Sleep that is Sweet 💤
Hey girl!
Welcome back to the Back to Basics series! Today, we are chatting about sleep! 😴
This area is perhaps the most foundational area for our health. We can eat the right things, exercise, and more, but if we aren't sleeping, our body will be struggling.
God designed sleep so beautifully and intentionally as an important time for our bodies to rebuild, heal, regulate our immune system, balance hormones, detox, store memories and preserve brain health, produce energy, and SO MUCH MORE!
Good quality sleep is foundational for good health. Strive for 8 or 9 hours! Remember, it's not just about the quantity of hours but the quality of sleep that allows our body to go through those important processes listed above and truly rejuvenate.
Today, I want to share with you 4 tips to simplify this area and improve your sleep so you can start sleeping like a baby again and feel more rested!
"When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet."
—Proverbs 3:24 (NIV)
Today, I want to encourage you with 4 practical tips:
1. Meditate on your favorite Bible verse about sleep.
Sometimes, sleep can be tough. It can be hard to slow down and accept that we are finite beings that require rest. Sleep is a humbling act, but so beautiful because we get to give our worries over to our Heavenly Father who holds us and rest in His good care. Meditating on scripture as I'm preparing to go to bed and even as I'm trying to fall asleep has been incredibly helpful! I encourage you to pick a favorite verse that resonates with your heart and begin thinking on it and savoring it to help you relax at night. We will be transformed by the renewing of our mind. 💗
2. Get light outside throughout the day & keep your room very dark at night.
God made light to be an incredible and important regulator when it comes to our body's natural rhythms and sleep. I encourage you to get outside for a few minutes first thing in the morning to enjoy the morning light, take a quick walk around lunchtime/midday, and soak in the sunset in the evening. This will help reset what is called your circadian rhythm and hormones that will help increase your body's sleep quality when it comes time for your head to hit your pillow at night! 🌙
Also, keeping the room dark is important to help our bodies stay in a deeper, quality sleep and not be disrupted from stimulating light in the night. I highly recommend blackout curtains! They'll be your new best friend! Also, powering off technology and keeping tech out of the bedroom is tremendously helpful as well.
3. Exercise to build sleep pressure & make falling asleep easier.
I love nerding out and get super excited to discover how intricately God created us! We know that exercise is good for us for a thousand reasons, but I have learned more recently that exercise during the day actually increases adenosine levels in our body which builds our “sleep pressure". The more sleep pressure we build through the day, by waking up earlier, being productive, and exercising, the easier it will be for us to fall asleep at night.
Whether it's a walk, session at the gym, bike ride, or dance party around your house, movement will help you sleep better! 🌠
4. Add in a magnesium supplement.
Magnesium is a super important mineral that our body needs for A LOT of different functions! Unfortunately, many people are deficient in magneisum as our soils are depleted and we don't get as much magnesium as we need in this day and age. So, supplementing can be SUPER helpful! It has been a game changer for my husband and I, and I'll link a great, clean brand of magnesium that is wonderful for helping your mind and body relax and prepare for sleep as well as helping you sleep more soundly through the night: Solaray Magnesium Glycinate Supplement 🌌
*as always, check with your doctor to see what is best for you personally*
Click below to watch the new video with more tips and information!
Cheering you on!
Heather 💗
“It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.”
—Psalm 127:2 (ESV)