When you wake up in the morning, how do you feel? Refreshed? Rested? Or like you need the coffee to kick in before you can function? Sleep is an essential aspect of self-care, yet proper sleep is something that many people struggle with for a variety of reasons. It is recommended that you develop a sleep routine getting 7-9 hours per night and that you keep a consistent schedule of when you go to bed and when you wake up. This helps keep our internal clocks ticking in ways that promote our well-being. However, many factors can get in the way.
First and foremost, we tend to sacrifice sleep in the name of “getting more done.” As a society, we pride ourselves on overworking, “burning the candle at both ends” and “pulling an all-nighter;” none of which are conducive to our health and happiness. Additionally, what we do throughout the day can either set us up for a good night’s sleep or keep us tossing and turning into the wee hours of the morning. For example, ingesting any stimulants after a certain hour such as caffeine or a B12 vitamin or even the time of day we exercise may impact our ability to get a restful night of shuteye.
Recently, I was featured in an article titled, How To Sleep Better: 24 Tips From 24 People published by Outwit Trade. The piece is packed with great information for helping you improve your sleep routine. My tip, #24, refers to using a weighted blanket. You can read more about my thoughts on weighted blankets in this blog post.
You can also watch my Facebook LIVE Talk-Back Tuesday session, where I share some additional insight into improving your sleep. (Facebook/YouTube)
Don’t forget to tune into Facebook LIVE every Tuesday at 12 PM for Talk-Back Tuesday at the Self-Care Cabaret. If you miss the LIVE video, you can always watch it later when you have time. For those of you not on Facebook, these videos will be posted to my YouTube channel the Friday following every session. Be sure to like, subscribe and love me across all my social media platforms for the most up to date information on self-care!
Stay well,
Dr. MC