Sleep Tips for Fertility
Sleep hygiene does not mean cleaning your sheets (although, I do recommend this to be done once per week). It means creating a sleep routine that seriously upgrades the ease and depth of your sleep. Here’s how:
Caffeine Reduction - Set an alarm on your phone and be sure there is no caffeine past 3pm. Why? Caffeine keeps you awake, of course. We don’t need that when you’re trying to sleep.
Bedtime Alarm - We’re all very used to setting a wake up alarm, right? Why not a bedtime alarm? You can even do this on your iPhone or iPad easily. Set it for 1 hour before bed. Once it goes off, it’s time to shut the work/life/house stuff down. If there are things on your to-do list that need to be done, be sure to write them down for the next day so they are out of your head and not running around causing worry, stress and overthinking.
Screens Off - Once that bedtime alarm goes off, it’s time to turn the screens off, too. This means no phone, no TV, no tablet, etc. Anything emitting blue light will block your body’s natural melatonin (your sleep hormone) production, and this is exactly what we don’t want. P.S. I like the terms - S ROOM for the bedroom - sleeping, snuggling, snoring, insert other s word here - BUT NO TV! If you’re really stuck on a late-night project, I highly recommend f.lux app for computer screens and blue light blocking glasses to help reduce your exposure.
Lights Low - When the alarm goes off and the screens go off, please also try to keep the other artificial lights in the house low. You could even where your blue-light blocking glasses during this time.
Bedtime Routine - Use this screen-free time to have a bath, read, journal, meditate, deep breath, and/or practice bedtime yoga. All of these options will get your body into rest and relaxation mode, which is exactly where we want you to be for great sleep.
Environment - Be sure to set your room temp for no more than 68 degrees F (20 degrees C) for optimal sleep temperature. Please reduce clothing to light or none, and keep blankets light.
