14 Habits for Getting Enough Sleep

High quality, consistent sleep doesn’t just happen. It’s true, you will pass out from exhaustion at some point every night. Ideally it takes about 15-20 minutes to fall asleep, with passing out - a sign of over-tiredness. The need to look at a device to fall asleep is a sleep association that can create a vicious cycle of lost sleep. So can coffee.

This is not to say you are doing anything wrong and it’s not to place any blame. This is to say that we have advanced technologically in our culture, but left sleep in the dark - literally.

It’s time to open our eyes to more energy, patience, emotional stability and health by honoring circadian rhythm and our innate need to sleep.

Sleep isn’t so natural. We have to make healthy sleep happen by protecting it with supportive daily practices. Just like with exercise and optimal eating.

Here are 14 habits to work on to get the sleep you need and deserve. I’ll be talking about these in more detail on a FB live on my sleep fitness facebook page soon. Join the group for free access!

Here are the Habits to Implement:

1. Expose yourself to natural morning and/or daytime light. Get outside for at least 30 minutes daily.

2. Use a consistent sleep schedule to set the body’s internal clock. Avoid sleeping in and changing bedtime nightly.

3. Avoid caffeine after 10 a.m.

4. Nap early (before 5 p.m.) and under 30 minutes.

5. Exercise early and at least 3 hours before bedtime.

6. Eat dinner early. Keep food and beverages light.

7. Eliminate alcohol, nicotine and other chemicals/herbs before bedtime. 

8. Avoid medications in the evening (unless required by a prescription). 

9. Dim all house lights before bedtime.

10. Establish a soothing pre-sleep routine with reduced stimulation.

11. Create a sleep-friendly bedroom environment. Make it dark, cool, quiet, comfortable and gadget-free.

12. Go to sleep when truly tired—don’t override sleep cues.

13. Don’t watch the clock or lie in bed awake. Do something relaxing and screen/light-free.

14. Follow through—make sleep a priority and part of your routine.

Take your time implementing these habits. Choose one or two to start with and add another one in after you’ve gotten comfortable with the one(s) you’ve implemented.

Strive toward the goal of reaching a committed rising time and bedtime. Without this main goal, achieving the needed 7-9 hours nightly can be frustrating.

Download my free sleep journal to help you reach your sleep goals.

Kegel Exercises are an Important Part of Fitness Programs

Kegels are an exercise that strengthens the pelvic floor muscles. Pelvic floor muscles ideally work in harmony with the hips and abdominals as part of the larger movement system, making them a crucial component of strength training.

Pelvic floor muscles are just as important as biceps, abs, and glutes. Maybe even more so because they support the structure for all of these other muscles along with several important organs – including the bladder.

Why are Kegels important for both men and women?

Anyone, male or female who is wanting a stronger core and incontinence prevention or treatment should be doing Kegels. A strong pelvic floor supports the bladder to prevent and address urination issues. Pelvic floor strength is crucial for daily activities of living, especially when working with special populations such as prenatal, postpartum, senior citizens and prostate cancer patients and survivors.

The pelvic floor holds a second set of organs (baby!) during pregnancy and usually needs retraining and strengthening postpartum. Cancer treatments performed in the pelvic region can cause muscle weakness. Carol Michaels, the creator of the Cancer Exercise Specialist Program says, “Kegels are great for prostate cancer patients because they minimize incontinence and can improve erectile issues. They can help control incontinence without medication or surgery. It is wise to start Kegel exercises before surgery and treatments.”

Kegels are ideally trained in a variety of positions (laying down, sitting, standing), but can be worked anywhere, anytime in any position – no gym necessary! So, teach them to your clients and help them identify when a good time is for them to work those pelvic floor muscles – such as when sitting in a meeting, waiting at a traffic light, or reading books to children.

What is a Kegel exercise and how is it done?

Most often a Kegel exercise is described as the contraction of muscles that stop the flow of urine. Performing a Kegel is more complex than this though because it involves a “drawing in and up” sensation. Have your client imagine grasping his hands around a ball of play-doh to squeeze it. This is the main feeling you want him to experience when performing a kegel.

Many people perform Kegels incorrectly by pushing down and out onto the pelvic floor with other surrounding muscles. Carrie Myers, a therapeutic exercise physiologist coaches her clients to picture an elevator coming up into the abdomen from the pelvic floor and cues “level one, level two, level three”.

Drawing up and in is what pelvic muscles need to be trained to do to support the abdominal cavity. Pushing down and out overrides the pelvic floor muscles and usually indicates usage of other larger, stronger muscles such as the abdominals.

How long to do Kegels and how many each day?

Have your client start by doing one Kegel properly and holding it for as long as she can, ideally 5-10 seconds, three times per day. Have her work up to 5-10 repetitions three times per day. Suggest contractions that are short and repeated as well as contractions that are held isometrically so to work both fast and slow twitch muscle fibers.

When re-training a weak pelvic floor your client may tire more easily in the beginning and need to do them more frequently throughout the day. Eventually, pelvic floor muscles should be trained at the same frequency as other muscles so not to over-work them, but to maintain strength. Kegels are a great warm-up movement for abdominal work. As with any exercise, Kegels become easier and more natural as strength is gained.

Tips for Kegel Exercises

• Relax the surrounding muscle groups in the buttocks, legs, and abdomen.
• Visualize lifting the pelvic floor upward rather than pushing down and out (like when eliminating).
• Relax the pelvic floor muscles completely in between contractions by inhaling and exhaling slowly so the muscles can fully contract and relax – avoiding hypertonicity.
• Use the above image of the pelvic floor to visualize the muscles that are contracting.
• Don’t do Kegels when urinating, except when first learning to locate the muscles and build awareness.

Kegel exercises should be part of a well-rounded fitness program. They are just as important as pull-ups, push-ups, and planks. Even though Kegels are especially important for special populations everyone should be doing them (including fitness instructors) so introduce the Kegel to your clients in your next workout during the warm-up. It will support and benefit all the other exercises they do.

Originally Published on the NFPT Blog.