I am writing this blog to bring awareness to those who have trouble falling asleep and/or staying asleep because…
I am right there with you.
I feel like I have tried every trick in the book to get a better night's sleep but I will not give up until I find a solution!
These hacks and tricks that I am about to discuss have helped me in some great ways, but it’s all about staying consistent and focused in order to notice a significant difference.
For me, it’s the falling asleep that gets me because I feel like I am tired all afternoon but the minute my head hits the pillow, all of my thoughts are running rapidly and I can’t turn them off.
As bad as it sounds I sometimes dread “bedtime” because I know I am most likely going to have trouble falling asleep and that stresses me out, I know I know it’s a vicious cycle.
Before diving into supplements, let’s talk about all the super simple adjustments you can make to see if that helps any sleeping issues you may have.
My number one that I swear by is no screens in bed!
As impossible as it seems to not scroll through social media or watch hours of Tik Tok, I promise your racing mind with thank you if you keep your phone out of bed. I always put my phone on the charger across the room since I know I will pick it up if it is right next to me, but if it is across the room there’s no way I am getting out of bed to grab it.
Not having that bright light in your face and not straining your eyes is so much more relaxing and doesn’t alert your mind.
I also try not to check my phone an hour before bed for the same reasons but sometimes that’s too much too soon, so starting with no phone in bed can be just enough.
Reading or writing in bed is so therapeutic and relaxing, I typically have less trouble falling asleep if I do one of those versus staring at a screen.
Start small and try that a couple times a week and I bet the nights you do, you will feel so much more rested the following day.
Another main problem of mine (the list is plenty long), is RLS, Restless Leg Syndrome, where it feels like you have pins and needles in your legs and leads to tossing and turning.
I can’t keep my legs still when I have this and end up getting up in the middle of the night to walk it off.
I received a weighted blanket for Christmas and let me tell you, it works wonders for restless legs because having that added pressure helps contain that weird feeling and tends to decrease the intensity. I highly recommend looking into a weighted blanket, even if you don’t struggle with RLS. I know that some cases it can be severe and if it does get to that point, I would advise you to seek some sort of medical exam to avoid any deeper issues.
Also, stretching before bed has helped tremendously to get some movement going along with breath control.
Typically working out increases your heart rate and might bring on too much energy before bed but slow and controlled full body stretching is calm enough to relax you and potentially help with sleep. You don’t even have to get out of bed for that, you can totally roll over to stretch your back out or pull your legs into your chest for an easy yet satisfying stretch.
For those of you who need those extra boosts on top of your home remedies, I’ve got you covered too.
It may be necessary for some to add natural supplements into your routine to help increase a positive sleeping situation.
Reishi, a mushroom known for its calming properties, is a perfect night time drink to help soothe and calm you before bed.
Four Sigmatic is the brand of this mushroom that we carry at our Fit Bar Superfood Cafes, and is typically in a powdered and easily dissolvable which makes it perfect to add into hot water.
The best part about medicinal mushrooms is that they carry so many other benefits for example, boosting the immune system which we ALL need.
I recommend sipping on some Reishi 30 minutes before bed so your body has time to reap the benefits.
Hot water, Reishi, lemon juice, and a dash of honey makes for the PERFECT bedtime drink and not to mention tasty too.
Lastly, but also my most recent addition to my sleeping routine is Magnesium.
I initially started to take magnesium to help with restless legs and then I realized it is an essential supplement that a lot of us are deficient in.
It carries properties like blood pressure regulation, playing a role in brain function which affects mood, and can help increase exercise performance so it is pretty important.
Although magnesium won’t knock you out which I am sure most people who are sleep deprived are looking for, it can help with all of the issues that may be causing lack of sleep.
I take magnesium in capsule form but I have also tried powdered magnesium which mixes easily into water, and you can also consume foods high in magnesium in your diet if you aren’t already.
Foods like dark chocolate (70% cocoa or higher), avocados which happen to have a million other nutritional benefits, brazil nuts, black beans, and much more. You may already be eating some of these foods but if you aren’t, I encourage you to do some research on magnesium rich foods and incorporate them daily!
Lucky for you, Fit Bar carries a variety of supplements and others that I mentioned in this blog and we are right around the corner for you.
We offer Reishi Four Sigmatic mushroom by the box, individual packets, and it’s even an option to add to any coffee, smoothie, or Acai Bowl. For those looking to get magnesium from whole foods, we have avocado available to add to any smoothie or bowl, spinach, hemp seeds, and flax seeds on deck so,
we have got YOU covered.
Email: live@fitbarcafe.com
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