6 Tips for Getting Healthy Sleep

Whether you’re starting a new diet, job or exercise routine, health professionals seem to be on the same page: One of the best things you can do for your body is get adequate sleep. The secret’s out, a good night’s sleep comes with a myriad of benefits, such as heart health, reduced stress, memory improvement and… drumroll, please… weight loss! Sleep isn’t just good for your physical body’s functioning; research is finding it also has a direct impact on mental health. With all these things to be gained from 7 to 9 hours of sleep, you might be wondering how one can go about obtaining this dreamy sleep and all the perks that come with it. Read below for tips on getting the best sleep of your life.

Establish a Routine

The human brain craves structure and routine. You may have heard the infamous quote, “We are creatures of habit.” For the same reason that we create napping schedules for children, adults should seek to maintain consistency in our sleeping patterns. There are many ways to go about this.

Be Alarm-ingly Consistent

Try going to bed and waking up at the same time for a whole week. By the end of seven days, you’ll be surprised by a newfound reserve of energy. Your body is intuitive; if you’re able to embrace a rhythm of sleep in which your internal clock is falling asleep and rising at approximately the same time each day, your body will begin to gear down for a restful “bedtime,” as well as become alert when you need it to do so. Thankfully, there are apps now that do the hard work for you. Use your technology to set reminders/alarms and help create a system for healthy sleep habits to form.

Start an Evening Ritual

If you’re feeling tense or anxious before heading off to bed, there are a few strategies you can try out to help ease your body into sleep-mode. Maybe you could start drinking a cup of chamomile tea 30 minutes before your reminder goes off to brush your teeth and head to the bedroom. You could consider changing into pajamas and reading 20 pages of a light-hearted fiction book or practicing your three favorite yoga poses before turning out the lights. Other ways to release tension before sleep are meditating, mindful journaling, or taking a bath.

Consume Carefully

What you put into your body throughout the day has a direct and immediate effect on the functioning of your brain and other organs, but this is especially true before you go to sleep.

Avoid Caffeine

Though a cup of hot coffee or a glass of ice-cold Coke might sound alluring before you hit the sack, caffeine is a delayed-release drug that can cause restlessness, anxiety, and damage to vital organs once asleep. That is, if you’re able to fall asleep. Try avoiding all caffeine sources at least 2 hours before snuggling up.

“Just Say No!” to Sugar

We get it. A pint of ice-cream or a warm cookie before bed sounds like the perfect way to decompress and relax before dozing off after a long day, but the instant gratification may not be worth the negative effects sugar has on sleep. Sugar consumption reduces sleep quality, increases arousal throughout the night, stimulates cravings, increases inflammation, and damages healthy gut flora. This hardly sounds like a recipe for sweet dreams.

Be Kind to Yourself

“Self-care” is the buzzword of the year, but it may have a greater impact on your health than you give it credit for. Taking care of yourself throughout the day is essential for being present and engaged with work, family, or mental health, but caring for yourself in the world of sleep is what fuels your daytime functioning.

Make it Fun

In vein with establishing a routine, it is important to enjoy the time leading up to bedtime as well as the first few moments of the morning. Try giving yourself something to look forward to on each end of sleep. Before pulling up the covers, rub lavender essential oil on the bottom of your feet. Not only does it smell amazing, but lavender is known for its relaxing and restorative properties. And who could argue with a foot massage before bed? Challenge yourself to capture a photo of the sunrise each morning, then post your favorite picture on Instagram or Facebook at the end of the week. Your friends and followers will love the encouragement to wake up and enjoy the day, too!

Count Sheep… Count on Sleep

There are many medically-sourced tips about falling and staying asleep for those who battle insomnia. Try breathing in a 4-7-8 pattern (inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, then exhale through your mouth slowly for 8 seconds), listening to classical music or other relaxing tunes with a slow metronome to encourage your heartbeat to slow, diffusing calming essential oils, or the oldest trick in the book: visualizing a repeating image (sheep) and counting its appearance until you drift off into blissful slumber.

Healthy Sleep and Skinny Up!® 

Skinny Up!® cares for your health, inside and out. We want to come alongside your health journey and partner with you in your pursuit of the best version of yourself, because you are worth it. Our supplements are made to help you get the most out of your day for a better night’s sleep. By using our supplements that support de-stressing, you can count on reducing your stress levels and anxiousness. Not only do they aid for natural cleansing of the body, but they also help you achieve a night of comfortable sleep. Our all-natural, doctor-approved system is proven effective to drop pounds, support vital organ functioning, and increase natural energy to then lead to a better sleep schedule. Skinny Up!® is here to support you; order your natural supplement today. Until then, sweet dreams!