Sleep is a time for our body to rest and repair

Most adults need 8 hours of deep, uninterrupted sleep every night. Health is compromised significantly with long-term, less-than-adequate sleep. Side effects of lack of sleep include: increased risk of chronic disease, dementia, poor brain health, decreased immune system function, hormone disruption, blood sugar fluctuations, weight gain, memory issues, trouble making good decisions, and poor healing.

While you rest, your body cleans cellular waste products from the brain making learning and memory easier. Muscles are repaired and the immune system increases it’s circulating cells. Many healing processes take place during sleep. 

1. Develop a sleep routine, do the same things each night to wind down. Including go to bed and rise at the same time every day of the week.
2. Take a hot shower, bath, sauna, or hot tub in low light before bed.
3. Make sure your sleep environment and bedding is comfortable.
4. Children and pets are disruptive, set limits on how often they sleep with you.
5. Keep your bedroom as dark, quiet, and cool as possible.
6. Get exercise every day, but not just prior to bed.
7. Avoid napping in the daytime.
8. Use the bedroom for sleeping and sex; No work, worrying, or TV in the bedroom.
9. Avoid stimulants in the evening such as caffeine and nicotine.
10. Avoid alcoholic beverages in the evening.
11. Avoid eating large amounts within two hours of bed. Your body needs time to digest food before it can relax and sleep. It is difficult to do either well if you try to do them at the same time.
12. Take magnesium glycinate before bed. (Magnesium Titration Test).*
13. Do not use screens after 8:00pm. Blue light from TVs, phones, monitors, and tablets stimulate your brain and delays the release of sleep hormone melatonin.
14. If you can’t sleep, get up and do something relaxing (reading a real book or stretching).
15. Control EMF (electromagnetic fields) levels in your bedroom. Don’t have anything plugged in within 5 feet of your head during sleep. EMF disrupts the pineal gland which regulates sleep patterns.
16. Do not sleep with your cell phone near you unless it is on airplane mode.

*Magnesium deficiency is commonly linked with poor sleep. A simple Magnesium Titration Test can help you determine if you’re deficient.  View Magnesium Titration Test Blog: (link to Mg Blog!)