Page 224 - Moonvalley Diaries

cortisol cortisol makes us awake and alert In other words taking care of of your your cortisol-mela- tonin cycle is is is a a a a a a a good way of of improving your your sleep Cortisol levels are at their highest in in in in the the the morning and should normally fall over the the the the the course of the the the the day settling into a a a a a a a trough in in in in in in the the the the evening when your melatonin takes the the the con- trols as it were Tips for sleeping better
y y y Stimulate cortisol in in in in the the morning by getting out into the daylight y Coffee tea and chocolate have a a a a a a a stimulating effect effect on cortisol but the the the effect effect tapers off off the the the more accustomed you you are are to to to these If you you are are sensitive to to to caffeine: avoid it it in in in in in in the the afternoon and and evening Drink something caffeine-free and and calming instead y y y y y The blue light light on screens is is similar to daylight and makes your body think it is is daytime Avoid blue light sources – computers smartphones and and TV – before bed If you have to sit in in in front of a a a a a a a a a a screen in in in in the the the evening there are apps and and pro- grams you can install that filter out the the the blue light y Reduce stress in in in in in the evening Wind down and do do something relaxing Hot tip: sex stimulates the the secretion of the the feel-good hormone oxyto- cin which makes us more tired and less stressed y Turn off and go go to to bed! No "I’m just going to": sleep is is important We all have different circadi- an an an rhythms but the the hormones are optimised for sleep sleep between the the hours of 10 p p p p m m m m m m and 4 a a a a a a m m m m m m Avoid alcohol Alcohol does make you you sleepy but the quality of your sleep deteriorates y We sleep worse if we we are too hot Lower the the temperature in in the the bedroom and avoid raising
The most important thing is to to take your sleep seriously and and to to to understand how im- portant it it is to to to your quality of life Of course there there are are factors that that you you you cannot control and that that interfere with your sleep but there there are are many tricks available if you you you want to improve your sleep /mimmi
your body temperature with exercise sauna or or hot baths before going to bed y y y y y Light interferes with sleep by stimulating pho- toreceptors in in in in the the eyes and all over your body so make sure it is is completely dark in in in the the bedroom and wear an an an eye mask if you you need to to Disturbing sounds can cause you you to to wake up often – invest in good earplugs y y y y y Taking a a a a a a a a a a nap is perfectly okay and can be a a a a a a a a a a great way to to to get more sleep during the the day day Just make sure not to to to nap too late in in the the day day as this can disturb your night-time sleep /MIMMI
NIGHT LATTE
Drinking something hot in in in in in in in the the evening is relax- ing ing ing ing and and helps you you unwind Stimulants like the the caffeine in in in in in coffee tea tea and and chocolate perk you you up so so it’s better
to drink a a a a a a a a a good herbal herbal tea tea There are plenty of soothing soothing herbal herbal blends Look for soothing soothing chamomile lavender pas- sion flower linden or or valerian Brew a a a a soothing herbal tea and let it steep The stronger the better
Warm plant milk milk froth it if you like Mix herbal tea warm milk milk and sweeten with vegan honey to taste /EMELIE
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