SLEEPING TIPS FOR STUDENTS AND WOMEN WHO ARE BUSY AF.
I meaaaaaaan, if you follow me on Instagram then you ALREADY KNOOOOOW DOE that my schedule can be so fucking haywire that it's just laughable.
Personally, I love being busy and feeling productive but when it's not up to you if that schedule lasts for days or even WEEKS on end, that's when things can become frustrating and make you feel like you're ready to just give up on everything haha.
One of my readers asked me for advice on this the other day and I just felt like I needed to turn it into it's own blog because I'm sure there's plennnnty of you out there who are over worked, then not exercising because your tired, then eating shitty because you're not exercising, then not sleeping because your not eating well or exercising. Then trying to wake up after only a few hours of shitty sleep and do it all over again, but on even less energy than the day before.
Here's the thing, it's kinda weird.
BUT
Because I know that this down ward spiral can happen FAST, It's almost like I know I seriously need to treat my body like a machine and I need to be in control of my mind so I sorta feel like the busier I get, the healthier I get. IF it's a reasonable amount of busyness of course...if it's just like back to back for weeks on end, then obviously that just sucks and at that point I just do my best not to complain about it.
SO a few weeks ago my life looked like this:
- 5:30am // Wake up
- 7:00am // Train
- 8:00am // School
- 1:00pm // Leave School
- 2:00pm // Lunch, Meal Prep
- 3:00 pm // 1 Hour Health Coaching Call
- 4:00 - 4:45pm // Get ready for Work
- 5:30pm // Work
- Midnight - 1:30am // Get Home from Work
- 1:30 or 2:00am // Start getting ready for bed, set alarm for 5:30 or 6:00 am
UMMMM YEAH, FUCKING BLOW MY FACE OFF.
I did this for 3 weeks and was 1. IMPRESSED WITH HOW MUCH ENERGY I STILL HAD FOR THE FIRST 2 WEEKS, and 2. I REALIZED I NEED TO QUIT MY JOB LOL. (Not quite there yet though).
SO here's all my tips that you NEED TO DO if you are busy and either not sleeping well or if you're finding that you have really low energy throughout the day.
I know that all of these things played a huge role in me actually being able to work as much as I did while still feeling like those few hours of sleep that I was getting were AMAZING.
1. WORK OUT IN THE AFTERNOON
For me, this worked wonders. I would go to school and be SO sleepy and then I would force myself to workout around noon.
When I walked out of that gym, I was always sooo energized and proud of myself and it honestly made me forget about the morning and how little of sleep I had gotten. I would feel good for hours afterwards and I believe that getting in this workout made me sleep better at night so it's a win win winnn all around.
Believe me - 90% of the time I DID NOT feel like exercising but I'm telling you, it was one the biggest factors that kept me energized during my busy schedule.
2. DRINK AT LEAST 1/2 YOUR BODY WEIGHT IN OUNCES DURING THE DAY.
Drinking water throughout the day was another key component to having energy and avoiding headaches. It also reduced my cravings and kept my appetite in check. So often when we're sleepy, our bodies will automatically start craving sugar for a quick energy source BUT If you're staying up on your water during the day, I think you're less likely to reach for the sugar or sweets.
(I recommend buying a 32-ounce water bottle and shooting to drink it at least 2-3 times a day! I found this one online and it's super similar to the one I use everyday!)
3. DON'T BRING STRESS TO BED WITH YOU.
One thing that I noticed that helped a lot was just RELAXING as much as possible on my way home from work and not stressing about the following day or giving any attention to how little of sleep I was about to get.
I would do my best to just enjoy the ride home and not rush into bed and I feel like this really helped me fall asleep faster and sleep better.
I used to always race home, get changed really quick, wash my face and brush my teeth even faster then I felt like I wouldn't exhale until I was crawling into bed.
We want our bed to be a place of CALM energy, not stressful so it's important to wind down BEFORE you're getting in bed for the night.
4. NIGHT TIME ROUTINE
Okay this is important because if you do a nightly routine, then your body will start to understand that 5-15 minutes after the nightly routine, you'll be getting into bed! So it will start to shut down, lower cortisol, slow the breath and relax the body. Remember, even if you're feeling like you're in a rush to get to bed, try to RELAX during this, I swear it makes all the difference.
Lately my night time routine has consisted of allll Beauty By Dr Kay Products. My skin has literally never been so clear which is why I've just been trying all of her products. I use her glycolic acid cleanser and night cream every night to exfoliate and moisturize, BUT lately I've been applying her vitamin C and Hydration serum to my face once before bed and once in the morning and I've definitely noticed a change in my dry skin!
Find what works for you but if you're looking for something new and effective, consider checking out Dr Kay! I promise you will love!
5. SLEEP MASK, AROMATHERAPY AND MEDITATION
This is the last little piece of making sure that you fall asleep fast and having a solid night of sleep. First, I rub some "sleep well" oil by Saje on my temples, throat, jaw, and the bottoms of my feet...then I add a few drops to my oil diffuser and turn that on.
Then I make sure I'm wearing something comfy to sleep that doesn't have too much fabric, strings, hoods, pockets or zippers so that nothing bothers me while I'm sleeping. (You know when you wake up in the middle of the night because your shirt feels like it wrapped around you body 980 times over night? Yeah, we don't want that...)
Then I grab my sleep mask, and turn on whatever sleep time meditation by the Honest Guys that sounds good (typically I choose one that's about 30 minutes long), then it's lights off, eye mask down, and timmmme for bed.
How cute is this one?! Click to be redirected to check out.
I LITERALLY have never made it through a 30 minute video. I honestly think that if I we're to do what I used to do which was jump into bed all rushed and stressed out, that it would take me forever to fall asleep.
But because by the time I turn the meditation on, I've already been relaxed for about 30 minutes so it makes falling asleep MUCH easier.
