4 Natural Ways to Sleep Better

If you’re like most people, you may not pay much attention to your sleep routine. But what if I told you that healthy sleep also means:

• healthy skin

• healthy digestion

• healthy weight

• healthy energy levels

• healthy sex drive

• healthy productivity levels

• better focus

• and better mood?

Would it be worth paying a bit more attention to if you knew it would have a ripple effect on every other area of your health and happiness?

Tell me, when was the last time you had a deep, sleep-marks-on-your-face, refreshed and ready for the world kind of sleep? If you had to think about the answer, don’t worry, you’re not alone.

Most people in our culture are in a state of ‘sleep debt,’ which refers to being a chronic state of sleep deficiency that, if left unmanaged, can seriously impact your health.

In this post, I’m going to provide simple (but effective) tips to get your much-needed ZZZ’s back on track, because the truth is, good sleep is the foundation for good health, and you deserve to feel rested and replenished.

Habits to avoid for quality sleep

It’s easy to think that because you’ve been operating on poor sleep for so long, this is just how you sleep now… But the truth is, while it may be common to be sleep deprived, it is definitely not normal. While you’re sleeping, your body is working hard to reset and restore: cells are regenerating, hormones are rebalancing, your brain is literally washing (yep - should we do a whole post on this??), toxins are being eliminated, nutrients being absorbed… You may not be consciously aware of it, but your body is doing a lot of important things while you rest.

Here are some things that can really throw off our sleep quality:

• Scrolling before bed: we all know this, and I’m not going to lecture you on it, but I still have to say it. Books > Instagram. Even if the content is “positive.”

• Consuming caffeine or alcohol within hours of falling asleep: Most people associate a glass of wine with winding down, but it’s actually not great for sleep quality. Alcohol within 2 hrs of bedtime can actually prevent you from reaching deep sleep. Sure, you might fall asleep better with a glass or two of wine, but it will be harder to stay asleep, or sleep as deeply.

• Using your bedroom for multiple purposes: If you have trouble sleeping, try dedicating the bedroom to sleep and sleep only (& sex… sleep and sex). Mental associations are huge when it comes to sleep, so it’s best to keep work, TV and exercise separate so that your brain can associate the bedroom with rest.

• Sacrificing sleep for work: You may think you’re adding value by staying up and burning the midnight oil, but the reality is, you are not as productive or valuable when you are sleep deprived. You’re actually doing a disservice to the people around you by not taking care of yourself. When you look at it this way, there’s really no excuse to prioritize work over sleep.

• Varying your sleep and wake time: It’s not always a perfect science, but in general, you should try to sleep and wake within the same 1-2 hour window. Improving sleep is about creating routines, signals and triggers for your brain to respond to and start the process of winding down. Consistent sleep and wake times can help your brain recognize those signals.

Natural remedies for better sleep 

Instead of viewing bedtime as a chore, I invite you to view bedtime as a wellness ritual, just like doing to yoga or doing your morning routine. This helps make your bedtime routine a bit more exciting, and something you can look forward to. Before implementing your new sleep routine, I encourage you to invest in a nice silk or satin pillow case, cozy clean sheets, a nice set of pajamas, and/or a pretty bedside candle, so that your bedtime ritual feels like something you look forward to.

Here are some rituals you can try that have really enhanced my quality of sleep:

• Night shift on iPhone As I said before, we all know that the best thing to do before bed is to not scroll technology at all, but if this is hard for you, you can at least turn on “Night Shift” (if you have an iPhone). This will automatically offset blue light from your screen (which is what decreases melatonin production and negatively impacts our sleep) after a certain time each evening, so that scrolling is a bit gentler on your eyes. In addition, I highly recommend adding screen time limits on your phone. All of my apps turns off between the hours of 8 pm and 8 am and it has changed the game when it comes to phone use before bed for me.

• Sleep meditation: Sometimes we need a “bridge” from our waking state to sleeping state, which is where sleep meditation comes in. Apps like insight timer have thousands of sleep meditations you can listen to for free, designed to help ease your body into a state of rest.

• Essential oils and sprays: Lavender is widely used as a relaxing, restful aroma. Rolling a bit of essential oil on your wrist before bed, or putting a drop in your diffuser, can help ease your mind and sends a signal to your brain that it’s time for bed (especially if you do it repeatedly!).

• Low lighting and cool temperature: Your body’s temperature increases naturally during sleep, so it helps to turn the temperature down a notch or two to maximize rest & comfort.

• Consistency: Our bodies respond to consistency, so when it comes to your sleep routine, pick 1 thing you can do every night and stick to it for a few weeks before adding anything else. We can think of this has good sleep hygiene. Rituals we do nightly to get better sleep. Just like brushing your teeth and taking a shower is considered good personal hygiene.
  

Herbs & supplements to promote better sleep

In addition to rituals and practices, there are many herbal remedies that can enhance your quality of sleep and help you wind down. Below are a few of my favorites:

• Lavender Essential Oil: Applying topically or in your diffuser before sleep, lavender calms your nervous system and is an excellent remedy to treat insomnia and anxiety.

• Chamomile tea: A soft, natural sedative effect is found in chamomile that calms your nervous system and induces rest, allowing you to sleep deeply and wake up feeling reinvigorated. Consumed as a tea, it is a wonderful replacement for caffeine before bedtime.

• Ashwagandha supplements: Adaptogens like Ashwaghanda are powerful natural supplement designed to bring the body into homeostasis. Ashwagandha is widely used to relieve stress, and studies have shown that taking 300mg - 600mg of ashwagandha daily relieves symptoms of anxiety, calms the brain and induces deep sleep.

• Magnesium Glycinate: magnesium is a very important nutrient that plays a role in many areas of our health, one of them being sleep. Most people are deficient in magnesium, so if you’re sleep deprived, increasing magnesium (either through your diet or via supplements) is always a good idea.

I hope I’ve inspired you to pay a little more attention to the quality of your sleep - as it really does impact the quality of your entire life.

If you need help reaching your wellness goals, you can book a consultation with me here.