Tips to help you wind down.

You need a routine: Setting a regular time to go to bed does a few things for your body. 1. it regulates your body’s internal clock. 2. like anything, it give you a clear structure to make sure you are getting to bed on time. This consistency helps improve the quality of your sleep and makes sure your getting to bed in time to get enough sleep.
Avoid Scrolling The Last Hour of the Day: We’re all guilty of this one but here’s the story. Scrolling creates this cycle where we activate our hunting instinct, becoming hyper focused on this loop of finding the next cool thing. Which triggers a lot of low key anxiety leading to the the opposite of a relaxed state. Ideally you want to stay off your phone and especially social media apps for that last hour of the day.This is also going to help limit your blue light emitted by phones, tablets, and computers which can interfere with your ability to fall asleep. Because this is a natural trigger telling your body to stay awake. If you give this a try I promise it will make a big difference in your ability to go to sleep.
Try Blue Blocking Glasses: This is the part where I’m supposed to tell you to read books instead of watching TV. Here’s the reality, most of us are going to watch a few shows anyways. Buying some cheap blue blocking glasses off amazon ( I think this is my last pair I bought ) can make a big difference in your sleep routine. It’s still going to allow you to watch your shows while blocking out some of the stimulating blue light. I’ve used these off and on for years and find that when I use them I’m ready to go to bed a lot sooner. It’s definitely worth the experiment to see how it works for you!

Create a Sleep-Friendly Environment:

When it comes to your bedroom you want to set the mood. That’s right, we only do two things here and one of them is sleep. This whole room should be dedicated to getting great sleep. You want it to be a relaxing hideaway from the world with as few distractions as possible.

Keep your bedroom free of electronics and distractions: This means the TV has no place in the bedroom. The reason for this is you want to have a clear distinction between where you watch TV and where you sleep. When you leave the TV in the living room your mind understands when you go to your bedroom it’s time to sleep. Having a TV in your bedroom programs your mind that you can always watch more TV. The same thing happens when we scroll on our phones in our beds. Leaving you a little restless and thinking about looking at that next video even after you have rolled over to go to bed. Creating these clear signals to your brain can be an important part of your routine. The second part of this is you want to limit the light sources in your room. Little lights on electronics should be tapped over or removed from the room. Eliminating the stimulation to the mind. Until you try this it may not make sense but once you do you will know why I bring it up. The third part is trying to eliminate noise and extra EMF’s in the room but we won’t go down that rabbit hole.
Make your room as dark as possible: Having a dark room makes it easier to sleep. Consider making a small investment in 100% blackout curtains and removing all small electronics from the room. If you are unable to remove certain electronics tapping over the small lights can work as well. The goal is to create as dark of a sleep environment as possible thus eliminating anything stimulating to the mind. The difference this will make in your sleep is night and day. If you are on a tight budget or unable to control the lighting, a sleep mask can be a good alternative.
Aim for a cool room with a temperature between 65-69°F (18-20°C): This is going to promote falling asleep faster and longer and deeper sleep cycles. Doing this we also improve your deep and rem sleep numbers. Plus you’ll get that comforting feeling of pulling the blankets up. This is why it’s so great sleeping during those winter months.
Make some adjustments for when you wake up during the night:This is all about staying asleep during the night. We all have those times when we wake up and need to go to the restroom. If you’re not careful your mind starts racing and next thing you know it’s hard to go back to sleep….Here is two things to consider. 1. Having a low light option available in the bathroom so you can still see but not so bright it’s going to wake you up. This will help you stay closer to your sleep state. 2. Next is resisting the urge to check your phone when you get up in the middle of the night. Anything past a quick check of the time can activate your brain. Once you start thinking… it can be game over for getting back to sleep. The goal is to stumble to the restroom, check the time and crawl back into bed avoids these tiggers allowing you to sleep longer.

Let's address breathing and snoring.

We tend to ignore snoring as just something we do and or blame it on being tired. This really comes down to breathing. Snoring is a sign of a much deeper issue that needs addressed. If left unchecked it can lead to a lot of health issues longterm including high blood pressure, ongoing fatigue and brain issues.

