As most people know sleep is our greatest tool for energy and immunity. Sleep is strange in that we all do it but mostly we do it in an unoptimized way. How can we optimize our sleep to approach peak performance?
There are many tools I suggest for getting the best nights sleep as well as natural tips you can implement today!
First, limit your caffeine consumption after 2pm. Caffeine is a stimulant and causes a spike in cortisol ( our stress hormone) not all stress is bad but having a spike later in the day can effect our sleep pattern.
Second, black out your room this includes any digital clocks or blinking lights. Get a good blackout curtain for your windows and around 2 hours before bed get your room nice and dark. This allows out melatonin to regulate and secrete in a healthy dose to get us ready for deep sleep. Also any blinking lights from clocks or phones can pull us out of rem sleep.
Third, limit screen use before bed this includes tv's, phones, tablets if you have to look at a screen I suggest purchasing a pair of blue light blocking glasses these help prevent our eyes from absorbing what is known as junk light. if these glasses are out of your budget simply try reading a physical book before bed.
Fourth, look into a Phillips hue light system for your room. These units help mimic the sun natural cycle and can be programmed to gradually get brighter and dimmer as the sun would. Ive used this light as my alarm to wake up and its much more efficient at waking you up in a subtle way vs the shock of an alarm.
Fifth, get active find a point in your day preferably at least 4-5 hours before bed to get some movement in. This helps our body in so many ways but its extremely effective for allowing us to get deep sleep. yoga, walking, weightlifting are all suitable!
Sixth, Intermittent fasting eating too close to bed time can cause all sorts of biochemical reactions within our body. Setting a schedule to stop eating around 5-6 hours before bed allows our body to begin its digestion process well before we start to sleep. Allowing our bodies to regulate its natural processes for sleep vs digestion during our sleeping hours. Many people also state that fasting in this way causes a peak in clarity and productivity.
Seventh, float ! floating is known to allow our bodies to completely destress which provides us an easier transition into sleep. Many of our members say that their sleep drastically improves for at least a week after a single float.
When we get good rest we are able to approach the day with more presence and better energy to complete all of our tasks. Good rest equals a good day and a good day equals a good life!
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