Dreamland Awaits: Sleep Better Tonight!

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Guide to Better Sleep

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This guide outlines simple, science-backed habits to improve sleep, energy, and overall recovery—from strategic light exposure and exercise timing to managing caffeine, temperature, supplements and nighttime routines. By staying consistent with these small daily behaviors, you can better regulate your body’s natural rhythms and improve both how you feel and how you sleep. It has been a game changer for me. I don’t always do everything on this list but I have incorporated most of them over the past year and it has helped my sleep incredibly!

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LIGHT

Sunlight in the first 30–60 minutes after waking is important. Look at or near the sun, as long as it doesn’t hurt your eyes. If it’s sunny, this could be about 5 minutes; if it’s overcast, around 10 minutes; and if there’s heavy cloud cover, up to 30 minutes. Ideally, you should be outside, not looking through a window. If natural light isn’t available, selfie ring lights can be a decent substitute. The effect is cumulative, so if you don’t get enough one day, you can make up for it the next. Aim for at least 80% consistency. I try to do this when I am drinking my coffee as I set my intention for the day or now that it is getting lighter out on my morning run.

Before bed avoid bright artificial lights of any kind. If you wake up in middle of night, like I do to go to bathroom, keep lighting as low to the ground as possible and use as little light as you can.

EXERCISE

Exercise in the first hour after waking increases body temperature, helping you wake up and sets a healthy sleep cycle. It doesn’t have to be a long intense exercise routine. On days I can’t exercise first thing, I start with pelvic tilts before getting out of bed then I do some light yoga stretching. This is to increase blood flow and your body temperature!

CAFFEINE & MEALS

You should avoid caffeine 6-10 hours before your bedtime. I try to go at least 10 because I am sensitive to caffeine. Also avoid alcohol and heavy eating, at 3 hours before bed. 

TEMPERATURE

Temperature matters for sleep. Aim for a cool sleep environment, about 3 degrees cooler than the rest of your home. In a cooler room, you can still sleep under a blanket while your extremities naturally move in and out of the covers to regulate temperature, helping to prevent wake-ups. 

REGULAR SLEEP SCHEDULE

Going to sleep and waking up around the same time is an important way to set your circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm is the internal process that controls the sleep-wake cycle and repeats approximately every 24 hours, telling your body when it’s time to wake up and when it’s time to sleep. I know it’s hard on the weekends but it definitely helps you feeling your best during the day!

SCREEN TIME AND WORK

At least 1 hour before bed stop working! Turn off all screens, including phones, TV’s, and computers. It takes me about an hour to do my nighttime routine which for me is washing my face, brushing my teeth, moisturizing, taking my night time supplements (eg. magnesium), setting out my clothes for the next day, reading and prayer. Turn off those screens and work on creating a night time routine that works for you!

SUPPLEMENTS

Magnesium glycinate or magnesium L-threonate made a big difference for me. After adding magnesium to my bedtime routine I sleep more rest and am less anxious. It’s easy to absorb and can be especially helpful during the menopausal transition, though anyone may benefit.

Ashwagandha is a powerful herb that may aide with sleep and sleep disorders. Holy basil is another adaptogenic herb that can support the body’s stress response and promote mental balance, which may also improve sleep.

Talk with your doctor before starting any new supplement to ensure it’s safe for you.

OTHER HELPFUL HABITS

Other helpful habits include breathing through your nose as much as possible while sleeping. If needed, some people use mouth taping during sleep (only if safe and no severe sleep apnea is present). You can also train better nasal airflow by doing cardiovascular exercise with your mouth closed.

If you set an alarm do NOT hit snooze. This disrupts your natural sleep pattern and you could feel more tired during the day.

Finally, slightly elevating the foot of your mattress by 3–5 degrees may help promote circulation (venous return), though this is not recommended during pregnancy or for those with certain vascular conditions.

I hope these make you think about what might work for you. A good night sleep is important for our mind, body and spirit. Sweet Dreams 😴 !

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CHALLENGE

Here is a quick little challenge for you this month to get the ball rolling

And every week after for that matter…

Get yourself at least 15 minutes more sleep per day than you normally have.

If you get at least 6 hours of sleep normally, try getting 6 hours. and 15 minutes. Try working to 7 hours a night and see how you feel. Everyone needs different amounts of sleep but 7-8 on average is usually the target for most. Sleep needs vary depending on many factors like your activity and stress.

Respond to this email and let me know if you are up for the challenge and how it is going!