Transitioning our systems from waking to sleep and reverse is so beneficial and something I work on with clients and people in my classes. The right simple practices have a huge impact.

Try this simple yet powerful series before sleep to settle your nervous system and relax a tight or clenched jaw.

Every year it seems that just as start enjoying the blue light that peers in through my windows when rousing from sleep each morning, spring forward comes along and shifts all that glory to the evening!

It’s like the groundhog and the shadow, except every year its the same story - weeks and weeks of morning darkness is tossed upon me as I wait for the sun to make its way close to this part of the Earth in the morning once again.

Aside from my personal, minuscule window related troubles, fatal car accidents in the United States spike by 6% during the workweek following the "spring forward" to daylight saving time…

We all have those days, when it seems impossible to get exercise, even though we know we need it. Physical activity benefits mood, digestion, immune function and more. Peruse these ideas to see if something sparks you to get going again.

There's one single piece of advice that's universal amongst all sleep experts and researchers. It's to have a consistent bedtime and rising time. This can seem impossible in a culture where we essentially have control over the sun (our indoor lighting). Why does that matter? I'll share a few examples and you'll hopefully have a good laugh at how annoying it is for the human body to change up the schedule too often.

Every human on the planet is born with a magic sleep number. This is the amount of sleep your brain needs to run all of its programs at night. It’s non-negotiable.

Turning off screens one hour before bedtime is crucial for deep, restful sleep. It might sound funny, but your body needs a signal that sleep is coming. Part of that signaling is a darker environment (lack of bright light).

What happens when we attempt to release energy without storing enough?

I’ll let you in on a little secret: Sleep can’t clean up all the messes of the day.

Our sunflower, marigold & veggie babies bend toward the light every day, even if I spin their homes around. I used to bend toward the light (in a big way), by wanting more energy, more time awake, more time for life! Some things have changed recently…

My sleep study was one of the worst nights of sleep of my life. But, the doctor sent me on my way with three pieces of advice/information that will stick with me forever.

The sun was setting as I parked my car in the lot. As I walked in the front door, bright lights in the hallway flooded my eyes. It was 7:15pm on a Sunday. I entered the mediation room where the lighting was much dimmer, but still brighter than what I’m used to this time of night.

Sleep is crucial, but daytime rest also supports a healthy body. Pausing nourishes your nervous system, especially when the break allows you to escape. Lowering stress helps with sleep too.

A bedtime routine helps your body wind down for sleep the same way a grocery list and meal plan prepares you for eating, a to-do list supports your work and an exercise routine keeps you in shape.

Once you sound the stress alarm bell, your body produces stress hormones to help you cope. One hormone, cortisol, is produced fresh with each stressful episode and it stays in your body until it is metabolized out. Excess cortisol disrupts sleep. Which results in daytime fatigue.

You feel tired when you want and need to be awake and you are awake during times you want to be asleep. Frustrating.

Sharing a bed with a loved one has benefits. Sleeping together can enhance your bond, your sleep, your health and your mood. It doesn’t always work out logistically. Snoring, restless legs, opposing sleep needs and bedtime routines can all hinder sound sleep.

Your brain has a program to run every night. There are consequences of cutting it short. You need enough of the five different kinds of sleep every night. Just like you need food, water, exercise, relationships, etc. every day.

Not all sleep is created equal. Just like not all components of cooking a meal are the same. Washing produce, chopping it, cooking it and serving the meal are the different (and necessary) stages that happen for a complete meal. Each stage of sleep has a purpose and role in sleep.