By Melody Loewen
It’s that time of year again, where bringing in the crop too often takes priority over sleep.
Or maybe you are a shift worker, a mom to littles, or just someone who can’t seem to get a proper sleep no matter how hard you try! Here we will go over a few things you can focus on right away to help with sleep quality.
Proper sleep at night starts during the day. Do what you can to avoid unnecessary stress. The less cortisol your body creates during the day, the better you will sleep at night. Do what you can to compensate for the stress that you will inevitably encounter. Short bursts of exercise are very helpful for lowering cortisol levels. Chocolate is also incredible for helping our brain produce endorphins, but make sure it isn’t a sugary chocolate bar. Do something you enjoy during the day. Take a sit down break to eat your food, go give your wife a kiss and a smile, watch a funny youtube video, turn up your favorite song, take off your sweaty boots for a moment to cool down… whatever it is that helps gives you a little bit of happiness.
Make sure you are consuming adequate levels of magnesium, omega 3, and potassium, however, it may be necessary to supplement these even if you have a healthy diet.
You need to make sure you are keeping your blood sugar levels in optimal range. Learn how to choose low glycemic carbs, healthy fats, as well as plenty of protein. There are also some good supplements that can assist in balancing blood sugar. Chromium is the most important ingredient to look for in supplements like this. Don’t fall prey to the advice to stop eating before 7pm. A healthy , low carb snack before bed will help your blood sugar levels hold steady during the nighttime hours so that you don’t get wakeful during the wee hours.
As bedtime draws near, shut down the screen time. Don’t wind down to a youtube video, or a scroll over facebook. The light from these devices interrupts our nighttime brain chemistry and wreaks havoc with our sleep quality. A soak in a hot tub, with lavender oil and Epsom salts is much preferable, and will aid your body in preparing for the sleep that it needs.
Invest in a proper pillow, and a good bed, make the room as dark as possible, and adjust the temperature to comfortably cool. And as much as you can, don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own!
Watch out for the next articles where we will discuss sleep quantity, and delve a bit deeper into common health concerns that could be affecting your sleep patterns.
Chocolate Therapy
-1/4 box unsweetened Bakers chocolate -1/4 c virgin coconut oil
Melt on low and add:
-3 Tbsp peanut butter or whipping cream -stevia to taste
-add-ins of choice: raisins, maca powder, protein powder, peppermint, grated orange rind, kale powder, chia seeds, coconut, vanilla…
Pour into a flat container, freeze, and eat when it has hardened.
