I am having difficulty believing that we have less than 60 days until we welcome in 2024! I am excited to finish up this year crushing my goals, both personally and professionally. I am also working on setting my goals and intentions for 2024. Does anyone else have end-of-the-year routines that help set you up for success? If so, I would love to hear about them and I could even create a running list on the website to share with others. This month I want to talk to you about the importance of sleep and give you some helpful tips and tricks to achieve the best night’s sleep possible.
In doing my research for this week’s blog, I discovered many factors contribute to poor sleep habits currently in the United States. I will not bore you with all the statistics, but just understand that the majority of people are not getting the recommended amount of daily restful sleep. A lack of sleep can negatively affect several areas of our life, including work, mental health and even our body weight. When a couple days of shortened sleep becomes a normal habit/pattern; obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety and depression can be the result. So, what can we do about it?
There is great news! We can reset our sleep cycle and foods we can eat that will aide us in falling asleep and staying asleep. Adding slow-burning carbs, such as beans and berries, to your evening meals can help keep you from tossing and turning throughout the night, because they encourage the production of serotonin. If you have trouble staying asleep, it could be due to blood sugar fluctuations. To stabilize your blood sugar, try a high protein snack before bed like a handful of walnuts or a small cube of cheese.
Magnesium helps relax the muscles and calm the body, while the amino acid, tryptophan, helps the body produce serotonin, and B vitamins are also necessary in serotonin production. You are probably saying to yourself, that is great but how do I get these nutrients naturally? I’m so glad you asked! Here are 5 types of foods to eat to help you fall asleep and stay asleep:
Kale, spinach, and other leafy greens are loaded with both magnesium and B vitamins.
Beans and soy are packed with magnesium and B vitamins, as well as tryptophan.
Almonds, along with other nuts and seeds, are rich in magnesium and tryptophan.
Dairy products, such as yogurt, are rich in tryptophan.
Turkey has the highest levels of tryptophan, which promotes sleep.
RutaVaLa essential oil from Young Living is a blend created from 3 essential oils: Rue, Valerian, and Lavender. I love using this blend at bedtime to help me wind down and calm my mind. This blend is also available as a roll-on and I prefer to use the roll-on at night because it is so easy to keep on my nightstand. If you are interested in experiencing this blend or any of Young Living’s essential oils, contact me to schedule a time to meet. I welcome the opportunity to coach you in your wellness journey by exploring how YL products can enhance this journey!
Whether this is your first time reading my blog, or you are a loyal subscriber, Thank you! I am so glad you tuned in this week! Do you have a friend or family member that could benefit from this blog? Tell them to subscribe!
Have a blessed week y’all ~ Lacey
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