Having trouble falling asleep? Here are Neuroscientist Allison Brager’s top tips on how you can quickly fall asleep.

Sleepless nights are a bane to the human existence. Shakespeare, Ben Franklin, and many other notable figures had plenty to say about it. Thankfully, there are some easy fixes. Some fixes are nutritional, some fixes are therapeutic, and some fixes require DIY home decorating. 

There are two key components for falling asleep naturally: 

1. Establish A Routine To Help You Fall Asleep

…..and make it as militant as possible. As a neuroscientist, I have studied the human body clock for the past ten years. Our bodies and brains have sets of self-sufficient, self-operating, and self-sustaining biological clocks.

These biological clocks tell us when to eat, when to wake up, when to sleep, and when we perform our best. These body clocks are sensitive and adapt to their environments.

Light is the most potent environmental cue for our body clocks, but other basic needs work just as well in cueing and re-setting our body clocks: food, exercise, sex, and even stress.

So, if  you can, plan your meals, plan your workouts, and plan your stress (if it’s inevitable) around certain hours of the day, your body will adjust its physiological demands accordingly.

A great way to start a more consistent schedule is to create a morning ritual.

 2. Avoid Light (and Noise) To Fall Asleep Faster

.....start this process an hour before bed. Bright light disrupts melatonin release. Melatonin is the “hormone of darkness.” Melatonin release is triggered by darkness and dim light.

Ever feel extra sleepy in a swanky restaurant or bar, even in the absence of libations? That’s the dark lighting telling your body that it’s time to wind down and time to get deep, restorative sleep.

Melatonin is released to help us fall asleep and stay asleep.

I’ll say it again: put away those smart technologies, turn the TV off, and dive into a classic novel an hour before bed. The less light you see before bed, the better.

Learn more about Utzzzz's: Fall Asleep, a natural sleep aid, by clicking here 

Bedtime Rituals That Help You To Fall Asleep Faster

Here are a few bedtime rituals you can integrate to help your body naturally fall ssleep more quickly:

1. Eat Tryptophan and Vitamin B Before Bed

The amino acid tryptophan produces serotonin: a neurochemical driver of sleep. Tryptophan is found in high abundance in our bodies. That being said, there’s nothing wrong with having some extra tryptophan in the tank.

A healthy protein snack high in tryptophan (turkey) before bed prevents blood sugar levels from spiking during the night - this is partly due to its slow digestion. Spikes in blood sugar levels can wake you up.

In addiiton to tryptophan, Vitamin B is another great option. While Vitamin B is well-known for promoting energy and alertness, did you know that it can also promote sleep?

Vitamin B aids in the conversion of tryptophan into serotonin. Increased serotonin means a sleepy body.

One lesser-known but potent source of Vitamin B (and other valuable nutrients) is blue-green algae. A great source of this is kombucha tea as well as a high quality Multi-Nutrient supplement.

2. Supplement with Magnesium

Magnesium directs many biochemical actions of the body (you can read more about it here). It also helps to promote sleep. Foods rich in magnesium include almonds, cashews, Spinach, and pumpkin seeds.

You can also supplement with a high quality Magnesium supplement. 

3. Create a Sleep-Friendly Environment

Minimize light, minimize noise, sleep on a firm and cooling mattress (check our friends at PerformaSleep who make mattresses for the high-performer), and design your room layout to your liking.

No one wants to sleep and wake up to neon green painted walls (which I actually did for a long time until I realized how unfriendly the color was for sleeping).

4. Alter your Thermoregulation, Slightly

For years, doctors have recommended heat before bed to induce sleepy-like blood flow. Nowadays, scientists are finding that brief exposure to cold has anti-stressful, pro-sleep effects. Regardless of hot or cold, a slight change in your core body temperature can be beneficial.

5. Blast Yourself with Sunlight in the Morning.

Nothing jolts your body clocks awake and keeps them ticking (entrained) throughout the day like 15-30 min of sunlight in the morning.

