Sleep is all the rage these days. How much is required and what is the quality of our sleep? In midlife this becomes a huge problem.
We track it, we record it, but can we really improve it?
In midlife, sleep definitely gets effected from the hormonal changes that go on during Peri to Post Menopause.
Long gone are the days when we jumped in bed, slept all night and woke up 8 hours later. Never worrying about what position we sleep in or how long we slept or even the quality of our sleep 🙂 I know now what they mean when they say, the youth is wasted on the young. 🙂
Why should we pay attention to our sleep in midlife?
Poor sleep equals a larger waistline.
Poor sleep can increase anxiety and depression.
Poor sleep can cause cardiovascular and certain endocrine issues.
Poor sleep is a precursor to cognitive decline.
Nuff said.
It’s true our hormones play a big part but there are ways of improving your sleep hygiene.
Let’s start with some basics. Our circadian rhythms are the sleep-wake cycles. Our ancestors relied on following the sun for their sleep wake cycles. They followed the sun rising to wake and setting to wind down.
Modern life today offers us ways to work against the sun. Take technology for instance, the blue light sends signals to our brains to think its daytime. Shift workers also suffer from poor sleep because even if they sleep 8 hours their hormone melatonin is running properly. There is actually a study done by the Sleep Health Foundation that discusses this syndrome here
It’s a wonder why we can’t turn off. There are five simple steps that can help you improve the quality of your sleep.
Tip #1 Wear blue light glasses.
These are my favorites and they are under $10.00
Tip# 2 Turn off all technology in your bedroom
Tip #3 Create a bedtime routine
Tip #4 Limit sugar and alcohol
Tip #5 Take a magnesium supplement
I am also on a mission to improve my sleep. I recently got the Oura Ring and I am obsessed. Being the competitive type, I strive to get all the bars “optimal” Which is pretty hard and takes some work. I see the changes though, I now pay way more attention to my sleep routine and I actually feel amazing. My energy is back up and I wake up somewhat refreshed. Still not a morning person 🙂
I share more of this information and some of my favorite supplements in my newsletter. If you’re not already subscribed, sign up here.
Please know you can improve your sleep with a few simple tweaks.
I would love to hear from you and please share this with others
Good night, sleep tight
xoxo
Maria
