Sleep is VITAL. And getting out of bed after a night of little to no sleep is probably one of the worst feelings ever. Do you agree? Read on for 4 Sleep Tips that’ll kick your body into gear — or into sleep 😉
A great night’s sleep provides you with memory consolidation, body restoration, cell regeneration, muscle repair and deep-level processing. From the clinically proven to the POUND girl approved, we’ve got four easy sleep-well tips to give you sweet dreams (and even sweeter mornings!)
4 Sweet Sleep Tweaks:
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Turn off before you turn in
Stay away from your phone, iPad, computer and TV an hour before your bedtime. Read, listen to music, journal, chat with your partner, or meditate instead!Before the invention of artificial light, the natural light of daybreak and the setting sun were all that we needed to signal sleep. The cycle of daylight triggers the important hormone melatonin, which helps regulate our body’s clock.
Melatonin levels rise when we’re exposed to darkness and we get sleepy. However, exposing ourselves to the light coming from our computer screens, texting, and watching movies before bed inhibits melatonin. According to recent research (check out the NY Times article here), this delays sleep by 22 percent and destroys our natural circadian rhythms of sleep and wakefulness!!
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Simplify your bedroom
We naturally associate spaces with activities. For example, when you go into the kitchen, you are automatically primed to want a snack.The same thing goes for the bedroom. Ideally, you should walk in and automatically get in the mood for sleep. If there is a TV, desk, elliptical, or other things in there, that may be confusing your body’s natural tendency for space association.
According to Dr. Richard Bootzin, Director of the Sleep Research Laboratory and Insomnia Clinic at the University of Arizona (POUND Co-Founder Cristina’s Alma Mater!), the bedroom space should be limited to sleep and sex to encourage optimal sleep (of course!).
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Sniff your way sleepy
Not only do we associate activities with locations but we also associate smells with activities and feelings. Try misting your pillow with a sleep potion and start associating that smell with dreamland.The POUND Girls’ Sleep Potion:
In a 4 oz spray bottle combine 1 oz rubbing alcohol, 12 drops of lavendar essential oil, 12 drops of chamomile oil, and then add water until the bottle is full!The scent on your pillow will trigger you to get sleepy each time you smell it. You can even take your scent potion on the road and take a whiff when you need to sleep on a plane, in a hotel or anywhere you need to catch some Z’s!
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POUND your way to good night’s sleep!
Rigorous exercise will make you get deeper sleep at night, so you can repair your muscles. Is that why we’re so well rested all the time? 😉
Peace, love and all the Z’s,
The POUND Girls