Do you find yourself tossing and turning at night when you know you should be sleeping? Did you know that getting regular exercise can help you to sleep better each night? Chandler-based fitness influencer, model, writer and mom-of-two, Lori Young, shares tips for getting a good night’s sleep–and why it’s so important in our daily lives.
I am here to remind you why sleep is so dang important when it comes to your health and aging gracefully. Sleep reduces stress, which can help avoid weight gain. You see, stress causes our bodies to produce cortisol. Cortisol causes weight gain and can break down collagen that keeps our skin smooth and springy. Fortunately, deep and regular sleep can help to prevent this.
Lack of sleep affects our mood as well, so great news: sleep can also help keep you from having to apologize for snapping at your spouse or kiddos (you and I both know this happens) as getting some rest strengthens our ability to stay calm, controlled and reasonable. You can tell your spouse Lori says, “You’re welcome.”
There are some things that you can do to get better sleep at night. Blue light from our devices trick our minds into thinking that it is daytime, so try your best to turn off any tech gadgets at least 30 minutes before bed. You know that book you’ve been wanting to read? This may be a perfect window of time to dive into that!
If you have a lot on your mind, it is also hard to sleep. When this happens, take out a journal or notebook and start writing. It is so helpful to get your thoughts out of your mind and down on paper. This act can not only decrease stress and anxiety but help you to sleep better as well.
Another thing you can do is check the thermostat. Research shows that people sleep the soundest in temperatures ranging from 65 to 72 degrees.
Sweet dreams!