Sleep on dear ones*

•Exercise is just as key as eating and sleep well in the wellbeing triangle.
This one got my attention big time, since the title of my book is “Why Can’t I Stick To My
Diet?” I do not usually talk a ton about sleep with my clients, but I will not. I do tell my spin
students, if they have to pick between sleep and coming to my early morning class, go with sleep
and I will see them next week. A “junk class” isn’t doing much for them really. However, I am
going to change how I speak about sleep with my clients.
•Sleep is a biological necessity like food, water, air
This really struck me. How often have I blown off sleep thinking I could just over caffeinated it
tomorrow? Or worse “catch up”on the weekend? Way too many to count. When my kids were
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little, the only time I had to think I thought was after everyone was asleep. It seemed like I had
the dilemma of staying up and having time to myself to watch tv or internet surf or go to bed and
not feel like death the next day.
•The fact is that we don’t seem to take sleep seriously, even though the long term risks of
poor sleep are well known — we need to stop considering it as a waste of time .
I have never consciously considered sleep to be a waste of time per se. However, I acted like it
though my choices. Staying up too late watching tv, or not turning off my devices in bed, getting
up too early to work out thinking that was what my body needed more than rest. Those choices
were all saying “sleep was a waste of time”.
•According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), sleep is essential for a person’s
health and wellbeing. Yet, it is estimated that 50-70 million US adults have a sleep or
wakefulness disorder which can affect daily functioning, such as driving, and overall mental
health and long-term well-being.
So we all agree sleep is important, and yet we blow it off to the point where our health is
impacted. Why do we do this?? What is so important? Did I really need to stay up last night and
watch This Is Us? Well, sort of, but bad example…
•Studies have shown those who sleep for less than seven hours a night are likely to have a
higher BMI than those who regularly have a good night’s sleep.
The disruption of our ‘hunger hormones’ makes us more likely to eat irregularly, snack between
meals, season our food excessively and eat fewer vegetables – none of which contribute to a
well-balanced diet.
•87% of women agreeing that getting enough sleep is an important part of looking after
your skin as we all know that to look good, you must feel good and sleep is a first step in
achieving this because a great night’s sleep tonight means feeling more energized tomorrow.
What if we stopped spending so much money at our estheticians, our dermatologist and at
Sephora and went to bed earlier? We would look better and could afford way nicer sheets.
Instructions on a better nights sleep
1. Disconnect: Stop using electronics 1 hour before you sleep.
2. Organize Your Morning: Spend a few minutes to get prepared for the next day pick out what
you’re wearing tomorrow and make a quick to-do list with the essential things to get done. This
can save you a significant amount of time and unnecessary stress in the morning.
3. Bathing: 73% of adults agree that bathing/showering is a good way to reduce stress. A warm
bath or shower before bed aids in a better night’s sleep
4. Mindful Sleep Preparation: Lay in bed and concentrate on your breathing, not only will this
increase oxygen in the body but it will lull you into a state of peacefulness. So with your eyes
closed and breathe in for 4, hold for 4, breathe out for 4, hold the out breath for four and repeat
5. Sleep: It is important to get 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Aim to sleep at 10pm twice a week.
Sleep is a biological necessity, don’t starve your body!
Sweet dreams dear ones,
Erin
*I wasn’t intending on having another week devoted to Sleep. After seeing the amazing
presentation by Tracey Woodward of Aromatherapy Associates at the Global Wellness Summit, I
knew I needed to share her research with everyone.