SIX LOW CALORIE TECHNIQUES FOR BETTER SLEEP WHILE DIETING

So after this week’s blog, we’re all clear on why we need to get eightish hours of quality sleep but HOW?

If you are like me, you’re working all the time, your family has needs, and shutting your brain down at night can seem impossible.

TAAAAA DAAAAA!

Here are six things you can do to make sure that Mr. Sandman finds you:

Create a Happy Bed

A great mattress, fluffy pillows, clean sheets…your bed should be a virtual paradise to crawl into. Declutter your bedroom and make sure the space you have created to restore your soul with sleep (and sex) is irresistible.

Limit Your Sensory Inputs

Make sure that your bedroom is quiet and dark. Give your brain every bit of help you can to help it shut down. Darkness triggers your brain to release melatonin which will help you doze off but the light creeping through your blinds will suppress it.

Stop Eating

Your body WANTS to shut down so don’t feed it close to bedtime. Try to leave at least one and preferably three hours between your last meal of the evening and going to sleep. Your body can take six hours to process caffeine so avoid soda, tea, coffee, and chocolate after 2pm. Let your body focus on sleep instead of digestion.

Shut Down Your Electronics

Using electronics like TVs, smartphones, tablets, and computers delays your body’s internal clock, also known as your circadian rhythm, and suppresses your natural release of melatonin which makes falling asleep TOUGH. The light from all those screens convinces your brain it’s not really dark so it operates on a daytime schedule.

ENJOY Relaxing Visualization

Some people count sheep. Some people think about the crickets chirping on a summer night. I like to envision waves rolling onto the shore and then pulling back out to sea only to roll up again. I find the repetition quite relaxing and if I am able to tune everything out except that one image, I can actually feel myself drifting off, like walking down a flight of stairs into sleep.

Try an Herbal Supplement

A nice cup of chamomile tea is helpful when it comes to calming down before bed. Melatonin and Valerian Root can be very useful. Your body produces melatonin but sometimes needs a little extra boost, especially if you've had a lot of screen time. Magnesium has also been found to quiet the mind and make falling asleep easier. Likewise, lavender aromatherapy has been proven to help relax and help folks drift off, plus aromatherapy has no known side effects.

There is not a single calorie in any of these sleep aids and they run the gamut from doing some laundry to taking a supplement.

Only you know what will work for you.

Listen to your body and let it tell you what techniques are most effective for getting you the quality sleep you need and deserve.