Tweaks for a Better Sleep

Where I live, we recently adjusted our clocks for Daylight Savings. I feel like I should be used to it by now, but it took my body days after to feel like I was getting enough sleep. It's wild how a lack of sleep can affect your whole next day. If you’re battling fatigue, cravings, and hormone shifts, this is especially important.

That's because while you're asleep, your body is actually very busy recovering, replenishing, and rebalancing itself. Your hormones play a major role in ALL of these things, and your night time habits can make or break all that work.

Simple Routines for a Better Sleep

Here are 3 ways to set yourself up for a great sleep so you can wake up rested:

1. Stay away from blue light from your TV, phone, or other devices within a couple hours of bedtime. If you do use a device, install a blue light filter (tip: check your tablet/phone to see if there’s one already built-in). Blue light from phones, TVs, and tablets can suppress melatonin (your sleep hormone).

I’ll confess that I’ve gotten into a habit of sometimes doing Duolingo (Spanish learning) after dinner, and even though I have a blue light filter, I can tell it’s not great for my sleep. Turning off screens helps your brain wind down naturally so you fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply.

2. Don’t eat close to bedtime, and steer clear of alcohol after dinner. Alcohol might help you fall asleep, but you can get stuck in the “light sleep” phase all night.  Try and eat your last meal 2-3 hours before bed.

When you go to bed with a full stomach or unstable blood sugar, it throws off your hormones overnight. Leptin and ghrelin (your hunger + fullness hormones) can get out of sync, which makes it harder to manage cravings the next day. A balanced dinner with protein, fiber, and healthy fats helps stabilize everything and supports your metabolism while you rest.

3. Make sleep a priority.  During deep sleep, your body releases human growth hormone, which is one of the key players in muscle recovery, fat metabolism, and repair. Skimping on sleep doesn’t just make you tired. It slows recovery, increases cortisol (which sets you up for cravings and gaining fat), and makes fat loss harder. Set a consistent bedtime and keep your room cool and dark.

When you focus on patterns and habits that help you sleep, your mornings become easier…and your results start to compound.  Plus, you just start to feel better!

If you really want to dive into improving your sleep, I have a free ebook called Supercharge Your Sleep, and you can sign up for the download here.