Sleep scientists from the University of Colorado took students camping for a few weeks and discovered that our body clocks are more sensitive and stabilized by natural light compared to artificial light. So consider adding sunlight to your morning routine!

 Enjoy these sleep tips. I hope they help you to have a more rested, productive lifestyle.

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Dr. Allison Brager is a neuroscientist specializing in the physiology and genetics of sleep and performance. She is author of Meathead: Unraveling the Athletic Brain which debunks the myth of the "dumb jock" and serves as a manual for optimizing athletic performance through neuroscience. Outside of the laboratory, she is a former D1 varsity athlete, Crossfit Games team athlete and still competes in track and field: pole vault and hurdles.

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Other resources for optimizing sleep:

1.     My book, “Meathead: Unraveling the Athletic Brain” describes some describes several "neurohackers" for bettering athletic performance through science.

2.     Podcast related to Meathead: http://brutestrengthtraining.com/podcast/10x-your-recovery-with-the-science-of-perfect-sleep-w-dr-allison-brager.

We all know that sleep is crucial for good health, but what is the best way to get a good night’s sleep?

Here are ten tips to help you consistently get the best sleep of your life!

1. Have a Set Sleeping Schedule

Try to keep the same sleeping routine every night. Go to bed and wake up at consistent times (even on the weekend). Experts recommend 7-9 hours, every night. This may seem like a hassle, but the payoff in sleep quality is worth it. If following a routine is hard for you, consider starting small with a morning routine.

2. Have a Nightly Routine

Establish before bed habits, like journaling, reading, stretching, or taking a bath. These habits will signal your brain that it’s time for bed, and will help you to wind down.

3. Take A Natural Sleep Aid

Did you know that here at Utzy we make award winning sleep aids? We have a passion for helping others sleep better. Check out our Sleep Bundle and save over 30% on our best selling sleep formulas + get a free Utzy sleep mask!

4. It’s OK to Be in the Dark

Keep your room dark when you go to bed. Light can prevent your brain from releasing melatonin, a hormone that signals that you are ready to sleep. It is recommended that you minimize lighting and use of electronics 60 minutes prior to sleep.

5. Avoid Stimulants Before Bed

Even though coffee has many benefits, avoid caffeine after 3:00pm. Caffeine has been shown to stay in your system anywhere from 4-6 hours after drinking it. Even though having that iced americano may help you cruise through your afternoon, it can really interfere with your ability to fall asleep later at night.

6. Create a Restful Atmosphere

Make sure your room is calm and peaceful. Try to make your room as quiet as possible. It should also be cool and clean.  A messy room is difficult to relax in, and a hot room will make it hard to fall asleep.

7. Comfort is Key

Pillows and mattresses should be comfortable. You should replace pillows yearly and mattresses every 5-7 years. Fresh sheets and clean pillowcases are also very relaxing.

8. Keep Your Eyes Off the Clock

Avoid visible clocks and clock watching. Keeping track of time spent not sleeping can be stressful and keep you awake.

9. Get More Sunshine in Your Life

Get at least 30 minutes of sunshine daily. The sun will help balance your sleep/wake cycle. It is best to get your sunshine in the morning, this will help to "jolt" your body awake. An added benefit is that this will help to increase your daily productivity! Sunshine also gives you Vitamin D, which gives you a host of other benefits.

10. Stay Away From Electronics Before Bed

The blue LED lights emitted from your electronics (phones, tv's, computers, etc...) interfere with your sleep cycle. It can delay sleep by as much as 3 hours! We realize that Facebook isn’t going to check itself, but resist the urge to scroll through your feed right before bed.

Another way to get around this is to consider installing a free app like F.lux on your computer, which dims the colors on your screen to match the sun (we use this on our computers at Utzy HQ and love it!).

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Daniel Powers is a health and fitness enthusiast with a background in the supplement industry. Outside of work, Daniel enjoys Crossfit, reading large books, and drinking coffee.

Sleeplessness is a pretty common problem in menopausal women.

