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Natural Sleep Support to Get the BEST Sleep of Your Life
Everyone NEEDS sleep. It’s non-negotiable! However, it can be incredibly hard to get for many reasons. BUT I want to share some tips about how to get the best sleep of your life- because it is possible!
If you’re not sleeping well you could be creating a whole giant list of issues. You might gain weight more easily. You’ll have issues with detoxing. Your mental capacity will be diminished. And your mood?! Whew, it’ll not be great! No patience, quick temper.
7 Huge Causes of Insomnia or Sleep Difficulties
1- Your melatonin is low
When we’re dealing with chronic stress, nutritional deficiencies, lack of sunlight, or underlying infections it can be VERY hard for your body to create enough melatonin to get a good night of sleep. PLEASE don’t reach for that melatonin supplement though! Melatonin is a hormone and we aren’t meant to consume hormones. We consume their pre-cursors so that we can make them ourselves. (source)
2- You are not eating enough!
Unfortunately, toxic diet culture still exists and many people are still starving themselves to stay thin. Please rethink this craziness! We need food for energy, and we need energy to function, heal AND for sleep. If you are not eating enough through the day it can be very hard to get decent sleep at night.
3- Your minerals are low
Many minerals play a role in sleep, especially the 4 main ones: calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium. If these minerals are imbalanced, the body has trouble with almost everything: energy, detox, sleep, hormonal balance, and more. HTMA is the easiest way to see what your minerals are doing.
4- Your liver is MAD
Our livers work hardest at night, so if they are overloaded we can struggle with sleep. The main sign to look out for is waking around 2-4am. This is the exact time that the liver is active most so waking up at this time is a cry for help from your liver. Night sweats, waking up with intense hunger or low blood sugar, or waking with a racing mind are also signs of a stressed liver. Learn how to love your liver here.
5- You are getting way too much screen time at night
Light is there to keep us AWAKE. The light that we are exposed to from TVs, computers, cell phones, etc are all considered to be “white light” which is known for stimulating cortisol production. We do not want this at night! Increased cortisol = decreased melatonin.
6- You are super stressed out
This is an obvious one, but still important! If you have a lot on your mind then it is just going to be harder to calm down and relax so you can get good sleep. If you are dealing with CHRONIC stress, this is going to be even harder.
7- You have an underlying health issue
Chronic infections like Lyme or its co-infections, parasites, or mold illness can make it VERY hard for the body to function in general. Even though we need more sleep when we’re healing from these things, it can be so hard to get that real quality sleep when our bodies are dealing with a lot of underlying issues. Mold especially creates severe sleep issues. Trauma and nervous system dysregulation are also huge root causes of chronic sleep issues.
Learn How to Get the BEST Sleep of Your Life
There are many amazing ways to help support better sleep, but these are the ones I have personally found to be the BEST. As a holistic health coach, it is my job to make sure people find a way to get better sleep so their bodies can have the energy to heal.
1- Tart Cherry Juice
Tart cherry juice helps to stimulate melatonin production in the body. This is better than taking melatonin straight so you’re supporting your body in its natural healing ability instead of confusing it. I love this one from Dynamic Health that is 5x the usual strength– 1 tablespoon is all you need to get some amazing deep sleep.
2- Reduce Screen Time
Limit screen time at night and try to cut it off completely about an hour or 2 before bed; or get blue-light apps (f.lux for Android, or Night Shift on iPhones 5s and above, which comes automatically with the phone now). You can even wear blue light blocking glasses at night to help reduce how much light you’re exposed to. Getting sunlight in the morning is helpful as well! This will stimulate the natural circadian rhythm cycle. Read a physical book at night instead of an ebook to help with reducing screen time AND getting sleepy.
3- Heal Yourself
This one is a bit more in-depth than the others. But since the body is a whole there can be many things that contribute to poor sleep. Leaky gut, liver dysfunction, nutritional imbalances, and adrenal fatigue can all influence our sleep. As you heal, your sleep will improve (this is often one big improvement our own clients notice when they start their programs!) Start with HTMA to work on all of this!
4- Use Herbs
There are a ton of natural remedies to help with getting better sleep. My absolute favorite herbal remedies for sleep include: Relaxing Sleep tincture from Herb Pharm, Bed Time Spray, or Nighty Night Tea from Traditional Medicinals.
Or check out Earthley’s Sleepy Time– safe for kids and adults. This can help with getting more restful sleep of course, but it can also help with calming anxiety and increasing mental clarity through the day.
For long term sleep issues, you might want to look into some stronger nervine support like Sleep Care Extract from Mountain Rose Herbs. Read more about nervine herbs here!
5- Meditate
There are MANY ways to meditate, and using this practice before bed is one of the best ways to clear your energy and calm your mind. Guided meditations are super easy, but you can also just sit and reflect on your day, color, or use breathing exercises. Check my whole post on meditation here for more information.
6- Make Your Room Comfortable
When’s the last time you really cleaned your bedroom? Or at least tidied up? The energy of your bedroom is important for getting good sleep so a dirty room can definitely influence your sleep. Keeping your room a bit cooler can also help with increasing melatonin production.
Make sure TVs and computers are off. Keep your cell phone out of your room if possible. Get new comfy sheets or make sure your current ones are nice and clean (and be sure to use a good detergent with less toxins). Some even need to change their entire mattress– look for a company that doesn’t spray their mattresses with bromide or other toxic chemicals.
Want to read more about improving sleep?
Check out my other posts:
- Circadian Rhythm Balancing
- Get started with HTMA today with a Holistic Health Coach
The body is a whole and we must treat it as such! I have my Bachelor of Science in Natural Health Sciences, certificates in Herbal Studies from Herbal Academy, and I am constantly learning more about health to help my clients and followers.
My goal is to help you unleash your own inner healer! You already hold the power to heal inside you. My role is as a guide to help you realize this potential.