Remember the days you used to sleep like through the ENTIRE night, and wake up feeling rested? I can safely say that I am not a pleasant person to be around without a good night’s sleep, and if you’re like me, you can probably relate. So, today we’re talking about how to sleep better!

Let’s start with the basics:

• Turn off your blue light an hour before bed (the new iPhone update has a setting for this, but I’d recommend getting off your phone altogether)
• No caffeine past 11am. The half life of caffeine is 6 hours for the average person…meaning that you metabolize it very slowly and can still have some in your system at bed time. I know you’re thinking, “caffeine doesn’t affect me,” but if you have problems sleeping, cutting it WILL help.
• Take magnesium before bed. It’s estimated that 70% of the population is magnesium deficient, and magnesium is a ‘calming’ nutrient. Take 600mg of Magnesium Citrate or Citramate, until bowel tolerance (magnesium causes loose stools if you take too much). I would work your way up from 150mg up to 600mg.
• Read a book before bed. Seems silly it’s so simple, right? This has helped me immensely. In fact, I can barely get through a book because after 5 pages, I’m out for the count.

Take it a step further

With my clients (and myself), it’s often stress that causes a poor night’s sleep. But, it’s hard to just tell you to “stress less”, right? That’s just not how it works. Luckily, there are things you can do to help your body handle the stress that you’re under, whether it’s from work, a relationship or something else.

• Write it down. What’s bothering you? I promise whatever it is, it will feel better to get it “out” of your brain and on to paper. Some call it journaling, but it doesn’t have to be in any official journal. Journaling, or recording your thoughts and feelings is proven to reduce stress, give you clarity on your emotions and help solve the problem.
• Try a 7 day free trial with the app, Whil. You can choose specific meditations based on what’s bothering you (and you don’t have to worry if you’re a beginner). It’s amazing what 10 minutes a day of meditation will do for you.

Add in herbal support

Now, perhaps you’ve tried the above, and for whatever reason, your sleep still sucks. Let’s take it a step further with nutrients and herbs that help with sleep.

If you can’t shut off your mind

Brain Calm by Douglas Labs. Take 2 with dinner. This supplement contains nutrients that are calming for the mind, including GABA, Passionflower, and L Glycine.

If you’re experiencing anxiety/stress throughout the day, that’s affecting your sleep

Relora by Douglas Labs. Take 1 with breakfast and 1 with dinner. This provides a general calm, without feeling groggy. Note: This one requires you to take it for a few days before you will notice, but it works incredibly well, and if stress is causing you not to sleep, this helps!

If you’re going through menopause

As your hormones change radically through menopause, low estrogen or low progesterone can both lead to insomnia. I would recommend getting your hormones tested and then creating a custom plan that addresses the root cause of what’s out of balance, which will then help with your sleep! You can always book a time to chat with me here.