Essential How To Sleep Tips

7 Simple Essential Tips to Get Deep, Blissed-Out Sleep! Hello sweet friends! Does deep, blissed-out sleep sound good to you? Yeah, I thought so, me too! But first, why am I even talking about sleep when it’s something our bodies do naturally? Body, Mind, Soul fitness sleepy head! Actually, the truth is that sleep is not something that just happens, unless you are a teenager! Right? Most teens can sleep for hours and hours. Even babies need to learn to fall asleep and sleep well. What’s important about getting good sleep? When you are living Life on Purpose, everything my friend! Good sleep is vital for good health, vital for Life on Purpose! Sleep deprivation can lead to a multitude of health issues:

• It escalates the hunger hormone called ghrelin, which increases food cravings. That should be enough for most of us right there! I don’t know about you but I’m plenty capable of escalating my own hunger. lol
• It escalates the stress hormone called cortisol, which can cause weight gain, diabetes, heart attacks, high blood pressure, depression, osteoporosis and depressed immunity. Again, no thank you!
• It causes elevated blood pressure in people with hypertension, which can lead to cardiovascular disease and stroke. Seriously, not getting enough sleep has real consequences.

Learning how to improve your sleep is not just a luxury—it’s a necessity! I know your life is full, dare I say BUSY. We gotta, gotta, get the basics right so we flourish and live daily with intention and passion! How do I get better sleep? When you lie down, you shall not be afraid; yes, you shall lie down, and your sleep shall be sweet. – Proverbs 3:24 AMPC Follow these 7 tips and rest assured (haha pun intended, see what I did there?) that you will feel more rejuvenated and energized than you even knew was possible:

1. Practice regular sleep rhythms by going to bed and waking up around the same time each day. I know this can be tough at first, its all about deciding that sleep is the best use of your time after a certain hour at night.
2. Create total darkness in your bedroom. Get a sleep mask, room darkening curtains.
3. Avoid caffeine or reduce your intake after noon as it affects your sleep dramatically. This is a perfect excuse to really tune into your body. I know if I have caffeine after 3pm, I’ll have a terrible time falling asleep.
4. Get regular exposure to daylight for at least 20 minutes a day because the sunlight triggers your brain to release melatonin, which is vital for healthy sleep. Ugh, this can be tricky for those of us in parts of the country where many days in a row can go by without sunshine. Do your best and consider getting a light therapy lamp. I’m including a link here for one with 4 1/2 stars. Light Therapy Lamp This is an affiliate link, it helps support us 🙂
5. Eat no later than two hours before you go to bed because eating a heavy meal before bedtime will impede your body’s natural overnight detoxification process. Yep!
6. Write down your worried thoughts before bedtime so you can free your mind and drop into a deep and restful sleep. Not only worries but things to be grateful for from your day. Dump it all out so your brain can power down. Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. – 1 Peter 5:7 AMPC
7. Take a hot salt or aromatherapy bath because raising your body temperature before bed helps to induce sleep. I love this one. Aromatherapy is quickly becoming one of my favorites for all things wellness – sleep, stress, not feeling well, etc. I have a mini diffuser in the bedroom and just bought another so I could have it in the main part of our place. I’m a Doterra Oil fan, my friend Kate is a wealth of knowledge. I’m linking her FaceBook Page – Simple Essentials by Kate, so you can reach out if you want to know more.

Bonus tip: Guided meditation! This is a game changer. Plus it is great for anytime, not just bed time. There are several free apps for this, Insight Timer is my favorite. You can find a bazilion on youtube. And…drumroll, I’ll be sharing my very own guided meditation for reducing stress soon. In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You, Lord, alone make me dwell in safety and confident trust. – Psalm 4:8 AMPC What do I do now? In my health coaching practice, I help my clients implement these 8 tips and more so they can make the most of their sleep—and their health. That’s living life by design and not default! Click here now to schedule a time to talk with me today if you need the support and accountability to help you follow through like never before! Grab my freebie: Double Your Energy NOW  Peace and Love and Sweet Sleep, Mindi Life on Purpose Coach Mindi Huebner is Co-Founder of Pure Grace, a Certified Health Coach, a work in progress, and a beloved child of God. Mindi is scandalously obsessed with leaving people and things better than she found them. 2019 is the year of living fearlessly, epically and totally by design. Join her for all things body, mind and soul on the blog♥