Sleep is for the weak? I thought you said, “Sleep for a week?” Which would be much more accurate.

Chris Kresser (a well-respected leader in the holistic health field) said, "I firmly believe that lack of sleep and stress are the two biggest health challenges we face today. You can eat a perfect diet and take all the right supplements, but if you’re not sleeping well and managing your stress, all bets are off."

I’m a BIG fan of sleep. You could say it’s one of my strengths. I don’t like to brag, but… I could probably out-sleep ALL Y’ALL. But I realize that for many people, sleep doesn’t come easy. So I put together a little list of some things you can do to help you improve your sleep. But first let’s talk about the difference between QUANTITY and QUALITY of sleep, because they are not synonymous.

Quantity

"Fewer than 6 hours of sleep per day is associated with low-grade chronic inflammation and worsening insulin resistance, as well as increased risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease." -Chris Kresser

You know those people who like to brag about how little they sleep? For some reason they love to martyr themselves for how stressed they are and how little they sleep, because the two go hand in hand. (Make sure you go back and read 3 Ways Stress Affects Your Health and 3 Strategies to Help if you haven’t already.)

But lack of sleep is nothing to be proud of. It’s associated with almost every chronic disease you can think of. And so the much debated question is, how much sleep do we actually need? Currently, 8-10 hours is recommended. But that doesn’t mean that everyone does fine with 8 hours. That’s the MINIMUM for SOME people. Me on the other hand? I’m more on the 10 hour side.

So how do I know how much sleep I need? It depends! When you don’t need to set an alarm, test it out. Go to bed by 10 p.m. and see what time you naturally wake up, and how you feel. Refreshed? Groggy? Could you fall back asleep? In a perfect world, you would wake up feeling rested, not like you got hit by a truck. Try this out a few times and see what seems to work best for you. This is dependent upon so many things, and obviously people have different responsibilities and schedules. So it’s impossible to give one recommendation for everyone.

Quality

Not all sleep is created equal. Did you know that we get most of our deep sleep early in the night, from about 10 p.m.-2 a.m.? So for you “night owls”, 12-8 is NOT the same as 10-6. We go through stages of sleep, so interruptions can lead to lack of good quality, deep sleep.

Stage 1: Dozing, still somewhat aware, possible twitching movements

Stage 2: Awareness is gone

Stages 3-4: Deep sleep, possible sleep walking or talking

REM (Rapid Eye Movement): Dreaming, muscles completely relaxed

And then the cycle starts over. So if your cycle is interrupted at any point (children, hunger, bathroom, etc.) you must start over, leaving you with less time for high quality, deep sleep.

While it is true that we may wake or change sleeping positions at the end of a cycle, this is NOT what is going on when you’re all of a sudden wide awake at 3 a.m. That is due to blood sugar dysregulation, which is something we work on with Nutritional Therapy.

10 Tips for Better Sleep

A common misconception is that your sleep routine starts at bedtime. No way, Jose! It starts when you wake up. Your circadian rhythm is your biological clock, and if it doesn’t start off on the right foot, chances are you’re not going to get the high quality sleep we just talked about.

Try these tips to get some extra Zzzs.

1. Get outside in the sunshine ASAP.

Light is one of the most influential factors in your circadian rhythm. Let your body know what time it is by showing it some sun. (Vitamin D supplements in the winter are a must for most people!)

2. Minimize stress and stay active.

You cannot be in fight or flight mode all day, then expect your body to relax the second you lay your head on the pillow. Managing stress and staying active during the day will FOR SURE help you sleep better.

3. Avoid caffeine in the afternoon.

Thank you, Captain Obvious!

4. Reduce blue light exposure once the sun goes down.

Turn off screens a MINIMUM of 1 hour before bed. Wear these awesome blue light blocking glasses to help if you have screen time after dark.

5. Avoid sugar at night & try not to eat a big meal right before bed. But don’t go to bed hungry, either!

Raising your blood sugar before bed is a sure fire way to be awoken by the inevitable crash at 3 a.m. Eat a balanced meal of protein, fat, AND carbs.

6. Don't work (or scroll!) from your bed.

Create an association that your bed is where you sleep, not work.

7. Turn the temperature down.

Studies show that optimal sleeping temperature is between 62-68 degrees!

8. Create a bedtime ritual (yoga, shower, reading, journaling, meditating, diffusing essential oils, drinking decaf tea, taking magnesium etc.)

Having a set routine will cue your body that it’s time to get into a restful, calm state. If you start this an hour before laying down, you will be more likely to fall asleep quickly. We do this for kids, why don’t we do it for ourselves?! If you don’t already, make magnesium a part of this routine! It helps calm the body, and THIS is the only one I know of that has 3 types of magnesium, one that actually crosses the blood-brain barrier. Meaning it WORKS!

9. Eliminate as much light and sound as possible.

Use a sleep mask, earplugs, fan, or white noise if necessary. I’ve tried MANY a sleep mask, and Manta is by far my fav!

10. Praying, meditating, or deep breathing if you can't sleep.

Calm, Headspace, and Soultime (Christian version) are all meditation apps that I’ve found helpful when I’m having trouble falling asleep.

I know that’s a lot of information, and you don’t have to try them all. Take baby steps and implement them slowly and incrementally. You will probably never do all 10 things every day, just do what you can! While I do firmly believe that we need to get to the root cause of WHY we can’t sleep, sometimes you may need supplements to help you get the rest you so desperately need until you can figure out what’s causing your sleep issues.

Always check with your healthcare provider before starting supplements of any kind.