DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE SLEEP!

Train smart, nourish your body and free your mind… This is my Motto, as you know! However, there is another crucial health element not to be taken lightly… Yes, you guessed it, it is SLEEP!

Sleep is THE most important factor when it comes to rejuvenation, anti aging, energy and memory. Lack of sleep will affect your workout performance, will influence negatively your food choices, and impair your learning and memory capabilities.

Think about this : why would Mother Nature have created us with such an evolutionary glitch, putting us at risk of predation if sleep wasn’t absolutely critical for survival? 🤔

It is precisely during sleep that the body can restore, regenerate, repair, and reset.

Sleep is not an optional lifestyle luxury. Sleep is a non-negotiable biological necessity.

So why not work on improving your sleep quantity and quality today?!

The thing with sleep that is so important is that it is THE ONE TIME the body has to focus only on healing. It does not need to focus on walking, talking, digesting or any other physiological process.

Here are my tips on how to improve your sleep right now.

HIT THE OUTDOORS : Get outside early in the day. This will help get your body into a circadian rhythm. This circadian cycle helps your body understand when is the time to be awake (when the sun is shining) and when to go to bed (when it gets dark!). You can understand why many people’s circadian cycle is off due to exposure to artificial lights, screens, and our non stop lifstyle. The simple act of going outside early in day ultimately helps your body sleep better at night.
MOVE IT : You guessed it, working out will help you sleep more soundly! However, make sure to keep your workouts in the first part of the day, as working out closer to bed time can give you a boost of energy which will make it harder for you to fall asleep. It is true especially if you are doing high intensity interval training and cardio (For Weight training, yoga, barre or lower impact it is not as important when you do it in the day).
LIGHTS OFF : Reducing the lights from 7pm is a good habit to start right now. Exposure to artificial light messes with your circadian cycle (yep again!) making it harder to fall asleep, so dim the lights, turn off your screens and make sure to put your flight mode on your electronic devices to reduce the EMFs (electromagnetic fields).
ROUTINE WAKE AND SLEEP TIMES. Ok you may not like me for saying this… but ideally keeping your wake time and bedtime regular is the best when it comes to your inner body clock…Don’t get me wrong it is fine to go out for a night and to sleep in one morning but if you regularly have different wake and sleep times it will be harder for your body to get into a routine.
REDUCE CAFFEINE AND ALCOHOL : Another unpopular one I’m afraid! But yes, having your caffeine until latest 2pm, and within reasonable amount is the key to enjoy coffee without getting the downsides.
When it comes to alcohol, it is simple and nobody likes to hear it… me included! When you introduce alcohol into your body, you just have to be aware that for the next few hours (well depending the amount) your system will be doing all it can to breakdown and eliminate this substance from your body. It will be doing this over every other bodily function as this is considered a vital necessity because it is considered as poison and needs to be evacuated as fast as possible. Don’t get me wrong, I love a glass of wine, but when it comes to your sleep quality… I am afraid alcohol is not your friend! As long as you can keep your alcohol intake with in a reasonable amount and occasional, your sleep will be safe!
KEEP ZEN : Reducing your stress is another one that will help your sleep. If your are lying in bed with millions of things or to-dos bouncing around in your head, you might find it hard to fall asleep. So write down all the things that are troubling you or those to-dos and keep them for tomorrow!
SOOTHING BEDTIME ROUTINE : Take a few deep breaths, do a few gentle stretches, make yourself a herbal tea you like and get in bed with a good book or even a podcast you can listen too. These are simple rituals to train and prepare your body and mind for sleep. The point is to try get in a calm and comfortable state, so avoid anything that will put another coin in the juke box if you know what I mean!
HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS AND MELATONIN : I am a big fan of melatonin as this is a substance produced by your body naturally and you cannot get addicted to it, so no fear in this regard. New research on Melatonin shows that it protects our genetic material from damage and is highly antioxidant. There are also some good phytotherapeutic supplements that can help you to relax, making it easier to fall asleep.