Sleep is essential to our wellbeing. Together with the quality of our food intake, sufficient movement and hydration, it builds the foundation for our personal health, happiness and wellness. ‘Am I rested and hydrated?’ is a powerful question we want to ask ourselves daily.

Sleep deprivation wears out our nervous system and will absolutely effect our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. It will also suppress our immunity making us susceptible to disease. During the current Covid-19 situation, getting good sleep and feeling rested is a necessity,

The greater our sleep deprivation, the less we remember what it feels like to be well rested. We become accustomed to functioning below par. Being tired, fuzzy headed and irritable becomes the norm.

With everyone staying at home, schedules have gone out of the window and anxiety and fear have effected sleep quality. I see it with all my clients. Sleep debt increases the risk for weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and memory loss. It will effect the brain and subsequently our thinking, moods, decision-making and productivity.

The very first thing to do is to make a decision that you deserve good sleep and will do what it takes to have it.

Here are some guidelines that will support you in your endeavour. Your sleep is influenced by the kind of day you are having. Our bodies loves a natural rhythm just like nature.

• Keep caffeine and energizing supplements to the morning.

• Expose yourself to outside light in the morning to signal to your body it is morning. Especially now that we are all staying home we are not getting enough natural daylight.

• Have a structure to your day and aim to go to bed at a consistent time. The body heals most during 10 pm and 2 am.

• If you feel very tired from not getting enough sleep the night before and need to rest, schedule a nap between 10 am and 2 pm.

• Start winding down at least an hour before bedtime.

• Set aside at least 30 minutes for a soothing bedtime routine.

Toxicity will impact the quality of your sleep. Talk to your health/wellness practitioner for high quality supplements to support you in having restful sleep while you create a lifestyle that is geared towards prioritizing sleep. It comes with a host of wonderful benefits!

When you wake up you might enjoy beginning your day with this affirmation by Louise Hay. Thank you bed for a good night’s sleep.

My next post will address 5 soothing bedtime routines.