Support Nature’s Way to Detox and Rebuild
Sleep is the time that our body cleans out toxins and rebuilds from the physical and emotional stress of the day. Both the duration and the quality of sleep are important. Sleep deprivation affects mental clarity and can contribute to chronic diseases.
There are four stages of sleep: stages 1-3 are non-REM (rapid eye movement) and state 4 is REM. You cycle through all stages of non-REM sleep multiple times during the night with increasingly longer deeper REM sleep occurring toward the morning.
Current guidelines for adults to get between 7-9 hours of quality sleep nightly while children and teenagers need more.
Healthy sleep habits:
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday
- Keep electronics out of the bedroom
- Get daily exposure to outdoor light, preferably in the morning, to keep your circadian rhythm synchronized
- Get regular physical exercise
- Limit alcohol and don’t have within two hours of bedtime; alcohol can cause you to wake up during the night
- Don’t have caffeine after 3pm; for those sensitive to caffeine 12pm may be better
- Avoid screen time (phone, computer, TV) one or two hours before bedtime
- Establish a nightly winddown routine
- Keep the bedroom cool and dark when sleeping
These general guidelines will set most of us up for a good night’s sleep, but if you still struggle to go to sleep or stay asleep it is worth exploring future. Sleep is an important foundation for overall health and well-being.