistent schedule — our bodies like routine. Aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time – YES 7 days a week, not Sunday-Thursday. With a regular schedule, your body will know when to release melatonin (hormones) before bed and stimulate hormones to wake up. ⁣

• Keep alcohol and caffeine in check — how many drinks are you having a week? How many coffees a day? Are you even aware? Looking back this month, how was your alcohol consumption? Are you relying on coffee daily? Both coffee and alcohol impact your sleep, whether you notice it or not. 

• Eat REAL FOOD and a variety of colours on your plate (bonus if seasonal) — a regular to a small-sized meal about 2 hours before bed, with a lean protein, and veggies (avoiding fruit), can help improve sleep. Avoid drinking liquids for a minimum of 2 hours before bed, especially if you find you get up frequently in the night to use the washroom.   ⁣

• Do a brain dump — take a few minutes to write out a list of whatever is bugging you for the day or week. I do this, and it helps a ton to let go of the thoughts for the day and set my mind, brain, and body up for sleep. Whatever is in your brain, get it out and onto paper. ⁣

• Turn off the PHONE— we all know social media, the news, and emails will still be there in the morning and can absolutely wait.  Turning the phone off is a habit I’ve gotten into to avoid all distractions and temptations before bed. Practice a “tech-free bedtime,” something I work on with clients 30 minutes before bed. This means shutting off the TV, computers, iPads, and phones 30 minutes before you sleep.

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• Are you being mindful? Do you pause in your day, at the end of the day? Are you checking in with yourself? Stretching, pulling out a BOOK you’ve been meaning to read, and box breathing (meditation) are great ways I really like to de-stress before bed and can do wonders for sleep quality. ⁣

• Sleep before MIDNIGHT – it’s been proven to be better aligned with natural light cycles. And yes, it makes a difference with 7 hours before 12am and after 12am for sleep quality. ⁣

• Take a bath or shower — a warm bath with Epsom salts or even a cool shower can promote restful sleep, as well as be calming and relaxing to wind down for the evening. 

• Keep the room dark and cool — this means blackout curtains, and I personally like a sleep mask. ⁣Aim to get the temperature anywhere from 60-68°F (15-20 °C) 

• If you’re a light SLEEPER like me, use white noise — like turning on a fan, humidifier, or a white noise machine. (easy to find on Amazon). 

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How many hours of quality sleep are you currently getting every night?

What’s one way above you will incorporate into your sleep routine?

Try these tips before you consider a SLEEPING pill or going down the rabbit hole of finding a new medication to improve your sleep.