For almost a month now, my husband and I have been very disciplined waking up at 5:30 am to get some work done before our little ones wake up for the day. While I have always deemed myself a night person, convincing myself to be a morning one has truly been difficult.
After finishing my 6-day trial of Food For Sleep, a 2 1/2 – ounce bottle of science-based healthy goodness made of cherry juice and whey protein, I knew that this little concoction would not be the only thing to help me to go to sleep. I LOVED perusing the Owner’s Manual that the company made available for the brand ambassadors. It made me realize I simply have been doing it all wrong.
Despite my being a work-at-home mother, it has been very challenging establishing a consistent schedule that has allowed me not to work in the wee hours of the night. While I really enjoy working at night, I know I will only pay for it the next day and not be the best for my family. I have to know myself! The worst thing about not sleeping enough, that I have noticed is that I start craving junk food, food that will not properly fuel my day.
Here are some reminders and new facts I learned from Food For Sleep’s Owners Manual with my own thoughts:
- Set a goal for what time you want to get into bed at night. Do you have to wake up at 6:30 am on most mornings? Count back 7-9 hours, and make sure you’re in bed in time to get the sleep your body needs. Better yet, consider setting a “sleep alarm” on your clock or phone to remind you to start your “wind-down” routine.
- I am totally not doing this and only sleeping about 6 hours on average a night. I am hurting!
- Stop all of your stressful activities at least a half-hour before you go to bed. Think of this like stretching before you exercise. Don’t feel guilty about this – it’s important to take some time to relax so that you can drift off peacefully into a restful night’s sleep.
- I never do this until I get to bed. I WISH I could be reading a book or chatting with hubby before dozing off. Need to work on this immediately!
- Drink your entire 2½ ounce bottle of Food for Sleep a half-hour before you plan to go to sleep.
- I have enjoyed doing this and would love continuing the product testing
- Stop looking at your TV, computer and telephone screens at least a half-hour before bedtime. Most of these devices emit a particular frequency of blue light that confuses your body into thinking it is still daytime.
- This is the hardest one yet since I have to put in at least 3-4 hours of work AFTER I put my girls to sleep. Maybe waking up even earlier might help. What do you think?
- Develop a nighttime wind-down routine and be consistent. Unwind and prepare for relaxing, restful sleep with some reading, stretching, breathing exercises or listening to soft music.
- I started adding essential oils to my bedtime routine. Lavendar oil and stretching. It HAS been super relaxing, so I know I will be keeping this up.
- Lower the thermostat in your bedroom by a couple of degrees.
- This is being done already
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine just before bedtime. Most experts recommend avoiding caffeine 4-6 hours before sleeping. Although alcohol might make your feel relaxed and even sleepy, alcohol just before bedtime can cause you to wake up as it is metabolized by your body.
- I can just add a major #fail to this point because I drink too much caffeine throughout the day and even before bed. I have added more water and fluids to my day to take over that over consumption but this is a work in progress.
I look forward reporting the changes in my sleep routines in the future. I need to make it a habit which only means I have to be consistent for about 21 days! Check out their store to give the product a try!
