This Week's Goal: Go To Bed At A Reasonable Time

This Week's Goal: Go to bed 
at a reasonable time.

Whether it's because of a tv show, a good book, a game on the phone, or something else, most of us are up much later than we should be. Our bodies need sleep, about 7.5-9 hours of sleep in fact, to be well rested. While sleeping, our brain gets de-cluttered and memories are cemented, growth hormone (used for repair) is secreted, and you also decrease the hormones responsible for hunger! If we don't get enough sleep, all of these activities dramatically decrease. 

This week, pick a time that you are going to lay down in bed and stick with it. If you're someone that has trouble falling asleep in the first place, you might have to put a little extra work in during morning hours as well. The next two paragraphs are for you!

Immediately upon waking, spend two minutes working out as hard as you can. The difficulty will change for everybody, but I recommend jumping jacks, high knees, push-ups, or air punches to get the blood flowing. Then, don't eat or drink anything but water for 45 minutes, not even coffee! 

Many people who have trouble waking up in the morning and falling asleep at night have reversed cortisol patterns. Cortisol is our stress hormone, but it is also very important to our sleep cycle. By doing the work-out and not eating, we increase the amount of cortisol we pump out in the morning, and decrease the amount that's available to pump out at night. Effectively, this helps us wake up easier and go to sleep more quickly. After about 1-2 weeks of this, you should notice a difference!

yours in health,

dr samantha boldt