Day 3 — Vitamin Zzz

We created the 10-day Self-Care Challenge to remind you of simple strategies that you can use to prioritize yourself and help clients better. Today we challenge you to catch some serious Zs!

Getting enough sleep is just as important for your health as eating healthy and exercising. Not only that, sleep deprivation can have some very real negative impacts on your energy levels as well as your overall health, including increased stress, memory problems, mood swings, weight gain, poor concentration, and the list goes on and on…

Did you know? Sleep deprivation will kill you more quickly than food deprivation!

Ask yourself this: Do you find yourself reaching for a coffee to start your day? What about that 3 p.m. pick-me-up? How many hours of sleep are you actually getting per night?

You’re not alone. These are not uncommon behaviors, especially when you’re running your own business. In 2018, a whopping 35% of Americans were sleeping less than seven hours per night in comparison to 9 hours per night 100 years ago.

It’s time to put these bad sleep habits to bed! Here are some tips for getting better sleep:

• Start winding down a couple of hours before bed and stick to a sleep schedule. This will help regulate your circadian rhythm — your body’s internal clock.
• Exercise. Exercise helps reduce stress and will tire you out, further improving your sleep quality. Aim to get your exercise in earlier in the day rather than late at night.
• Leave electronic devices out of the bedroom. Cell phones, TVs and tablets can be distracting and disrupt your sleep.
• Don’t drink caffeine too late.
• Don’t eat too late or too close to bedtime
• Sleep in a dark, cool room (~70°F or 20°C). Try using a sleep mask to achieve ultimate darkness.

Sweet dreams!

Before you head off to sleep, like us on Facebook to take the 10-Day Self-Care Challenge live!

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