How to improve sleep quality naturally?

You have heard the saying; “You don’t know what you have until you lose it!”

That was exactly my experience with sleep. I always have been an excellent sleeper. My friends used to make fun of me saying that I could sleep on bare rocks or even standing in buses (no joke).

Until we had kids!

It’s not a surprise that when you have babies your sleep gets compromised. There might be also other reasons that compromise your sleep quality like mental and emotional stress, alcohol, drugs, overstimulation before going to sleep, etc.

Whichever the reason is that keeps you awake at night or prevents you to slip down a deeply restorative night sleep, here are some tips take have worked amazingly for me, even while having to wake up many times per night because of our small kids.

Darken your room and home

As soon as your brain realizes that it is getting darker it secretes melatonin which is the sleep hormone that will relax you and get you ready to go to bed.

Start by using dim lights in your home at least 1 hour before going to sleep. This will start the relaxation process. Also, darken your room as much as possible using blackout curtains.

Limit Blue Light

Based on the same principle as above, TV, cell-phones, and computers stimulate your system and prevents the secretion of melatonin. So, limit using any blue light device for at least 1 hr before going to sleep. Use that time to read a book, connect to your partner and prepare your room for a great night's sleep.

Use an Acupressure Mat

This is one of the best things that I have ever owned! Really! It is a mat with tiny spikes where you lay down before going to sleep for 15 to 20 min. The spikes relax your whole nervous systems and vanish all the pain and tension in your body.

I would say that it improves your night quality sleep for at least 50%. It is an amazing and very simple tool but one worth trying. Check this link for my favorite one.

You can also use it at any point in the day when you are feeling tired, tense or stressed. It will relax you immediately.

Eat right

This is big! Nutrition has a huge impact on your sleep quality. To make it short focus on:

• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables during the day: Having an extra amount of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) in your system will help your system to restore and relax while your sleep
• Hydrate: drink enough water during the day (min 2 Lts. - 68 oz.). To increase water absorption add a pinch of salt or squeeze a bit of lemon juice in your water. Make sure not to drink too much before going to sleep, otherwise, you’ll wake up to pee.
• Eat Dinner at the latest 2 hours before going to sleep: Make sure you have enough time to digest your last heavy meal before going to sleep. You can still have a small snack before going to sleep if you are hungry but make sure is something light.
• Have a spoon of honey before going to sleep: Honey sugars composition can trigger serotonin production which is the main neurotransmitter needed to secrete melatonin. Use good quality raw honey and if you want to boost your immune system at the same time go for Raw Manuka Honey.

There is a big debate about how many hours you should sleep. I believe that the quality of your sleep is much more important than the quantity. Anyway, it is important to get the right amount of hours for yourself and combine with the tips above, you will wake up feeling refreshed, clear-minded and ready for the new day.

So, these are the go-to tips I have used consistently to improve my sleep quality naturally especially while raising two small kids. Even if I don’t get too many hours, at least the ones I get are good quality ones!

Wishing you a good night's sleep!

Until next time,

Daniel

P.S. If you need help to improve your Health and Lifestyle don't hesitate to contact me and book your 15 min FREE session to get crystal clear on your goals and get started on your journey to a Healthy Lifestyle.