Do you struggle with sleep as much as I do?

Who needs sleep?

It’s time to talk about SLEEP! It’s imperative that we get a good night’s sleep. I know this can be easier said than done – especially for those of us who are moms. There are constantly distractions, waking for feedings, and other things that are out of our control; however, there are some things we can do to control the quality and quantity of sleep we can potentially get.

How many hours of sleep do you get on average? How many hours of sleep do you personally need to thrive?

Here are a few quick tips to help you sleep better which will in turn help you burn fat more efficiently!

One thing that, for me, really affects my quality of sleep is the temperature of my bedroom. If it is too hot, my sleep is very disturbed. Our bodies are not able to regulate temperature quite as much while we sleep and so it is important to make sure we have the temperature set just right to provide optimal sleeping conditions.

Limiting screen time close to bed time is something that I struggle with. The temptation to look at my phone, check one more thing, or watch Netflix is definitely strong when I am laying in bed. The problem is that our phones, TV, and other screens emits a blue light that encourages our body to produce more daytime hormones, like cortisol, which will interrupt our natural progression in preparing to sleep. Avoiding screen time around 2 hours before bed will help our bodies naturally shut down. Your sleep may also be improved by keeping your phone across the room, instead of next to your bed. Not only does it remove the temptation to look one more time, but it also limits the amount of waves emitted near you while you are sleeping.  Limiting screen time is probably one of the easiest and best ways we can help improve our sleep quality right away.

Increasing your exposure to sunlight and daylight will also help you sleep better at night. Melatonin is one of the big players in our body’s ability to get a restful night of sleep. The main function of melatonin is to help regulate the sleep-wake cycle. When we are lacking in our exposure to daylight and sunlight, our ability to produce melatonin is affected. When you expose yourself to sunlight and daylight throughout the day, not only do you get a daily dose of Vitamin D, but you are also preparing your body for a better night’s sleep by ramping up your body’s natural melatonin level.

The last tip for sleeping better is to schedule a bed time that optimizes your body’s natural rhythm for sleep. Most people find they sleep the best between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. when the body is secreting the optimal amount of hormones for sleep.   Scheduling your sleep and sticking to a “bed time” will help you optimize your sleep.

So often we settle for average or below average sleep and live in a tired fog. By taking a few conscious steps to improve our sleep patterns and hormone levels associated with sleeping, we can not only optimize fat burn, but allow our bodies the rest and recovery it needs to function at an optimal level with plenty of energy to boot!