SLEEP MORE

I hate sleeping, said no one, ever.

Lucky for us, quality sleep is essential to good help. That’s why it’s my #1 hibernation tip.

The thing is, with winter comes shorter days and less sun and nutrients like Vitamin-D. That can mess up our internal clocks, so falling asleep and waking up refreshed may be more difficult. It’s especially so when we consider all the light that we take in from our various electronic devices. iPhones, iPads, TVs, Laptops, etc. They all emit blue light which disrupts our auto-circadian rhythm and suppresses our melatonin excretion, keeping our brains active even when we are trying to wind down and go to sleep.

Also keep in mind that winter is a time when our bodies naturally want to store energy. That means we’re inclined to sleep more and move around less.

There are some small changes that you can do that will help tremendously so you can sleep longer and better during the shorter winter day.

The tools I like to use:

• Download f.lux – it’s a free widget that you can download on your laptop or computer. The beauty is that it automatically dims out blue light from your screen based on your time zone and when the sun is setting. This will adjust your eyes to lower brightness, helping you get in the mode for sleepy-time.

• Wear amber color glasses at night. You can get a relatively inexpensive pair on Amazon and, while they may not be the most attractive, the tinted lenses help protect your eyes from bright lights and block out that pesky blue light. Plus, you can also use them for cosplaying as a beefy construction worker (you’ve gotta make this stuff work for you…).

• Add Epson salt to your bathtub or use it in a foot bath. It’s an effective way to not only relax you but to provide magnesium which is essential for many functions in your body and has a synergistic relationship with Vitamin-D.

• If you don’t have access to a bathtub, instead try drinking Calm powdered drink before bed which is easy to make and will provide you with magnesium. Or eat magnesium-rich foods like kelp, shrimp, collard greens, walnuts, and beans.

Now go out there and sleep like you’ve never slept before – all in the name of good health!

For more health tips head to our Health Section HERE

Want to know more about Jon: bkhealthcoach.com