One of the best things you can do for yourself and your health is to get plenty of good quality sleep.  There are numerous benefits to a good night’s sleep; improved memory, sharpened attention, and decreased stress levels.  If you are sick or fighting chronic disease sleep is crucial!  When you sleep your body works to restore and repair itself.  If you have problems with pain and inflammation, getting at least 6 hours of sleep can help reduce inflammation.

We all know how important sleep is.  Most of us still struggle with getting enough sleep though.  Here are some of my simple ideas to help you get a good night’s sleep.

• Cut the afternoon caffeine.  I know the 2 o’clock slump hits and coffee or soda sound like a great idea but that could have effects that last into the night keeping you from falling right to sleep.
• Don’t eat right before you go to bed.  Give your belly time to rest and settle before laying down.
• Disconnect from technology for AT LEAST 15 minutes before going to bed (aim for 30 minutes).  PUT THE CELL PHONE/TABLET DOWN!  Don’t even take it in your room.  Invest in a real alarm clock and keep your phone out of the bedroom.  Even when on silent the vibrations of your phone can disrupt your sleep without you even realizing it.
• Your bedroom should be a relaxing place!  I find keeping my room tidy, and making my bed every day helps.  We do not have a TV in our bedroom and this helps create a calm, quiet space where we can unwind at the end of the day.  Keep the lighting soft, invest in a lamp rather than using harsh overhead light.
• Consider meditating, yoga or even stretching before bed to help your body relax.  I use the time that I am brushing my teeth to stretch my legs.  There isn’t much else to do so why not stretch.

If you have a really hard time unwinding at the end of the day, consider a caffeine free nighttime tea.  Something about sipping on a warm mug of chamomile tea helps me peel away the stressful layers of a busy day.  I also use essential oils to help calm and quiet my mind right before sleeping.  I like the mix of a grounding blend and a relaxation blend.  I will post more about essential oils for sleep in a later post.

Finally, consider what is stopping you from going to bed at a reasonable time.  Some things are unavoidable or a product of our busy lives…others are not.  We recently got rid of our DVR and while I hate it, the bright side is that we don’t stay up as late watching TV.  When you don’t have a list of your favorite shows staring at you from your recorded list it is a lot easier to walk away.

Sleep, it really does a body good!