Joys of Womanhood III - Improve your sleep quality [EN]

We've talked already about sleep on a previous post here, about the importance of sleep, particularly women. Sleep is one of the most important regulators of our menstrual cycle and, as a consequence, our well-being. Sleep is also very important for exercise and weight loss.

I have been really careful with sleep lately since it is so important for tissue regeneration and it has a very big, real impact in my life. I have been successfully keeping the same weight for around two years now and I believe sleep is one of the root causes.

Because life is all about the simple things, these are the simple things I do everyday to make sure I have enough sleep:

• I make sure to sleep at least 7 hours per night;
• I always eat maximum 2 hours before I go to bed;
• Go to bed and turn every device off at least 1 hour before I go to sleep.

So, when I wake up at 6:00 AM for Crossfit training at 6:30 AM (So cold!):

• I don't have alcohol, caffeine or tobacco at night;
• I make sure to eat between 20:00 and 21:00;
• I have an alarm to turn everything off at 22:00;
• Have my dental hygiene and skin cleansing routine;
• Read a book until 23:00 or until I'm sleepy (...Or whatever helps me sleep!);
• Sometimes I drink a soothing tea (chamomile, Passion flower, apigenin); (*)
• Turn lights off and make sure it's pitch black.

(*)You should be careful with ingesting many liquids at night, since it can also make you wake up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet. Keep them to a minimum. 

Other things that I try when I'm having trouble sleeping:

• Go to sleep and wake up at roughly the same time every day, even on weekends;
• Keep my workouts in the morning/lunch hour instead of evening (Like this I also don't feel guilty or rushed at the end of the day);
• Try a before-sleep quick yoga routine, with deep breathing. (I use Nike Training for this)
• Don't eat heavy foods at night;
• Start lowering the lights 2-3 hours before bedtime.

If you are still having trouble sleeping: you can try supplements 30-60 minutes before bed, like:

• Melatonin supplement (1–3 mg);
• Valerian Root (500 mg);
• Magnesium or chamomile tea.

(Note: Did you know that pistachios and almonds have both melatonin and magnesium?)

Eventually (if you have poor sleep for more than 2-3 months)  you should check a healthcare provider if you have any condition which may cause poor sleep, like sleep apnea or depression.

Thanks for reading!