What time do you go to bed? How many hours of sleep per night would you get on average? Feeling groggy every morning and always looking for those 3 cups of coffee to get you through the morning? Maybe it’s more than 3 cups. Perhaps you drink 6 cups a day to stay relatively energetic. I’m not going to talk about the effects of too much caffeine, as a cup or two is fine. However, if you rely on a stimulant to keep you energized, then you need to make some lifestyle changes to reverse this.

Sleep is essential for our body and our health! Too many people are not getting the required 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night. It is recommended to be in bed and sleep by 10:30 pm and regularly wake up at 6:30 am However, most have trouble even doing that!

The following two examples are factors that contribute to why some people have trouble falling asleep. 1) They are using stimulants containing caffeine, sugar, and nicotine after lunchtime, which prevents them from winding down at night. 2) While at home at night, they are surrounded by bright lights and other stimuli such as television or a flickering computer screen. Your body considers this “artificial” light the same as the morning sun. It releases cortisol (the stress hormone) before preparing your body for the day. (Fight or flight response!) The problem with this again is that you should be relaxing, not finishing!

Here are some tips for you that I want you to start doing today!

1) If you absolutely need coffee in the morning, keep it to just two cups in the morning and none after lunch! Personally, I am a fan of green tea and hate the taste of coffee. Better yet, drink your daily water requirement to keep your body hydrated. Remember, most people seek stimulants because they don’t go to bed when they should on a regular basis.

2) Be careful or just cut out those lattes, mochas or frappuccinos. Some of these stimulants can contain up to 500 calories!

3) At dinner time or after, limit the number of bright lights, use a dimmer when possible.

4) Put on relaxing and calming music like classical, but anything that gets you down, don’t get you up!

5) Avoid watching the news before bed or watching TV as it can cause a triggering emotional response that could again end you.

6) Take your favorite book and read it 15-20 minutes before bed.

7) Do your best to get up and go to bed at the same time every night. This will reduce the habits of relying on stimulants. If your body is always full of cortisol, this will significantly affect your body’s ability to burn fat! Be sure to minimize all stressors!

8) Make sure you do some kind of activity during the day, as this will usually help you sleep better at night!

We all function better with a good night’s sleep, and our bodies will show us that appreciation. So go now and do it. Make sure to rest on your own!