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.

One way to ensure an early enough bedtime (to get the sleep you need) is to eat earlier in the evening. Getting enough sleep is a non-negotiable, essential component to wellness. Our bodies perform tasks while we are asleep that are not possible when awake, so it’s important to allow for these events to happen.

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…

Easy there lady.
Be gentle with me.
I have dozens of muscles you see…

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.

Follow along with this audio to hone in on your ideal posture for today. It’ll help you tune in to your body’s needs and the alignment that supports your structure best.

Use your inside voice and let the outside voices fall away.

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.