Sleep, rest & health
We all know that the quality of our sleep is key for our overall health but, are you doing your best to improve it?
The reality is that we usually start with our diet and exercise routine, but we tend to forget about the quality of our sleep and rest, and let me tell you that is as important as the quality of your diet.
Our body needs 7 to 9 hours of good quality sleep to allow all the vital functions to happen. This will help the body to recover and repair, support brain development, cardiac function and body metabolism, as well as support learning, improving memory and mood, pretty amazing right?
It's literally everything we need to stay healthy, alive and function everyday.
When you give your body the sleep and rest it needs, you will feel more energized, less anxious, less hungry all the time, your mood will be more stable, more focused, productive and happy.
Stress, lack of sleep and rest can trigger GUT issues and the quality of our health.
Body inflammation
Blood sugar imbalances
Mood imbalances
Hormonal imbalances
Slow metabolism
Skin inflammation
Practices to support your sleep and rest:
Read more and use less screens throughout the day, specially 2 hours before bed. There is nothing worse than taking the phone, computer or TV to our bed.
Sleeping routine. Try to go to bed everyday at the same time and wake up at the same time everyday. Ideal is going to bed when the sun sets and waking up with the sunrise. Of course it will depend on your work, routine and responsibilities. Do your best.
Meals. Eating everyday at the same time, allowing 2 hours of digestion after dinner before going to bed. It is also important to connect with your hunger through the day, eat when you are hungry. Don't force yourself to eat if you are not feeling like it. This will give your digestion the time it needs to process all the nutrients. Avoid going to bed with a full or empty stomach.
Avoid caffeine or any stimulant late in the afternoon.
Practice silence. So overestimated, but so powerful. In silence we can discover and find so much calmness and peace. Necessary to reset our nervous system and have a better sleep quality.
Stretch and rinse the day in the evening. It feels good in the body, it gives a sense of lightness and calmness.
Dimming the lights in the evening or reducing lights at home. You can use candles instead.
Lights down will help your circadian rhythm to adjust once the sun sets in the evening.
Yoga and meditation. Yoga and meditation are great practices and they have plenty of benefits.
It helps to slow down and calm the nervous system and will give you a sense of grounding and connection with yourself.
Journaling. Great practice to do every morning, evening or both. Whenever you have the time.
Great for expressing your feelings and organizing our busy mind. When we write, we will feel lighter.
Essential oils, herbal teas.
Warm bath. It feels good in the body. Helps to relax and calm. You can add essential oils or herbs to your bath if you like.
Daily walks and contact with nature. Daily walks and contact with nature are essential for our health everyday. They help us to ground, disconnect the mind and give us another perspective. Nature helps to calm the nervous system.
Sun exposure early in the morning and during the day. Especially in the morning, it will help to balance the production of melatonin and circadian rhythm.