Essentials To Better Your Sleep

You saw the reports, the news on ´millennial burnout´ and whether it stands true for you or not, it’s also been a crazy year!

The whole ‘I’ll sleep when I am dead‘ culture, high-level multitasking culture is impacting our sleep. In fact, the whole ‘women are better at multitasking’ may be true, but according to work productivity experts may not be helping us to progress. So focusing on getting one thing done at-a-time, could trigger our thoughts to stop running all-the-time.

The things that keep us up at night — at times it could feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders – from work issues to societal issues as Latina/WOC. Anxiety and depression definitely play a roll in our sleep patterns. There are many factors that keep us from getting the sleep we need. Getting to the root cause as to why is a journey in itself from self-healing by changing bad habits, building healthy routines to getting professional help by means of therapy.

We also need to understand the health disparities in our communities and that maybe the residual effects are with us.

Sleep is a crucial part of wellness for women. “Sleep serves a restorative function for the brain and body, and is an integral part of overall health and a source of physiological and psychological resilience.” stated in Sleep and its Relationship to Racial and Ethnic Disparities In Cardiovascular Disease report.

Here are ways to help you get a better night’s sleep –

1. Establish a rock solid get-ready-for-sleep routine.  And it doesn’t include Netflix binge watching, aight? This is a slow down period 1-2 hours before you hit the pillow. Can include a bath/shower. Drinking your favorite tea, taking a puff and/or a healthy midnight snack that won’t interfere with your sleep. Dabbing essential oils like lavender on your wrists or spraying onto linens. Wind down time can include a book in bed, ambient music or some Romeo Santo’s greatest hits softly playing in the background…now, that’s what I am talking about.

2. Invest in your environment. Time for new sheets, a mattress, a real soft comforter. Inspired by those hotel beds…get light blocking shades or drapes. Redo the bedroom, seriously move your TV out of your bedroom.

3. The devices. Hard to do, but don´t glare at your mobile, laptop screen at least an hour before bed. Resist Sis! We already mentioned the TV, right?

4. Pent up energy? Masturbate. Sex. Knock your nalgas out to sleep. Enuf said.

5. You are what you eat (and drink). Drinking coffee within 4 hours of sleep, well, you will be a high energy, nuerotic multitasking mujer. Controlling your craving for high sugar foods in the evening can help. Leave those candy bars and certain fruits for the daytime.

6. Stay away from synthetic sleep remedies. An easy remedy might be to reach for a drug store sleep remedy. Again, not tackling the root cause of your sleep issues, only applying a ‘band aid’ temporary approach. Sleeping aids in a bottle can include ‘seratonin’ which is a synthetic made remedy that is made to duplicate what you already have in your body. However, be careful that introducing synthetic drugs and remedies not interfere with your lady hormone levels. Ask your doctor for herbal, non addicting types of over the counter or shelf remedies.

7. Get It Out Of Mind. All those thoughts, worries and to-do lists racing around in your mind do not help you sleep soundly. Keep a journal or pad of paper next to your bed – write, write and write out all your thoughts. Let it flow and exit.