Finally Getting a Great Night's Sleep

Just hearing the familiar Christmas hymn makes me feel peaceful, doesn’t it you? When was the last time you had a silent night and slept well? In today’s fast-paced environment, we often forgo sleep to catch up on what we feel needs to get done. Christmastime can be especially overwhelming when we add in the extra tasks we perform to try and make great Christmas memories.

What if you could wake up every morning feeling refreshed, focused, and excited to move through your day? Do you get 7-9 hours of sleep, not tossing in bed, but actual sleep that your body needs to function at its best?

All is Calm

There is an indirect connection between sleep and the quality of health that has been widely documented. Lack of sleep is proven to host a multitude of negative effects such as weight gain, increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, infections, increased risk of injury, and negative emotions such as irritability, anger, anxiety, and depression, to name just a few.

If we pay attention to the subtle hints our bodies give us, (sometimes not-so-subtle hints), we could do a lot to improve our quality of sleep. Our internal organs rest and recover during our sleep, and hormones are released to help us regulate stress, control our appetite and other important body functions. Our body calms down and restoration begins. Or tries to.

Listed below are a few things we can do to get more quality sleep and help our bodies function properly overnight:

• Start our mornings by drinking room temperature to warm lemon water before we eat. This tasty acidic beverage wakes up our digestive system and revs up our metabolism.
• Drink more tea and less coffee. Small amounts of caffeine found in tea is good for you, plus tea is loaded with antioxidants.
• Eat more veggies, especially the cruciferous ones (broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts) for their liver supporting properties.
• Practice expressing our emotions in healthy ways, rather than suppressing them.
• Control our portions and make dinner the lightest meal of the day. Stop eating 2 hours before bedtime.
• Turn off technology at least one hour before bedtime. Instead, experiment with replacing that habit with reading a good book, journaling, taking a bath, prayer or meditation.
• Start removing outside toxins from our environment. Toxins overload our liver, our primary toxin-removal organ. There are many alternatives to toxin-free products on the market today.
• Reduce or cut out caffeine and sugar after 3PM.
• Move more! Practice easy stretches throughout the day no matter where you are, and try to incorporate getting your sweat on at least 3 times a week.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Getting a good night of sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle. It helps us lose weight, manage stress, be creative, steer clear of depression, avoid chronic illnesses, improve our memories and overall help us live longer. By beginning to incorporate healthy lifestyle choices, you’ll improve your quality of sleep, which will improve your overall health. Soon you’ll be on your way to sleeping in heavenly peace.