The biggest thing here is to remember snoring is not normal. It’s just something we have accepted as normal. When you’re snoring it can be due to a few issues but basically it leads to your body starving for oxygen over night. Your body puts most of its resources into keeping you alive rather than getting a restful nights sleep. This is why you wake up feeling tired and dragging throughout the day. You’ve also likely noticed that you’re waking up with awful dry mouth.

A few simple things you could do to fix this is trying mouth tape, nose strips or a combination of both. It can be weird at first but do it for a few days and see how it feels. If you feel better great, if not you tried something new you can talk about.

Another reason this can happen is because you are over weight which is causing your breathing pathways to be closed off when you lay down. As you begin to lose more weight you might find it fixes its self.

If you find the combination of taping your mouth, nose strips and losing some weight isn’t working it may be time to talk to your doctor about a sleep study. They can look at the deeper reasons this could be happen and help you get set up with a CPAP machine to help start improving your sleep.

Proper nasal breathing is going to ensure better oxygen levels in the blood, which is essential for brain function and overall health. Addressing mouth breathing can greatly improve how you feel and support long-term health.

Here's the mouth tape and nose strips I use personally.

Let's talk about Supplements

Magnesium: Most of us are chronically low on magnesium in the modern world. This is especially true if you are an active individual. On the sleep side of things magnesium helps regulate neurotransmitters such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which promotes relaxation and helps prepare the brain for sleep.

If your magnesium levels are low it will show up in your performance. Magnesium acts as a cofactor for over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body. These include processes involved in energy production, protein synthesis, and DNA repair. It’s also essential for maintaining normal nerve and muscle function.

Another thing most people don’t realize about magnesium is that about 60% of the body’s magnesium is stored in the bones. It helps regulate calcium levels, which is vital for bone density and strength. It also plays a crucial role in heart health by helping to regulate blood pressure and maintaining a normal heart rhythm.

Getting proper doses of magnesium can contribute a lot to your current sleep routine. You’ll also get the added benefits of the calming effect on the nervous system which will help with stress levels.

L-Theanine: Known for its calming effects, L-Theanine can help reduce anxiety and prepare your mind for sleep. This is something you can through in as needed. Taking this during times of high stress or when you find that your mind won’t stop racing can be really useful. It can have a slightly sedating effect but mainly is going to help you shut off your mind and any anxiety you maybe facing that makes it hard to go to sleep.

A normal dose of 100-400mg is a good place to start. L- Theanine is also becoming popular to take during the day to help smooth out the jittery effects of caffeine leaving you with a smooth/ focused feeling.

If you’re having trouble getting to sleep it can be worth looking into.

GABA: Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) can help some people fall asleep more easily and wake up feeling more rested, though it doesn’t work for everyone.

GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, meaning it helps to calm neural activity, counteract excitatory signals and plays a key role in regulating brain activity by inhibiting excessive neural firing. ( keeps you calm )

It is often used as a dietary supplement to promote relaxation, reduce anxiety, and improve sleep quality.

By increasing GABA activity, it can help reduce overactive neural pathways associated with stress and anxiety. This calming effect can make it easier to relax, unwind and facilitating the transition to sleep. As a result, GABA supplements may help people who have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.

Common doses of GABA supplements range from 100 mg to 750 mg per day. If you decide to give it a try start with a lower dose to assess your tolerance. It can come on strong if you over do it. If you are taking it for sleep, you want to take GABA 30-60 minutes before bedtime and go to sleep within that window.

It can be worth giving a try if you have been struggling with getting restful sleep. It doesn’t seem to work for everyone but I think that is largely dependent on your current GABA levels. I took it for awhile but no longer find the need to take it now that things are dialed in.

To Wrap it up

Sleep is far more than a nightly routine—it’s a vital component of our health and well-being. By understanding its benefits and implementing strategies to enhance your sleep quality, you can improve your mood, support weight management, aid muscle recovery, boost mental performance, and promote cardiovascular health. So, take the time to prioritize your sleep; your body and mind will thank you for it. If you’re still feeling tired during the day after sleeping all night this next article may be for you.