April 16, 2021
4 Things To Help You Sleep Besides Melatonin
If you’ve tried melatonin or other sleep aids, you probably know they’re meant to be temporary fixes. They are great for jet lag, sickness, unusual late nights, or adapting to a night shift. But, if you’re suffering from bad sleep long term, we need to get to the root of the issue.
Unless you’re on a medication that’s making you lose sleep, at least one of the 4 habits below will likely help you get some better Z’s!
1. Stop eating so late at night
Ever heard the phrase “rest and digest”? Well, it should really be “rest or digest” because your body can only do one at a time.I know you might be thinking: “After a big meal, I feel like taking a nap”.
But, just because you can fall asleep, doesn’t mean you’re getting good quality sleep.
Normally, when you sleep, your body heals and restores for the next day. It rebuilds muscles and joints and processes information you’ve learned in the daytime.
But, if your body is too busy digesting at bedtime, it won’t be able to do all those other important things.
Hence, you wake up feeling groggy, tired, and sore.
2. Stop drinking caffeine after 2 pm
Perhaps you already knew that a cup of coffee will last you 5 hours of buzz.
But, did you know that caffeine has a half-life of twice that long? So, if you drink at 2, chances are you’ll still be a bit buzzed at midnight.
The other thing to note here is that caffeine doesn’t give your body any nutrients. So, if you’re trying to replace proper sleep and nutrition with caffeine, where do you think you’re getting all that energy from? Likely, it’s coming from a system in your body that’s being overused and over-taxed, like the adrenal system. And, long-term depletion of your adrenal system can lead to major health problems down the road.
3. End chronic inflammation
I have a client who told me he wasn’t stressed. But, he kept showing up to workout sessions with weird pains, tightness and stiffness all over. He was often exhausted, couldn’t sleep well, and complained of chronic back, shoulder and knee pain.
So, the truth is he was definitely stressed!
What many don’t realize is that stress is not just emotional. It is physical, too. Even if you don’t think you’re stressed at the moment, your major organs could be stressed by malnutrition, dehydration, chronic gut disease, or even past traumas (both emotional and physical) that have been stored in your body.
Lowering stress in the body means lowering inflammation. That means eating nutritious, anti-inflammatory foods, breaking bad habits, and possibly getting treatment.
I know that’s a lot. Healing chronic issues can be overwhelming. If you’re not sure where to start with decreasing inflammation in your body –
connect with one of our coaches, and we can help you gain clarity about where to start.
4. Lower emotional stress in the daytime
Falling asleep isn’t just about your night-time routine.
If you don’t have a system for managing the stress of work, to-do’s, the kids, sickness, and the rest of life, your brain might be holding onto that and keeping you awake at night.
The one thing that my client changed that helped her sleep, was that she started clearing out her thoughts through meditation.
That may seem vague, and that’s because it is. There are many ways to manage stressful thoughts. My favorite methods are meditation and journaling. If you’re not sure where to start or how to do either of those, this is one of the things the Beometry Team loves to help people with the most, so please reach out to us and ask any questions you have!
If you’re not sure where to start or how to do either of those, this is one of the things the Beometry Team loves to help people with the most, contact us now so please reach out to us and ask any questions you have!
