10 Ways to Start Sleeping Better and Living Happier

Creating a solid foundation of healthy habits is imperative to weight loss. Before you dive into counting calories and macros, take a moment to reflect on the building blocks of a healthy life. Let’s start with SLEEP.

Can your quality of sleep affect your weight loss goals? Absolutely. Sleep deprivation causes moodiness which can lead to overeating, making unhealthy food choices, emotional eating and avoiding exercise. Sleep also plays a vital role in balancing hormones that regulate appetite. 

When it comes to your health, your best teacher is YOU. Consider what aspects of your lifestyle are benefiting your health and what may be hindering it. From there, you can start to build the circumstances you need to lose those extra pounds and live your best life.

Here are a few ways to start sleeping better and living happier:

1. Don’t get TOO caught up on the amount

   In general, most sleep experts recommend adults get 7-9 hours of sleep each day. This varies depending on your age and the quality of sleep that you get. 9 hours of tossing and turning will not yield the same rest as 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep. 

2. Observe and tweak your caffeine intake

   Caffeine typically gives you a kick of energy shortly after you consume it and stays in your system for about 8-10 hours. Everyone reacts differently to caffeine and some can still sleep fine even with that late afternoon Starbucks run. Experiment and journal what time you are consuming caffeine and how you sleep that evening. A small adjustment could make a big difference. 

3. Exercise

   Regular exercise is proven to help people fall asleep faster and sleep better.  It also aids in regulating your hormones, realigning your circadian rhythm and relieving symptoms of depression and anxiety, all necessary for avoiding insomnia and creating a better sleep routine. 

4. Get Outside

   Going outdoors during that day helps strengthen the body’s circadian rhythm and regulate hormones that affect our hunger and sleep cues. Find some time to get some natural light and fresh air, especially beneficial in the morning.

5. Avoid Alcohol

   Alcohol is a sneaky culprit when it comes to the impact it has on our rest. Its sedative properties will likely help you fall asleep quickly. The problem is that this creates an imbalance in our sleep cycles causing more sleep disruptions and less deep sleep overall. If weight loss is your goal, consider eliminating alcohol from your diet completely.  Aside from that fact that it is packed with sugars and has you reaching for calorically dense foods, alcohol has no nutritional benefits. However, sustainable healthy living is all about moderation; consider cutting all alcohol 4 hours before bed for a better night’s sleep.

6. Create a Nightly Mindfulness Routine

   In our ever changing, ever stimulating world, our brain needs time to wind down from the events of the day. Meditation and mindfulness can feel intimidating to someone who has never practiced it, but it doesn’t have to be a long routine. Take a few minutes for deep breathing and gentle stretching before bed. Notice how your body relaxes and allows you to lay down without so many thoughts running through your brain.

7. Set the Scene

   We sleep best in a quiet, dark, cool environment. Turn your thermostat a few degrees cooler and invest in blackout curtains or a comfortable eye mask. Smell also plays a role in signaling our brain that it is time to snooze; a nice aromatherapy candle can do wonders.  

8. Ditch your Phone

   Oh these lovely phones that have become a part of our bodies… ditch them before bed. In fact, keep them out of your bedroom completely. Screens emit a blue light that makes it difficult for our brain to release the sleep hormone melatonin. Give yourself a screen curfew; 30-60 minutes before bed, leave it in the other room and start your wind down routine.

9. Take a quick shower before bed. 

   Sleep hygiene can play an important role in our ability to fall asleep. When outside, our hair and skin comes in contact with different pollens and allergens that may cause irritation. Keep your sheets clean, take a quick shower and grab some cozy, clean pjs for bed. Showers also help regulate your body temperature and signal your brain that it's time to catch some z’s.

10. Address your overall health

    Lastly, rule out any medical conditions that could be interfering with your sleep. Did you know that most health insurance covers an annual visit to a general practitioner? Preventative health care is imperative and your health insurance may cover complete blood panels to check your thyroid functions, vitamin D levels, hormone levels and more. Contact your insurance company and see what is covered.