My Non-Negotiable Daily Health Habit

Today I want to talk about one of the most important aspects of healing your body.

SLEEP.

And, sleep is also one of the most important aspects of maintaining optimal health.

So, regardless of whether you are in the process of healing from chronic illness OR just cruising along with good health, sleep needs to be one of your foundational principles, just like diet and lifestyle management.

Why, even the CDC (and A LOT of you know how I feel about the CDC!) recognizes that sleep “is critical for good health,” and according to their findings, 1 in 3 adults suffer from poor sleep on a consistent basis. My guess is that the stats are much higher than that. Quote:

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society recommend that adults aged 18–60 years sleep at least 7 hours each night to promote optimal health and well-being. Sleeping less than seven hours per day is associated with an increased risk of developing chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and frequent mental distress. (Source: http://bit.ly/CDC-Sleep).

Now, when it comes to women, our sleep tends to be a bit more interrupted than men. It may be the way we’re wired genetically.

Or, it could be because we women always feel the need to be SUPERWOMAN and our own self-care takes a backseat quite often.

Did you know that over 2/3 of all women associate their sleep problems with stress?

It’s true.

Sleep is the most restorative function of the human body and when it’s disrupted on a regular basis, it can be detrimental to your own mood, health, lifestyle, and just about everything else in between.

When lack of sleep plagues your life, you’ll start to notice all kinds of unhealthy repercussions take place including:

• Lack of mental clarity and overall focus
• Lack of physical energy and personal vitality
• Feelings of moodiness, irritability, and even depression
• Poor decision making and less productivity
• Weakened immune function

And here is what’s even scarier…

Lack of sleep can set you up for all types of serious health issues, including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and many more problems! And this doesn’t even take into account what it can do to your family life, personal life, professional life, and even your sex life!

When it comes to improving your sleep, the very first thing you HAVE to do is make it a priority. Make sleep a non-negotiable for yourself (and hopefully, your family if possible).

This is one thing I learned from one of my practitioners many years ago. We live in a crazy world and we are all super busy. I get it.

But, when it comes to our health, we HAVE to make time for what is important and we HAVE to establish very clear rules with ourselves about the non-negotiable items.

For me, sleep is non-negotiable and is the absolute cornerstone to my wellness.

When I sleep poorly, it affects every aspect of my life. Even more so than eating poorly or missing regular exercise. The quality of my sleep dictates my mood, my energy, my ability to focus, my ability to be productive, and my interactions with others.

I am in bed by 9-9:30 every night. Even staying up until 10:30 will throw the next day completely out of whack for me. This sounds bizarre coming from someone who regularly used to stay up until 1 or 2 in the morning! It’s funny how our bodies change when we start implementing new habits.

Now, I didn’t make the transition from a 2am bedtime to a 9pm bedtime overnight. It happened gradually over a year or so. I started going to bed at 1:30am, then midnight, then 11, then 10, and now 9. I often joke that before long, I’ll be going to bed at 6, just as my husband walks in the door!

LOL! 🙂

OK, OK, that’s all fine and dandy, but what if you can’t sleep?

What if night after night you try to fall asleep at a decent hour, but you lay there, wide awake, for hours on end?

When it comes to helping us sleep, there are always lots of options to try, including herbal supplements, meditation/prayer, warm milk and honey, lights out at 7pm, blue blocker glasses, and even prescription medications (eek!).

When it comes to sleep problems and stress, the ultimate “trigger” to your lack of sleep is your MIND.

Getting your mind to calm down, to stop racing, and to relax is what we have to do in order to cultivate good sleep habits.

One of the best ways to get your mind to calm down, and to become at peace is to do something that doesn’t involve physical or mental exercise. It doesn’t involve taking medications or sitting for hours in meditation either.

In fact, it’s something that is so simple, and something you most likely did as a child…and now it’s becoming one of THE go-to solutions for not only stress reduction but also to help people finally get the best sleep of their lives.

So what is this solution?

It’s COLORING.

My dear friend Kelly from A Girl Worth Saving has had her fair share of struggles with sleep. She has found that coloring is the key to helping her wind down and preparing her brain and body for proper rest. So, to share her passion for sleeping AND coloring, she has created a cool new coloring book and easy guide to sleeping well.

Introducing The Sleep Miracle: A Coloring eBook and Guide To Sleeping Well Every Single Night!

In this new guide, Kelly has taken the element of coloring to a new level to help you sleep, but has also included many additional tips and vital information to help you get the best sleep of your life! Check it out here. 

Here is what you find in this book:

Part I: The Science of Sleep

• About Sleep and Why Getting Enough Is So Important
• Common Causes of Insomnia and Poor Sleep
• Getting Circadian Rhythms Back on Track
• What You Need to Know About Supplements
• How Your Diet Impacts Sleep  

Part II: Practical Tips for Sound Sleep Every Night

• Optimizing Your Environment For Sleep
• Creating and Sticking To a Bedtime Routine
• Adding Coloring To Your Routine
• How To Handle Waking Up in the Night
• Troubleshooting Common Problems

Part III: 20 Coloring Pages (which you can reprint over and over!)

This book is fantastic and contains so much well-researched information, tips, and tricks, along with fun, whimsical coloring pages that you can print out as many times as you want.

If you, or someone you know, has been suffering from sleep problems, then know you’re not alone. I can completely relate because I have had my fair share of sleepless nights, tossing and turning, and mind racing 1,000 MPH. Coloring is one way that I have found my body and my mind to relax. I also have implemented daily meditation and yoga, as well as reading in the evening and prayer before bed.

I’m hoping that the tips and ideas in this email have been helpful for you and that Kelly’s new book can assist you in finding your new ability to sleep well (and ultimately live your most VIBRANT life!). Learn more here.