Improve Your Sleep, Improve Your Energy

Are you lacking energy?

This comes up a lot when working with clients. There are many things that can be causing low energy, like not having the right macronutrient balance, micronutrient deficiencies, blood sugar regulation, and stress to name a few. You can be eating healthy, exercising your heart out, and taking all the vitamins you think will help, but if you’re not getting quality sleep, you’re not going to feel your best.

I know, it seems hard to work on these things when you’re so busy with work, a kiddo, pets, and just all the things you have to do at home. Here’s a reminder that they don’t all have to be done at once. Start slow and gradually add things in. You will start feeling a difference in no time!

Here are some tips to get you started:

~Evening routine. Nutrition plays a huge role in how you sleep. Your last meal of the day can have the most impact on how you sleep at night. Try to avoid eating processed snacks before bed. If you absolutely need something, make sure it has protein and healthy fat like a hard boiled egg. I recommend not eating 2 hours before bed. If you’re used to snacking at night, start taking it out a few times a week until you can do it every night.

When you eat dinner make sure you’re getting in plenty of protein and healthy fats to keep your blood sugar stable. This should also help you not want to snack.

You can drink herbal tea with calming herbs like chamomile.

Magnesium is really calming and a favorite of mine. Most are deficient in this and don’t know it. This helped me a ton with getting quality sleep. 30 minutes before bed you can take it in supplement form (reply to this email if you’d like a recommendation), powder form like Calm or you can also use Ancient minerals to put in your bath at night.

~Exercise. Exercise has many benefits such as more energy, increased happiness, and what we all need, stress management. This is something that needs to be consistent to see change. So start with a lower goal like 2x a week and then go up to 4 or 5 days as you get used to it. 

~Avoid blue-light after dark. This comes from electronics like, you know, your phone. :) I know, I know, so hard right? If you can’t avoid it, switch your phone to the night setting and use blue-light blocking glasses and get off at least an hour before bed. You can do this gradually as well. Start with 30 minutes and up it to at least an hour, 2 hours is best. Pick up a book you’ve been wanting to read.

I hope these tips help! You’ll be on your way to better sleep and more energy in no time. Remember small steps make a big difference.