Adults should get 7-9 hours of sleep a night (if you are 65 or older, the recommendation is 7-8 hours). How many hours are you getting?

You might think that sleep is a waste of time and that you are being super productive by sleeping less. No, you are not! By not getting enough sleep, you risk all kinds of bad things, including hormonal imbalances, weight gain, mood swings, and brain fog. So go ahead and sleep more, especially in light of the current pandemic! Getting enough sleep is a proven strategy to boost your immune system.

Lack of sleep results in weight gain, you say? Yes, your body’s appetite control system is governed by hormones largely affected by sleep. Research has shown that lack of sleep leads to a decrease in leptin, the hormone that makes you feel full, and an increase in ghrelin, the hormone that makes you feel hungry. If you don’t sleep enough, you stay hungry and crave high-calorie, high-carbohydrate foods. How about that? Lose weight by just sleeping more! Count me in.

Here are my tips for getting a good night’s sleep:

• Make sleep a priority.
• Don’t stay up late. We get our best sleep between 10 PM – 1 AM.
• Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, including weekends.
• Avoid caffeine after 2 PM.
• Avoid too much alcohol (or don’t have any at all). While alcohol helps you fall asleep, it will interrupt your sleep and result in poor-quality sleep.
• Stop eating at least three hours before you go to bed.
• Turn of your screens 30-45 minutes before going to bed (this one is incredibly difficult for me!)
• Relax your body and mind before getting into bed. You could take a hot bath, light stretching, deep breathing, meditating, reading a (physical) book, or do whatever relaxes you.
• Keep your bedroom at a cool temperature.
• Keep your bedroom as quiet and dark as possible (install room-darkening shades or wear a sleep mask).
• Before you turn off the lights, write down three things you are grateful for.

Sleep well,

Christine

Disclaimer: I am not a trained wellness coach or a dietician. I am simply sharing tools I have learned on my own wellness journey.

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