It’s easy to lose sleep. But good sleep is critical to your health. Sleep revitalizes your entire life, from the health of your body and brain to your social/emotional well-being and capacity for joy.

• Allows the body to repair and restore itself naturally
• Strengthens your immune system and supports defense against illness
• Keeps your nervous system functioning normally
• Maintains emotional balance, improves ability to cope with stress
• Cleanses your brain of toxins that build up over the day
• Helps maintain body weight, reduces hunger response
• Supports your ability to function socially with other people
• Creates balance that improves mood, supports a joyful life

• Too much light in the room, not dark enough
• Artificial light sources inhibit the body’s natural production of melatonin in evening
• Blue light, EMF emitters (computer screens, phones, TV, games) “fool” your brain into thinking it’s daytime, keeping you awake
• Stresses of all kinds raise blood cortisol (keeps your body and mind from relaxing)
• Shift work, up late working, jet lag can all disrupt natural sleep patterns
• Lifestyle and diet: alcohol, caffeine, energy drinks, eating a large meal late at night, indigestion
• Low-carb diet (in evening, low-carb reduces serotonin, can prevent sleepiness)

• Make sleep a priority
• Give yourself an 8-hour window for rest
• Regulate your system, go to bed and wake up at the same time
• Turn off screens/use night mode to avoid blue light
• Make bedroom electronics-free
• Reset your natural circadian rhythm: Go outside for 15 min in a.m. (blue lightwaves) and at dusk (red lightwaves)
• Use blackout shades to make the room dark, or wear a sleep mask
• Lower the temperature of the room you sleep in
• Avoid emotional texts, emails and conversations at nighttime
• Reduce ambient noise or use a white sound machine
• Get exercise daily to encourage nighttime drowsiness, sounder sleep
• Take a natural sleep supplement as needed