Your Best-Night Sleep!

Getting an adequate amount of quality sleep is absolutely critical for your health.Your body repairs, restores, heals, maintains and detoxifies itself when sleeping! How you sleep is as important as how you live during your waking hours.

CREATE A REGULAR ROUTINE

The most important thing you can do to establish good sleep habits. It can be very beneficial to have your bedtime the same throughout the week as well as the weekends. Waking and sleeping at set times reinforces a consistent sleep rhythm and reminds the brain when to release sleep and wake hormones, and more importantly, when not to.

PREP FOR BED

You need time to slowly shift into sleep. Your bedtime routines should include activities such as dimming the lights an hour or more before going to bed, taking a warm bath, listening to calming music, relaxation exercises. Our bodies need time to produce enough sleep neurotransmitters to allow you to sleep, and lowering ambient temperature sends a feedback signal to the brain's sleep center that it is night time, and that it needs to release more sleep hormones.

KEEP THE ROOM COOL

A sleeping temperature of 60 to 65 degrees is best for most people, even in the dead of winter. In hot weather, use a floor or ceiling fan to create a breeze, or an air-conditioner set at about 70 degrees.

KEEP THE ROOM AS DARK AS POSSIBLE

Look around your bedroom: Anything that creates extra light/glow can take a small toll on your sleep as each little bit of light can keep you from reaching deep restorative sleep. Cover or move the clock, use dark shades or drapes on windows if they are exposed to light or wear an eye mask. If there is even the tiniest bit of light in the room it can disrupt your circadian rhythm and your pineal gland's production of melatonin and serotonin.

EXERCISE

Defend insomnia with adequate daily exercise! Exercise can promote deeper sleep cycles to help replenish the muscle tissues from daily physical exertion. Some sleep experts feel that exercise too close to bedtime can disrupt the sleep cycle and suggest that the best time to exercise is 4 - 6 hours before bedtime, but studies also show that people are more likely to stick to a routine if they exercise first thing in the morning. Create a personal routine that’s practical for you, so you stick with it.

FOODS to include:

Dates:
Dates also provide the body with vitamin B6. They are great for protein metabolism and helping convert tryptophan into serotonin. Dates contain potassium as well. They can help to ease muscle contractions, and help to regulate the heartbeat and controls fluid balances, all of which can be important for getting a night of peaceful sleep.

Grapefruit:
Grapefruits are a fantastic hydrating fruit that you can include to positively affect the quality of your sleep. Grapefruit are another great source of potassium. They can help in reducing muscle cramping, a problem that could wake you from sleep as well. Grapefruit is also a source of magnesium and calcium.

Tart cherries:
They contain melatonin, and are rich in polyphenols. Tart cherries are great to improve sleep. The Montmorency variety of cherries have a sweet-sour taste and provide many health benefits.

Avoid eating too close to bedtime. Try to eat these foods at least an hour or two before going to sleep, to allow for a deep restful night sleep.