Looking and feeling your best can come down to something as simple as a good nights sleep.
Simple, sure!
But if you struggle to sleep through the night, you’ll know it’s not necessarily easy.
A good balance of stress management, exercise and healthy eating (this guide will help you) will assist with good sleep and recovery. Getting quality zzzzz’s makes for a happy, healthy you.
Try these 8 ultimate sleep hacks..
1. Sleep Schedule: One habit that is helpful is setting up a sleep schedule. Try and go to sleep at a similar time and get up at a similar time every day. You’ll settle faster at night and feel ready to jump out of bed in the morning.
2. Slow Down: If you can manage it, give yourself an hour before bed to slow down and relax. Make sure to avoid all electronics and get your body into a relaxed state. Switch off the TV, laptop and tablet an hour before bed if you can. Spend the last 20 minutes or so in bed and start preparing to fall asleep. It sounds simple, but you may surprise yourself how quickly this allows you to fall asleep.
3. Bath Time: A bath or shower can really help when trying to get better sleep. Add some Epsom salts to the bath for extra relaxation. You’ll feel warm and relaxed and ready for some shut-eye.
4. Keep the room dark: It’s really important to keep your room dark – your brain is stimulated by light so ensure the TV is off, computer screens are switched off and night lights are out of your direct line of vision.
5. Eat Early: Try to avoid eating 3 hours before bed. The simple reason for this is digestion can actually wake you up at night and interrupt your sleep cycle.
6. Exercise: (Of course I’m going to say that!) Working out is the perfect way to fall asleep faster, get a deeper sleep and improve sleep quality. Just make sure you allow adequate time between exercising and sleeping as exercise stimulates your adrenal system – not what you need for a restful nights sleep.
7. Cut Caffeine: Caffeine affects people differently. For some of you it may mean no caffeine for two hours before bed. I know women who can’t drink coffee after midday. Caffeine is a stimulant, so ensure you have plenty of time for your favourite beverage to leave your system before bed time.
8. De-Stress: If you find that you’re having a busy time at work or in life – use the ‘brain dump’ method. Either on your laptop or on paper – just empty your brain of all your to-do’s and forget about them till the next day. Lying awake tossing and turning does not lend itself to a productive next day. If it’s just life getting in the way – have a good chat to your partner or bestie and get it off your chest.
Did you realise that quality sleep also assists in reducing inflammation at a cellular level? Combine quality nutrition with over 100 foods that you can simply plug into your weekly diet and you’ll –
– Discover renewed energy – Recover faster and better between workouts
– Fight off infections
– Improve your digestion so your body can break down fat easier
– Break through a fat loss plateau
>>Click here for 101 Ways to Recover Faster and Feel Younger