What’s Your Sleep Score?

This fall I’ve been taking a deep dive into the Six Pillars of Health and Longevity, starting with “Just Eat Real Food!” (Get links to all the posts HERE.)   

And now we're going to look into the next pillar, Sleep!

So how is your sleep?

Do you wake up rested and ready to take on the day?

Or could it use some tweaking to get you, and your energy, back on track?

Deep sleep is essential for rest and repair.

Lack of sleep affects just about everything in your body and mind.

People who get less sleep tend to be at higher risk for so many health issues like diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer; not to mention effects like slower metabolism, weight gain, hormone imbalance, and inflammation.

And don't forget the impact lack of sleep can have on mood, memory and decision-making skills.

HERE IS THE SLEEP QUIZ!

• Download and complete the quiz to get your Sleep Score.
• Then continue reading here for tips to get better sleep!

Now what?

There are many tips to help you get a better night’s sleep—here are the most important ones:

• Develop a consistent sleep schedule for bedtime and wake-up time 7 days a week.
• Keep the bedroom dark and quiet, at a cool temperature.
• If you wear clothing, make sure it’s comfortable.
• Take time to “wind down” before bedtime:
  • Don’t eat or exercise too close to bedtime
  • Avoid anything disturbing or exciting on TV (most shows!)
  • Get your TV and other electronics out of the bedroom!
• Deal with any underlying stress:
• Take a 20-minute walk after dinner
• Self Care—take time for you! Relax!
• Meditation is a powerful tool that will help you reduce stress, sleep better, and relax your mind
• Practice a Restorative Yoga posture, such as “Legs Up the Wall” for about 15-minutes before bed.

Action Steps:

Check out the list above and decide what is the most realistic new habit for you to try out.  Give it a try for a few days and see how you feel!

Here are a couple of my favourites!

• Get outside for some sunshine and exercise every day!
• Have a relaxing bedtime routine that starts at least 1 hour before your “lights out” time (that is 8 - 10 hours before your alarm is set to go off). This would include:
  • dimming your artificial lights,
  • nixing screen time,
  • reading an actual (not “e”) book, or
  • having a hot bath or shower.

What else will support better sleep?

What are your food choices? Ever wonder why some foods and beverages give you lots of energy and others make you sleepy?

Some foods and food products may need to be avoided altogether, while for others, timing is key.

We are all biochemically unique, so you may need to experiment to make sure to avoid those that will disrupt your sleep!

Bottom line, as always: Just Eat Real Food!

What to avoid:

• Stimulants too close to bedtime – and for some this means avoiding them after mid-afternoon, or even after noon!
• Coffee, tea and other caffeine beverages: Not all people metabolize caffeine at the same speed. About half of us are “slow” metabolizers of caffeine. We can get jitters, heart palpitations, and feel "wired" for up to 9 hours after having a coffee.
• Added Sugar—do your best to minimize or even avoid added sugar altogether. Whole foods like fruits and veggies are fine. Both caffeine and added sugar can keep your mind a bit more active than you want it to be come evening. (I have a great caffeine-free chai latte recipe for you below!).
• Alcohol: It turns out that while alcohol may help you to relax and fall asleep in the short term, it can disrupt sleep over the course of the night. It also keeps you from entering the deeper stages of sleep, which may cause you to wake up still feeling tired.

Sleep enhancers:

• Eat protein, fat and fibre at every meal and snack
  • This will balance blood sugar and help reduce cravings for “bed-time” snacks that can interrupt your sleep cycles.
• Great foods to help you sleep:
  • Chicken, turkey and eggs have tryptophan, which helps your body make serotonin (to relax you), and which then helps your body make melatonin (controls sleep cycles).
  • Walnuts, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds all contain both magnesium (a natural sedative) and tryptophan.
  • Salmon, tuna, and halibut all contain Vitamin B6, which helps make makes melatonin.
  • Kale is a leafy green rich in both fibre & calcium, which helps serotonin function well.
  • Bananas, spinach & broccoli are all high in potassium, which helps to KEEP you asleep.
  • Whole Grains encourage insulin production that increases in tryptophan activity.

What can help with Hot Flashes?

• Flax contains a “phytoestrogen” which is thought to help our bodies better balance hormones by binding to certain hormone receptors.
• Water! When you get hot flashes you're losing more water than you normally would. Make sure you replace those critical fluids by drinking enough water.

And if you're a subscriber to this blog (see below if you are not!), stay tuned for Thursday's email: Recipes to Encourage Sleep!

So What's Next?

Here’s a Sneak Peak of the new 

SLEEP SCHOOL!

15 days, Five habits, 1 goal

· Education, Coaching

· Accountability, Empowerment

· Five Habits that make a difference

· Coaching and accountability to keep you on track

· Change is possible!

Great Sleep is only 2 weeks away

· Together, we can do this!

COMING SOON!