Did you know studies have found that people between the ages of 32 and 49 who sleep fewer than 7 hours each night are significantly more likely to be obese?!
The exercise I’d like you to do today is to reflect on your own sleeping behaviors…
Consistency: Do you go to bed within the same 1-2 hour window each night? Do you wake up in the same 1-2 hour window each morning? If not, what causes you to be inconsistent?
Light: Is your bedroom very dark at night? Do you have screens or bright lights on right up until the minute you want to sleep?
Noise: Are there any irregular noises in your bedroom that might disturb you? Are there any constant noises (such as white noise or a fan) that help you fall or stay asleep?
Routine: What do you do in the 30 minutes before you want to fall asleep? What does “getting ready for bed” actually look like for you?
Temperature: What temperature do you keep your bedroom? Do you often wake up because you are too cold or too hot? Do you have to open or close windows or otherwise change the temp of the room in the middle of the night?
Stimulants: What’s the latest time of day you have a cup of coffee, your last cigarette, your last alcoholic drink, or any stimulating medications or supplements?
Exercise: Does the time of day you exercise effect your daily energy or your restful sleep? Exercising at night can rev people up, but for others it may act as an outlet for excess energy and help them fall asleep.
- Fullness: Are your dinners too large? Are you snacking or grazing between dinner and bedtime? How many hours are between your last meal/snack and your typical bed time?