“Sleep helps you win at life.” —Amy Poehler
My best friends and I were talking about our mutual accountability pact over our personal health goals.
When we got to me, I told them that I really believe my progress plateaued because of sleep.
I told them that I read somewhere that even though you’re working out and eating right, lack of sleep can slow down or even stop your progress.
Sarah agreed and said that it wasn’t just about the amount of sleep we get, but the quality of sleep we get.
Let’s talk about how to increase your quality of sleep!
Before you hit the hay…
STRETCH / FOAM ROLL.
If you didn’t work out for the day, at the very least, stretch or foam roll. The goal is to relax your muscles before bed. A few weeks ago, I had an incredibly hard time sleeping. My hip was throbbing so much that I got out of bed to stretch it out. I thought I could sleep the pain away. However, it was too intense that I had to get up and stretch.
TAKE YOUR VITAMINS.
I’m a huge advocate of taking vitamins. Your body needs rest and while you’re sleeping, every inch of your body is repairing itself including your cells. Please feel free to message me if you want to know what vitamins I take.
JOT DOWN YOUR THOUGHTS AND TO-DOs.
Have you ever thought about everything while you’re in bed, so much that it keeps you awake? To get a better night’s sleep, jot down what’s on your mind and the things you have to do the next day.
This process is called a brain dump. That way, you clear your mind, can be at ease and sleep soundly. Personally, I write down things like a grocery list that’s been on my mind, content ideas, and errands I need to run.
Most importantly, I spend some time in worship/prayer and reading my devotional/Bible before I tap out for the night.
I hope today’s post will help you if you’re looking to get a good night’s rest.
I didn’t write down the obvious like put your phone away, read, keep your room dark/cold and turn your TV off because I felt like it’s been said already. My goal is to share what I do, but want to get better at personally.
Side note, I’m going to track my sleep using the SleepCycle app (been using it for years and love it!) this week so I’ll write a follow up post about it and show you my progress!
If you’re new here, feel free to check out my past posts on health and wellness! I hope you’ll find something that will help you!
What’s your bedtime routine to get a higher quality of sleep?
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Please note that this content should not be used for diagnosis or treatment of a health problem or disease and serves as informational purposes only. Always consult your professional healthcare provider before beginning any new program with any questions you may have.
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