Sleep: Your Step-By-Step Guide To Getting Some Great Zzzs

Having some trouble catching quality zzzs lately? This guide has some really helpful tips to help you get the restful sleep you need. Check out "Sleep: Your Step-By-Step Guide To Getting Some Great Zzzs"!

1pm: Yes, believe it or not, sleep prep begins now!

Sleep patterns are influenced by the light you receive during the day. So either get outside during the day if you can, or if possible, do some exercise. Exercise increases the amplitude of daily rhythms and tells the body to promote deeper sleep cycles. To help with sleep, the best time to exercise is at least six hours before bedtime. (For some people, exercise too close to bedtime can disrupt their sleep cycle.)

3pm: Put down the coffee and take in no more caffeine today.

That afternoon cup of Joe can interfere with your ability to sleep for up to eight hours after your last sip, so skip it if you want to sleep better tonight.

630pm: At dinnertime, keep meals simple.

To save prep time during the week, try doing the bulk of your cooking on the weekends. No time on the weekends? Then keep a few bottled (not canned) jars of pole-caught tuna fillets, olives, capers and red peppers on hand. Toss with organic mixed greens and raw, chopped veggies, so you can assemble a healthy dinner in a flash.

645 pm: Eat slowly and consciously, savoring the food.

With most of our breakfasts eaten on-the-go and our lunches wolfed down at the desk, dinner is the one meal most of us can actually make time for. Think of dinner as a delicious prelude to sleep – a calming ritual to help you start unwinding from a stressful day.

745 pm: Now’s the time to put down your fork to help prep your belly for bed.

Try to finish eating at least three hours before bedtime to insure that the digestive process tailing off before you crawl under the covers.

8pm: Last call for liquids.

Cut yourself off at least 3 hours before bed – to extend your bouts of uninterrupted sleep, particularly if you tend to get up to relieve yourself in the middle of the night. Another tip to reduce overnight bathroom trips: avoid sugars, grains and carbs at night.

9pm: Turn off and tune out.

With apologies to Timothy Leary, it’s time to turn off and tune out – as in completely power down anything with a screen, including computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, TV’s, Gameboys, etc. This will help calm and soothe your over-stimulated brain, thus signaling to your noggin that bedtime is near. Remove any distractions (mentally and physically) that will prevent you from sleeping

10pm: By now you’ve wound down your gut and brain. What’s next? Your nervous system.

Turn off or dim all unnecessary lights and curl up with a soothing read. Avoid newspapers, thrillers, or other genres that might set your pulse racing. Next, try a short meditation to ease the body into a sleep-friendly state or listen to calming music.

1030pm: Now you’re in the home stretch, so give your body an extra nudge to help you sleep.

Consider a few calming minerals, amino acids or herbs. My favorites include: magnesium; amino acids L theanine, 5 HTP; taurine; lemon balm; passion flower; chamomile; magnolia and valerian root. (You can also try my Be Well Sleep Formula, which contains many of these, together in capsule form.)

11pm: Kiss your mate goodnight.

Slip on an optional (but very helpful) sleep mask, then it’s lights out and off to sleep.

If 11:45 pm rolls around and you’re still awake, get up and out of the bedroom. Keep the lights dim and try a calming activity, like reading or knitting for an hour or so before returning to bed. (Remember, no electronic screens!) .

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Original Article Here: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-11294/sleep-your-step-by-step-guide-to-getting-some-great-zzzs.html