You are not alone.

While seniors tend to have a better handle on the resulting restlessness that comes with age, those between ages 35 to 55 are the ones who usually find the transition difficult to bear with.

The sleeplessness that accompanies perimenopause and menopause can even come in different forms. Some don’t sleep at all, while others tend to sleep only a couple hours per night - far from the recommended 7 to 9 hours of regular sleep for adults 18 to 64.

Looking to sleep better? Get our Free Sleep Diary!

As you probably already know, sleepless nights can result in grogginess, irritability, and problems with focus in the morning.

If you don’t do anything about your lack of sleep, sooner or later, it could turn into a bigger problem.

The good news is that since menopause and sleeplessness are common problems, experts around the world have created several all-natural solutions that have proven to be successful for many women!

Keep it Cool During Bedtime

The human body, whether menopausal or not, welcomes lower temperatures during bedtime. Cold not only reinforces the body’s cues for sleepiness, it also combats the discomfort and sleep interruptions that are brought on by hot flashes in the middle of the night.

So, do your best to keep it cool during bedtime. If your air-conditioner is old and faulty, menopausal hot flashes are the universe’s way of telling you to get it fixed, or better yet, get a new one that’s more energy efficient.

If you want to keep cool while saving money, reserve using your air-conditioner’s coolest settings for hot nights when you’re susceptible to sleep interruption.

Additionally, it would also be a good move for you to invest in a mattress, sheets, and pillows that promote cooling and ventilation. Pajamas and sleepwear made from moisture wicking clothes can help in this regard as well (have you heard about Tom Brady’s pajamas?).

These simple solutions won’t stop hot flashes, but they’ll certainly make them much more bearable when they happen in the middle of the night, allowing you to fall back to sleep faster.

Keeping your bedroom cold and comfy is highly conducive for uninterrupted sleep. It is one of the most effective solutions to fighting menopause-driven sleeplessness.

Use Lavender As A Powerful Natural Sleeping Aid

Lavender has been around as an aromatherapy agent for centuries. It’s always been known for its relaxing properties, although many continue to be skeptical about its effects. And if you’re one of those skeptics, you should know that scientists have proof that lavender really does relax the nervous system.

According to new recent research, lavender (has been found to be highly effective when it comes to helping with relaxation. Apparently, lavender has chemicals that affect the same neurotransmitters and receptors affected by other relaxing agents - but with none of the adverse effects.

You can do this by inhaling lavender essential oil before and during bedtime. A great way to do this is by using an aromatherapy diffuser.

Another popular method is to drink dried lavender steeped in hot water and to inhale the steam. This method is a ‘two-for-one’ as the warmth from drinking tea also contributes to the sensation of relaxation.

You can even use lavender bath salts for a really relaxing bath at the end of a long day.

If you’re interested in natural sleeping aids, you can also try melatonin supplements. It’s a hormone that may help to induce the onset of sleep, an essential part of our natural circadian sleep-wake cycle.

Some melatonin supplements even come in smaller doses so you can better control its effects.

For more information on how lavender can benefit you, visit our blog post, 5 Essential Oils that May Help You Sleep Better

Learn How to Meditate

Out of the many natural ways to combat menopause-related sleeplessness, meditation is the cheapest and also one of the most effective. It can also be done nearly anytime and anywhere. If you know how to focus on a single task, then you can learn how to meditate.

The best places to start learning meditation are either at home or in a basic meditation class. You’ll want a safe environment where you’re less likely to be distracted by noise and movements. Find a place where you can comfortably sit upright for about 15 to 20 minutes without moving your body.

Slow your breathing down. Breathe in as slowly and as sparingly as you can, and do the same when you’re breathing out. Keep doing this while also keeping your posture straight, relaxed, and unmoving.

When your mind starts having thoughts apart from your breathing, recognize these thoughts and then move your focus back to keeping your breathing consistent. It may start out feeling like nothing’s going on, but what you’re actually doing is honing your mind’s ability to focus.

