Natural Ways to Improve Sleep

Dear Readers, I'd like to discuss how we can improve our sleep.

Maintain a regular morning routine

Many of us try to make up for lost time on weekends and vacations, but this is rarely productive and can have negative consequences. A Saturday morning nap can feel great, but it usually has unpleasant repercussions later in the day. People's sleep and wake cycles are regulated by the circadian rhythm, an internal body clock. When it's light out, our internal clock tells us to wake up, and when it's dark out, our bodies release melatonin and signal that it's time to sleep.

Nutrition and a healthy diet

Eat breakfast every morning. Similar to the functions of light or dark, eating serves as a signal that it is time to wake up or go to sleep. Because it is crucial to your day, you should eat breakfast as soon as you wake up. When you eat breakfast, you tell your body that you have what it needs to function for the rest of the day. For the same reason, it's not a good idea to eat right before you go to sleep; the night is a time of rest, and you don't need any extra energy to get through it.

Control your cortisol levels

Excess cortisol, a hormone that keeps us awake and disrupts sleep, is reduced by eating breakfast. Throughout the day, our bodies produce the stress hormone cortisol, which provides us energy. It's best to have it cranked up first thing in the morning and keep it there all day to get you up and to move. However, over time, it should decrease and dip to its lowest point in the evening, when it's time to sleep. The stress hormone cortisol reduces the production of the sleep hormone melatonin and vice versa. Since melatonin is necessary for sleep, high and consistent cortisol levels during the day make it hard to nod off at night.

Practice some mindfulness with meditation

Many of us try to make up for lost time on weekends and vacations, but this is rarely productive and can have negative consequences. A Saturday morning nap can feel great, but it usually has unpleasant repercussions later in the day. People's sleep and wake cycles are regulated by the circadian rhythm, an internal body clock. When it's light out, our internal clock tells us to wake up, and when it's dark out, our bodies release melatonin and signal that it's time to sleep.

If you're having trouble drifting off, a massage may help

A good night's sleep is facilitated by melatonin, the body's natural "sleeping pill," which is converted from serotonin (the "happy hormone") during the metabolic process of massage. In addition, massage raises the feel-good chemicals, endorphins, levels, which aid in relaxation and sleep.

Please do not put off addressing your sleeplessness until it has reached a chronic stage. A healthy lifestyle begins with a healthy sleep routine.