Foundational Pillar #1: Sleep
“O sleep! O gentle sleep! Nature’s soft nurse.”
-William Shakespear
The first foundational pillar of health and wellbeing is and should be sleep. Sleep is an essential part of life. We simply will not live if we don’t sleep. Sleep is the body’s natural way to heal, refresh and reset itself for the next day. Good sleep can literally make or break how your day goes, how good your reflexes are and how well our mind can function.
So how do I get better sleep?
Better sleep is all about building better habits around when you sleep. You cannot expect to just say I am going to sleep better tonight and then magically sleep like a baby. It doesn’t work like that. Your brain and body need time to shut down and register that it is time to go to bed to rest. Luckily, there are some ways to improve your sleep habits to help promote better, higher quality sleep.
Go to bed and get up within the same 2hr window every day.
Me for example: I go to bed between 9-11pm everyday and I get up between 6-8am everyday. Giving the body a consistent schedule helps regulate the systems so that it automatically knows okay its time to turn off now and then okay its time to turn back on.
2. No Screens.
Sleep experts will often say that the bedroom should be meant for sex and sleep.
They do not recommend having a TV in the bedroom at all. The reason for this is blue light and the stimulation that comes from watching TV. Nowadays this also applies to our phones, computers and tablets. All of these devices stimulate the brain and the blue light emitted from these devices disrupts the brain’s natural release of hormones that tell the body it’s time for bed. If your hormones are disrupted and your brain stimulated it has no way to tell your body it is time for sleep. It is recommended to stop the use of electronic devices at least an hour before bed. Try showering, doing your skincare routine, sipping some hot tea (peppermint or chamomile are great), and journaling, meditating or reading in this time instead.
3. Limit Heavy Meals
Heavy meals eaten shortly before bed require our bodies to stay awake to metabolize them. This means your digestive system and body are still awake and working when you go to bed. Try cutting back on late night snacking and having your last meal at least 2-4hrs before bed.
4. Limit Alcohol
Alcohol has been scientifically proven to disrupt sleep time and time again. Yet many people love this toxin and falsely state they sleep better when they drink. I want to assure you that just because you feel you sleep “heavier” after drinking, the sleep itself is not high quality sleep. The reason for this is alcohol is a toxin. There is nothing healthy or clean about it. When you drink and then go to sleep your body is still awake trying to rid itself of the toxin. You do not get the adequate REM and Deep sleep that you require. This is why the next morning you often still feel tired or groggy. Try limiting alcohol completely 2-4hrs before bed or at the very least to 2 drinks per night for males and 1 drink per night for females.
5. Movement
The body was not created to be sedentary. We were nomadic hunters and gatherers for eons before the 9-5 was developed. By getting out and moving daily our body better regulates and recognizes that sleep is necessary. Think about when you’re sick and you lay around all day watching TV and napping. When bedtime rolls around you are probably wired and not ready to sleep at all. This is where getting up and moving (just a 10-30min walk daily) comes into play. If we move during the day our body naturally recognizes it is time to sleep, rest and heal at night.
6. Get Some Sunshine
Besides the fact that the average human is Vitamin D deficient due to the 9-5 work life, getting out in the sunshine for at least 10mins daily can really help regulate your hormones and repair your body’s natural circadian rhythm.
You don’t have to implement all of these at once, but I recommend you start implementing one or two at a time slowly until you are consistently doing all of them. The difference will truly transform your sleep and wellbeing.
“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”
-Benjamin Franklin
