Hello insomniacs, night owls and weary mamas! Did you know sleep deprivation is HURTING YOUR HEALTH? 

Who else is drinking a coffee trying to wake up a groggy mind today? I am self admittedly a chronic night owl desperately fighting for a better sleep regimen because I know how important it is to my health.

There is SO much to get accomplished everyday as a working mother of 3 kids. Do you ever find yourself burning the midnight oil trying to get everything accomplished for the day to come? With school back in session the planning and preparation brings on a whole new load of “to-do’s” that makes getting enough sleep a challenge! Let’s take back our health ladies. Let me share a few secrets to better sleep!

I am constantly setting new goals in my life whether is be health, relationship or business focused. This Fall, regimen and adequate sleep is my focus. I have a hard time putting myself to bed at a good time with all the multitude of things I want/need to achieve in a single day! This led me to writing this article as a means to share my focus right now in hopes I can help you and keep myself accountable to my personal health goals this season.

If we want to make it through the day with a few more brain cells and the ability to know what day it is and where we are (hello sleep deprived mama I feel you) we MUST make changes to get the sleep we need to be the healthiest we can be!

Did you know that according to the National Institutes of Health, the average adult sleeps less than seven hours per night? Raise a hand if you are guilty. I am. Less than seven hours of sleep is a recipe for chronic sleep deprivation.

Chronic sleep deprivation can cause increased oxidative stress and altered inflammatory responses, just to name a few . Studies have shown that sleep deprivation is associated with increased incidence of cardiovascular diseases, elevated blood pressure, diabetes and obesity (Tobaldini E, et al. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2016).

So, who is convinced NOW that we need to make adequate sleep a priority? I just convinced myself. That is scary to think that not getting enough sleep can increase my risk for disease!

What are the secrets to better sleep? Let me share.

The Ultimate Guide to Sleep Secrets that Work

1. Get the right amount of sleep. Based on the National Sleep Foundation they have identified adults the age of 18-64 years of age need 7-9 hours of sleep per night for optimal health. For a full sleep range suggestion through the life cycle click here.
2. Stick to a schedule. I am now setting an alarm on my phone that reminds me its time to stop what I am doing and get ready for bed. It’s sad I have to do this, but it really cues me to say “enough” to my tasks for the day. I am expecting with time I wont need the alarms for bed time and wake in the future as I hope to be “resetting” my internal schedule.
3. Relax. I have made the mistake of trying to end my night activities abruptly and expect sleep to come easily, which often does not. I am alarming myself an hour before bed time to start relaxing activities. For me I find tidying up the house for a few minutes relaxing then a warm bath or shower, a good read for 15-30 minutes and then I am off to sleep land.
4. Nature is your friend. There are foods that have been known to aid in promoting a restful state. The Readers Digest suggested that walnuts, almonds, dairy products, lettuce, fish, jasmine rice, cherry juice, chamomile tea, passionfruit tea, honey, kale, hummus and elk are either good sources of tryptophan or contain other components that help your own body to manufacture melatonin.
5. Essential oils. I am going on 2 years of using essential oils now and I truly can’t imagine life without them. Lavender is a common well known oil that has a lot of research on its benefits for promoting a calm state. Actually, based on a study they found that odor stimuli in the form of essential oils during sleep enhanced the power of delta and slow spindle frequencies during non-rapid eye movement sleep. The results of the studies findings found that there was a sleep-promoting olfactory mechanism that may deepen sleep (Perl O, et al. J Neurophysiol. 2016). If you are interested more in how essential oils can help you maintain a healthy sleep regimen contact me and learn more here.
6. Supplementation. Melatonin is a product I have used when needed for many years. Melatonin is a 100% drug-free, non-habit forming option That gives you the extra sleep you need when life throws you curve balls. Natrol Melatonin Fast Dissolve and Natrol Advanced Sleep are two products I have used that are very useful. My favorite is the Advanced Sleep variety as it is control released which not only helps you fall asleep but keeps you asleep better.

There you have it friends! The ultimate guide to sleep secrets that work.

With the change of schedule from relaxed Summer days to the routine of Fall we need everything we can to be the best version of ourselves! Sleep is without a doubt one of the most important components of our health. You need the brain power and stamina to be successful as a mother and human living your daily life with drive, purpose and passion! I know I have A LOT I want to accomplish in the rest of the year and it’s going to take stellar self care to do that!

Cheers to health and sleep. Dovidenia. XO

PS- Because I care about your health and success, I have joined with Natrol in hopes to inspire, educate and empower Moms everywhere to take charge of their health and enjoy a better night’s sleep.

Snag this coupon to get your bottle of the #1 selling melatonin brand in America.