Hello again! This blog we are going to focus our attention on sleep, especially as this is the time of year where sleep is difficult and some people are feeling the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Sleep is critical in letting our brain rest and also get ready for more information the following day. Without good sleep, we often times feel moody, short-tempered, experience more anxiety and depression, and our brain isn't as quick to think. The way we get our body ready for bed is called "sleep hygiene".  

Some basic tips:

Be consistent! Go to bed at the same time every night
Turn off all screens 1 hour before going to bed
Eat at least a couple hours before going to bed so your stomach has some time to digest
Avoid caffeine and alcohol
Exercise during the day

A few extra tips in getting a good night's sleep:

Establish a soothing routine before bed so your body knows it is about to wind down, and follow that routine nightly 
Try reading a book or some other type of relaxation technique
Put on certain lotion that is soothing 
Listen to relaxing music or a meditation/calming app
Try diffusing lavender essential oil
Keep your room dark (light prevents our body from producing melatonin)
Think about being somewhere soothing and relaxing
Write down 1 thing that happened today that you feel grateful for

I hope a few of these tricks help make sleeping a little easier. 

Thanks for reading and being in connection with me,
Steph