By repeatedly coming back to your point of focus (in this case, your breathing), you can train yourself to shut out distracting thoughts, and worries before you go to bed.

In Conclusion

Every woman will go through menopause sooner or later. It’s a natural part of getting older, and so is the sleeplessness that accompanies it.

If menopause is making your life more difficult, try not to panic or become too worried. Focus on finding a solution. And if none of these all-natural methods work for you, it’s time to consult your doctor.

Written by Dr. Allison Brager

 I have night owl genes.

I am not kidding. Very recently, I had my DNA sequenced and it revealed something that I have always intuitively known; that my natural bedtime preference is after midnight; and that I am not a morning person.

My parents and brother are the same way. We are all genetically pre-disposed to being night owls.

Instead of fighting this, I have come to embrace it.

And you know what?

I truly believe that I was destined and pre-selected to be a scientist and track and field athlete because of my night owl genes. My work hours line up perfectly with the requirements of my career.

For instance, in academia (where I work as a sleep researcher), work usually starts after 10:30am, and continues far into the afternoon/evening. This aligns perfectly with my body’s natural sleep cycle.

Having my body’s sleep cycle lined up with my work requirements gives me a major boost in energy and productivity. This allows me to have a higher total output!

So how can you tell what type of sleep genes you have? The answer is that it all comes down to how your internal body clock functions.

What Are Body Clocks? 

Body clocks drive circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms cue you when to sleep, eat, exercise, and when to perform at your best. Each tissue of our body has an internal pacemaker that ticks on a near 24 hour schedule and is sensitive to abrupt and stressful changes in our environment.

Examples of environmental changes include; shift work, travel across time zones or doing a high-intensity interval workout in the middle of the night.

A unique team of genetic factors drives the precise ticking of our body clocks. Some of these genetic factors increase expression of your genes, others suppress. Thus, it is the constant push-and-pull relationship of these genetic factors that determines if we have body clocks that tick more quickly than 24 hours or slower than 24 hours.

What does this mean?

If you are an early bird, your body clocks tick faster. If you are a night owl like me, your body clocks tick slower.

Over the years, one's preference as an early bird or night owl is linked to differing personalities. Extroverts are often early birds while introverts are mostly vampires.

The more creative and artistic types also tend to be night owls.

So what are you?

How To Determine If You Are An Early Bird or Night Owl: 

Below are a few tips and tricks for telling if you are an early bird or a night owl. 

1. Take the Morning-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ):  

Scientists have been using this 5-minute questionnaire for decades. The MEQ will give you a reliable estimate of when you are most productive mentally and physically. I advise re-shaping your schedule based on the MEQ. And it's free!

2. Go on Vacation: 

The first reason that you should go on vacation is to catch up on sleep. Most of us carry a "sleep debt" and there is nothing like vacation to catch up. So feel free to create a “sleep surplus” while on vacation! It’ll go a long way towards keeping you healthier and happier.

The second reason that you should go on vacation is to get back to your natural sleep-wake schedule. Work schedules, family schedules, and training schedules prevent our body clocks from truly expressing themselves the way they want to.

On vacation, let your body rest as it needs. Feel tired in the afternoon? Take a nap. Feel energized at night? Stay up and enjoy yourself.

It may take a few days for your internal body clocks to unmask their true rhythms. Put in the effort to really listen to your body. You will feel so much better once you allow your body clock to start to ticking the way it was genetically programmed to tick.

I advise re-shaping your daily schedules to capitalize on times of peak productivity. If your a night owl, see if you can shift your work schedule to reject that. If you are an “early bird”, shift your schedule to the morning.

3. Get Your DNA Sequenced.

There are several at-home DNA sequencing companies now that will tell you if you are an early bird or night owl. Our schedules can shape our health to an extent, but at the end of the day, nature always wins.

While these at-home sequencing services are pricey, especially as demand increases, it is worth every penny. I truly believe that my newly discovered knowledge about my mental and physical capabilities and limitations based on my genetic makeup are responsible for the continued successes that I have had in science and athletics.

