5 Tips for Better Sleep

Getting a good night's sleep is just as important as eating a healthy diet and finding time for movement during your day. Poor sleep has immediate negative effects and can cause weight gain and increase your risk of disease.

Want to optimize your health or support your weight loss goals? Prioritize your sleep with these 5 quick tips:

Increase your exposure to daylight. Natural sunlight is best, but bright light is still supportive and helps to regulate our circadian rhythm. Light helps improve both sleep quality and duration of sleep.

Try to sleep and wake at the same time everyday. I know, we all love to sleep in on the weekends but being consistent with your sleep and wake times can help with better long term sleep quality.

Set your bedroom temperature. Introducing our body to a colder environment helps stimulate sleep and supports the body's natural production of the hormone melatonin. What's an ideal temperature? This varies, but try lowering the temperature of your house's thermostat at night.

Power down. Reduce your exposure to blue light from computers and cell phones in the evening, especially before bed. Blue light exposure can make it harder to fall asleep and interrupts our normal production of melatonin.

Move during the day. Getting exercise during the day can help support sleep and reduce the amount of time it takes for you to fall asleep at night.