Improve your sleep, Improve your life!
Updated: Jun 7
Transcript
00:07:34:37 - 00:07:42:10
Speaker 2
Hey Team! This week we're going to be speaking about the benefits of a good night's sleep. And it might surprise you. So make sure you keep watching.
00:07:42:12 - 00:07:59:39
Speaker 1
I think a lot of people focus on the number of hours that they sleep. But really what we want to focus on is the quality of the sleep. There are many reasons why we should all focus on sleep this week, and I think the main one for me is just mental health purposes. I know I feel mentally clearer when I've had a good night's rest.
00:07:59:42 - 00:08:15:18
Speaker 2
Yeah, I know a lot of you are feeling a little bit sick at the moment, so a good night's sleep rejuvenates and helps heal the body, which is exactly what a lot of you are needing. If you're having trouble having a good night's sleep. Something that I really like to do is make the atmosphere really nice before you sleep.
00:08:15:33 - 00:08:32:47
Speaker 2
For example, maybe get like a little night light so that the room is dimly lit for maybe half an hour before you turn the light off, just so your body regulates and lets your mind know, Hey, we're going down in a minute, so it's time to turn off. Another thing that I really, really love doing is Taz and I have this sleep spray.
00:08:33:08 - 00:08:40:11
Speaker 2
It smells like lavender. It's super calming and it just lets my brain know that I'm going to go to sleep soon and I need to calm down.
00:08:40:16 - 00:08:59:23
Speaker 1
Yeah. So there's different triggers that you can use to remind yourself that it's time for bed. I think one that we should all try to do is get off our screens at least an hour before we try and lay down. I know when I've been gaming and I go to bed, my brain feels wide awake, so just give yourself that space before you go to bed.
00:08:59:23 - 00:09:15:06
Speaker 2
You might be thinking, Oh my God, what am I going to do an hour before bed without my phone? There are so many things that you can do. You can reflect on the day. You can go down and talk to your parents. You can read a book, you can light a candle, you can meditate, you can journal. There's literally an endless amount of things that you can do.
00:09:15:06 - 00:09:31:26
Speaker 1
Without your phone. And another great thing to do before you go to sleep that will help in the morning is blocking out light and sound. So obviously, if you're getting woken up in the night because of noises that are going on throughout the night, close your door, close your blinds and make sure you can get that really restful sleep.
00:09:31:35 - 00:09:43:41
Speaker 1
So something that might surprise you that I read in the book called The Miracle Morning is that you don't actually need 8 hours of sleep. I feel like we get told that growing up our whole life. Yeah. Hours of sleep, 8 hours of sleep, 8 hours of sleep.
00:09:44:00 - 00:09:48:07
Speaker 2
And then you like more sleep is better sleep and it's not. No!
00:09:48:07 - 00:10:09:22
Speaker 1
Have you ever had, like a really long sleep but you wake up feeling sluggish? Yeah. That just proves that the more amount of sleep you get doesn't necessarily mean you're going to feel more alert when you wake up. So reading this book, it taught me a lot about not listening to traditional conventional standards that we're told throughout our life and actually feeling into your body and seeing what works for you.
00:10:09:22 - 00:10:21:15
Speaker 1
I know when I wake up at around 6:30 a.m., I actually feel naturally ready to get out of bed. But any time after seven it actually feels hard for me, so I'm better off waking up earlier. It's really weird.
00:10:21:18 - 00:10:34:26
Speaker 2
So something that helps me get out of bed in the morning and I love sleep. I love bed. Bed is my comfort place as it is for like a lot of other people as well. Something that helps me get out of bed in the morning is like some sort of reward for getting out of bed. And for me, that's coffee.
00:10:35:23 - 00:10:40:38
Speaker 2
So when I think about, Oh, I really want my coffee, okay, I'll get out of bed. That's what helps me get out.
00:10:40:43 - 00:10:56:44
Speaker 1
That's so funny, because that's the opposite of what the Miracle Morning teaches. It says the first thing you should drink when you get out of bed is water, because water is actually going to help you throughout the day and not dehydrate you. But it just shows as two different people sitting here, I'm sure there's many different types of people listening to this.
00:10:56:44 - 00:10:59:02
Speaker 1
So you kind of got to pick what works for you.
00:10:59:02 - 00:11:02:28
Speaker 2
Yeah, reward yourself for doing a behavior that you want to promote.
00:11:02:32 - 00:11:18:36
Speaker 1
Yeah. Awesome. So this week, just pay attention to your sleep. You could even track it with an app or you could just manually wake up and see how you're feeling. But we hope you get a good night's sleep tonight and put it in the comments section. We want to hear about Any tips that you guys have for getting a good night's sleep.
00:11:18:45 - 00:11:25:14
Speaker 2
Have a fantastic week team. Go spray that lavender, light that candle before bed and enjoy your sleep. Bye!!
Sleep is one of the most important things that we can do for our bodies and minds. Not only does a good night's sleep leave us feeling refreshed and energised, but it also has numerous positive effects on our physical and mental health.
This week, we will focus on the benefits of getting a good sleep, ways you can create an environment that helps you relax and insights from the book "The Miracle Morning," that show you don't necessarily need eight hours of sleep to feel energised!
Benefits of Getting a Good Sleep
You might not realise it, but the quality of your sleep is severely impacting your life & mood right now. Lack of sleep can cause mood swings and even lead to depression.
Having a good night’s sleep also reduces stress MASSIVELY because we have lower cortisol levels in our bodies after a good rest.
Cortisol is the ‘stress hormone’, so we kinda want to stay away from that.
"Cortisol is the body's natural alarm system, but when it's constantly activated, it can cause a host of problems, including weight gain, insulin resistance, and even heart disease." - Dr. Sara Gottfried
Creating an Environment that Helps You Relax
Getting a good sleep can be dependent on some external factors too.
By creating an environment that helps us relax, adopting healthy sleep habits, and focusing on the quality of our sleep, we can wake up feeling good as gold, ready to take on the day ahead.
Here are some ways you can improve the quality of your sleep:
1. Stick to a sleep schedule
2. Exercise regularly (but not too close to bed time)
3. Limit naps during the day
4. Avoid caffeine, alcohol & nicotine as much as possible
5. Limit screentime close to bed time
6. Keep your room cool
7. Block out light and noise
How You Don't Need 8 Hours of Sleep to Feel Energised
You may have been told all your life that ‘8 hours sleep is,
But here’s the thing….
You don't necessarily need eight hours of sleep to feel energised.
The amount of sleep you need can vary based on your individual needs and lifestyle factors.
It’s not a one size fits all!? That makes no sense since nothing in life is that simple.
The facts are, some people may feel rested after six hours of sleep, while others may need closer to nine. The key is to listen to your body and pay attention to how you feel. If you feel rested and energised after six or seven hours of sleep, that may be all you need.
A book that changed my life is ‘The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod’. The perspective in this book helped me change my sleep schedule and gave me back SO MUCH TIME in the morning to focus on self-care activities like meditation, journaling, and exercise.
It really helped set the tone for a productive and fulfilling day during a difficult time in my life.
“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body and prayer is to the soul. We become the books we read.” - Hal Elrod
Let us know in the comments any tips you have about getting a good night's sleep.
We’d love to challenge you to really pay attention to the quality of sleep you are getting this week; and then make the changes needed to get a better sleep in!