Struggling to fall asleep and/or stay asleep every night? Read our post to discover:
- When it’s best not to workout
- Which superfoods can promote better shut-eye
- Why you actually reach out for a snack at midnight
No matter what the reason may be that causes you to have a poor sleep, your body takes a big hit.
Studies found that those not getting enough sleep were more likely to store more fat, have a bigger appetite and overeat and, finally, less energy during the day. When we don’t sleep well our hunger hormone ghrelin increases and our fullness hormone leptin decreases.
When you don’t get enough sleep, your immune system can’t work as efficiently to defend you from all the toxins you encounter outside every day. This leads to higher chances of your catching an illness too.
Lack of sleep leads to storing fat, overeating and less energy throughout the day.
In the long run the risk of getting diabetes, heart diseases and cancer is also increased due to the lack of sleep. Are you terrified now?
Don’t stress! If you’re suffering from a continuous sleeping problem, we can help you get to snoozin’ with these top 10 tips:
1. No more caffeine past 2 p.m.
Cut off your caffeine intake when the clock hits 2 p.m. Research found that the quality of your sleep is diminished if you consume the stimulant even 6 hours before slipping into bed.
2. Avoid eating right before bedtime
Your eating/snacking activity should be done no later than 3 hours before you head to bed. If you eat too late, you force your digestive system to work at the time when it should be resting also. This would negatively affect your sleep quality.
3. Use spirulina
Add some superfoods to your meals to help you sleep better. Did you know that Organic Burst Spirulina contains essential amino acid tryptophan, needed to produce serotonin in the brain? Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that is considered the scarcest amino acid in a regular diet. Human clinical studies showed that a lack of tryptophan in th body leads to insomnia.
4. Mix in adaptogens
Another superfood to mix into your daily routine is Organic Burst Maca. This adaptogen has been shown to reduce cortisol levels in the body – the hormone that increases when you’re stressed, leading to sleepless nights.
5. Include herbs
Chamomile and valerian are well known herbs that are used to treat sleeping disorders.
6. Avoid working out after dinner
Exercising may make you feel tired afterwards, but it also stimulates your body. And the excitement can prevent you from falling asleep.
7. Avoid blue light
This means saying goodnight to your phones, laptops and iPads earlier than right before going off to bed. The light interferes with your body’s melatonin production (melatonin is a hormone that induces that sleepy feeling).
8. Put on the yellow
If you need to use your computer late at night, no need to fret…there are a couple of options for you: First, you can use f.lux, which is a computer program that adjusts the blue light emitting from your computer screen. The second alternative is wearing yellow glasses. The yellow tint blocks the ultraviolet light.
9. Chill your bedroom
You reach the deeper stage of sleep when you’re in a colder environment. Bring down your bedroom temperature to a range between 60 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5 and 18.3 Celsius).
10. Keep the room as dark & quiet as possible
The light gives your mind & body the impression that it’s still daytime so darken your room as much as you can. Put on an eye mask if necessary. If you live in a noisy area, investing in earplugs would be beneficial.
11. Be in bed by 10pm at night
We know this may be challenging but this really works (especially with all the above tips applied). You’ll feel so revitalised and energized the next day (and will get more done!) According to Ayurveda, when you go to sleep before 10pm it is much easier to fall asleep and have a restful night. The later past 10pm you go to bed the harder it is to sleep (as the new stimulating cycle of pitta kala begins at that time – which is why you get hungry at midnight if you stay up!).
BONUS TIP
…And if you really can’t sleep (especially when changing time zones) – try a good quality melatonin supplement – just make sure you’re close to your bed when taking it as you may get really drowsy in about 15-20 minutes.
Sweet Dreams!
