How To Get Your Best Night's Sleep

Sleep; along with balanced nutrition, exercise, stress, and supplements; is one of the 5 main pillars of wellness. We all do it every night, for varying amounts of time, but why is it so important, especially during a pandemic?

• Sleep is when your body is in recovery mode, both physical and mental. 

• Poor sleep can negatively impact your mood and ability to work clearly. 

• Stress can negatively impact your sleep, causing you to have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.

• Sleep has been shown to help boost your immune system, by aiding in the processing of toxins and proteins in your body.

So how can you get your best night’s sleep?

Below I have listed some of my favourite tips. Disclaimer: I do not do all of them every single night! I only do what I feel will serve me best and what I have time for. The main point is that I am conscious of my sleep hygiene every night, and I sleep better because of it. 

• Aromatherapy – lavender oil can be a very helpful tool and is a very calming scent. Diffused into the air, on your bedsheets (a personal favourite!), or even applied topically to the soles of your feet. 

• Self-massage – I like to take this time to connect with myself by utilizing self-massage. Using whatever lotion you prefer, I give myself a mini foot massage and/or hand massage. 

• Reading – I love slowing down with a book at the end of the day! It can be a self-help style of book or that juicy murder mystery you have been wanting to get into. The point is to slow down. For those of you who aren’t avid readers, books on tape or recordings of nature work great as well. 

• Set up your space - Darken your bedroom, close the curtains, put away the devices, adjust the temperature as you need, and use a soft bedside lamp if able. When we darken our space it gives our body cues that it is time for rest.

• Clean sheets – so simple, but trust me on this one. 

• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, large meals, and sweets immediately before bed - That means no bedtime snacks either!

• Self-care – get a nice shower or bath, do a face or hair mask, research Gua-Sha and give yourself a facial using lymphatic drainage techniques. The sky is the limit here!

• Mindfulness practice before bed.

• Gentle Yoga - Some of my favourite poses are child’s pose, half pigeon pose, legs up the wall, or fish pose. Anything restorative that feels good to you is what works best. 

• Brush your teeth!

• Supplements - If all these fail, you can try a natural sleep aid like Melatonin. 

Sweet dreams!