We made an impromptu trip to the fair in our county today, and I could not be happier to say all my kids were successfully worn out, and all went right to bed! If only every day was like that… but I do have some tips to help with sleep, and these go for both kid and adults alike!
1. Have a routine. This sounds simple, but it really works! It helps prepare your mind for sleep, and the motions of a routine can set you up for better sleep. Ideas are limiting screen time, reading a book, maybe a bath, dimming lights or adding in white noise. I didn’t realize how valuable a routine could be until we became a foster family. Our bonus kids aren’t neurotypical, and the routine before bed helps them buffer from the day & get ready for the idea of sleep. It is so important to them, they’ll call out my husband for doing it “wrong”!
2. Use relaxing oils before or during bedtime. Maybe not surprising, coming from me, but there are SO many relaxing essential oils and blends, plus tons of diffuser ideas out there! Roll some oils on your feet, fill up the diffuser, and drift away! Lavender is often the most recommended oil, but I like eucalyptus radiata, patchouli plus orange, and SleepyIze (which you can get for free this month)!
3. Get outside for at least an hour per day, especially mid-afternoon. Blue skies and sunshine, plus being in nature all boost natural serotonin levels, which in turn, help your body make melatonin, which deepens your sleep cycle. All good things, so get outside!
4. If needed, use melatonin briefly to reset your natural sleep cycle. We have two products with this hormone in them, used to assist sleep. One is a tablet, ImmuPro, which in addition to helping with sleep, also was made to support a healthy immune system. And the other is a soft gel capsule, enhanced with sleepy oils, called Sleep Essence. Both should be used sparingly, as overuse of melatonin can potentially keep your body from producing its own enough! Another option for natural melatonin is drinking tart cherry juice (4oz) an hour before bed- this helps your body manufacture more and can be used safely daily.
5. Magnesium can be your BFF. Most people (up to 90%) are deficient in the essential mineral magnesium. I highly recommend learning more about magnesium, but briefly, it’s a muscle relaxing mineral, and it’s essential to great sleep! The problem is most forms, especially tablets & capsules aren’t processed by your body. Try a powder form, or take magnesium flake baths (with oils, of course) or try magnesium gel. And start slow, but build your way up! You’ll know you are finally getting enough magnesium when your stool is a bit loose- and you’ll want to stay right below that level. YL has a great magnesium powder supplement, Unwind, which comes in convenient individual sticks. You can add this to water, and the watermelon taste is pretty good!
What ways do you find help you get the best sleep?
~Naomi
