Did you know, lack of sleep can prevent weight loss? Poor sleep can increase cortisol (stress hormone), which can contribute to weight gain, which is why I address sleep issues as part of my 12-week program.
Poor sleep is becoming a chronic issue for many people, affecting both health and weight loss, so here are a few little tips that might help.
Waking at 2 or 3am? This is generally a classic sign of too much cortisol. Cortisol levels are highest first thing in the morning, and then they reduce during the day. Once they hit a certain point, that helps trigger the production of melatonin (sleep hormone). If there is too much cortisol, less melatonin is produced; just enough to get us to about 2 or 3 am!!
Tips: Reduce stress (I know, hard these days, but not watching the news may help!).
And, some people have good results supplementing melatonin. It is essential though to get the right dose, otherwise it can have the opposite effect. The sleep support spray sold at iherb is a good dose.
Also, getting sunlight in the morning helps (at least 15 minutes without sunglasses).
Busy mind? Or anxious? A busy mind can prevent us from falling asleep, both at the beginning of the night or if we wake at 2 or 3 am.
Tips: When you get into bed, listen to something that will put you in a deep state of relaxation and get you out of your head. I have been recommending some fantastic (free) yoga nidra recordings for many of my patients with great results. Yoga nidra means yogic sleep. It is a great tool for stopping the mind chatter that can prevent us from sleeping.
The recordings I have been using are available here on YouTube.
Here’s to a good night’s sleep, one of the best feelings in the world!!! 💜