Day 21 of 100--Sleep is your friend

She looks restful!

While working in the hospital I would tell patients that they needed their sleep, as that is when the body goes to work to heal everything that need healing. 

This isn't only the case after surgery...your body goes to work repairing and fixing everything while you are asleep. Sleep is restorative in many ways.  

So are you getting enough sleep?   I have found that I need just over 8 hours to really feel in peak form.  That hasn't happened for a while.   What is your magic number?   Experiment and figure it out.  Adults need at least 7 hours of sleep each night.  Sometimes it is really hard to get, so here are some tips.

Going to bed.   It is helpful to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.   Your body gets used to the cycle and it is easier to fall asleep and wake up the next morning.   Darken your room.  Stay away from electronics for the last hour before you go to sleep.   See an article about how it harms your sleep here.

Dr John Day is a cardiologist that I used to work with.  He has many great ideas on his website, including 10 ways to Cure Insomnia Without Medications.  There are some great ideas there.  In his newsletter he suggested setting a reverse alarm clock so that when it goes off you turn off everything and climb into bed.   I have not tried it yet, but sometimes I wish I would.  :)

Waking up gets easier as you get to sleep earlier.   Set your alarm for the time you actually want to wake up.  Snoozing is actually a misnomer.  You don't get any additional restful sleep as it takes time to get into REM.  After you wake up turn off the alarm (keep it on the other side of the room) and make your bed.  If you do it right away you are much less likely to climb back in. 

As you get to sleep earlier and get more rest, waking up earlier, your body will thank you with more energy, less cravings, and an easier time sleeping.  Give it a try!  (I'm going to tonight!!)