Tips for Fine-Tuning Your Body Clocks:

Below are a few tips and tricks for zoning in your internal body clock.

•Eat Plenty of Greens 

Science is constantly proving that “we are what we eat.” Body clocks find sugar revolting and will act accordingly. Prioritizing greens, healthy grains, fats, and proteins throughout the day stabilizes the body’s blood sugar levels.

Eating a low sugar, high protein snack before bed prevents blood sugar levels from spiking during the night, thereby disturbing the natural ticking of our body clocks.

• Avoid Light At Night

Light emitted from cell phones, tablets, and HDTVs actively shocks your internal body clocks. The ticking of body clocks is tied to melatonin: “the hormone of darkness”. Melatonin is released to help us fall asleep and stay asleep, maximizing our time in non-REM sleep. Melatonin release is extremely sensitive to LED light. Put away your technology at night and read a book.

•Take Magnesium

Most people are magnesium-deficient and need to supplement. In fact, research shows that half of the US population is deficient. Magnesium, particularly magnesium biocarbonate, slightly elevates levels of carbon dioxide in our blood. This reaction tricks our brain into thinking it should be asleep. Magnesium helps to maintain and fine-tune our nervous system and keep all the nerve cells firing on schedule.

•Consider Taking a Natural Sleep Aid 

Taking a high quality sleep supplement can help you during those restless nights. You can learn more about the best sleep aids to take here.

To conclude, I don't believe the early bird catches the worm. I believe that an informed bird catches the worm.

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Dr. Allison Brager is a neuroscientist specializing in the physiology and genetics of sleep and performance. She is author of Meathead: Unraveling the Athletic Brain, which debunks the myth of the "dumb jock" and serves as a manual for optimizing athletic performance through neuroscience. Outside of the laboratory, she is a former college athlete, Crossfit Games team athlete, and is still active in track and field: pole vault and hurdles.

Other Resources for Optimizing Sleep:

1.     My book, “Meathead: Unraveling the Athletic Brain” describes several "neurohackers" for bettering athletic performance through science.

2.     Podcast on How to 10x Your Sleep.

Poor sleep majorly impacts every aspect of body, everything from mental health to your physical appearance.

Sleep deprivation can result in issues for your beauty routine, potentially making you self-conscious and stressed out about your appearance.

Keep reading for a list of skin issues that are caused by sleepless nights and how you can fix them.

Wrinkles

According to research, lack of sleep can cause wrinkles to start forming, making you to look older than your actual age. When you have insufficient sleep, you body releases higher levels of a stress hormone called cortisol. This hormone breaks down the skin's collagen, a protein that keeps the skin looking young.

Looking to sleep better? Get our Free Sleep Diary!

Dark Under-Eye Circles

Not only will less sleep cause wrinkles to form, it can also cause dark circles, bags under your eyes, and dark spots. You see, when we sleep (especially during non-REM sleep), human growth hormone (HGH) is released into our bodies. HGH helps to repair damaged skin and dark spots as well as those pesky bags under our eyes.

When we sleep even two hours less than normal, we can begin to see effects from having not enough sleep.

Unbalanced Skin

When you are sleeping, your body uses that time to clear away dead skin cells and build new ones. This helps prevent breakouts, red skin, and a dehydrated complexion.

When you do not get enough sleep, your skins Ph levels drop, causing your skin to look dry and/or oily, redness and breakouts can occur as well.

Tips To Help Your Skin

If you are having trouble sleeping, look into these tips to try and get a good night’s sleep that will leave your skin glowing!

•Avoid Alcohol

If you are a person who enjoys a drink after work, such as a beer, know that it can interfere with your REM sleep, contributing to your dark circles. If you do decide to have a drink, make sure it’s a couple of hours before bed.

A great tip for covering up dark circles is to not highlight around the eye with makeup. Highlight the cheek area and use a bold lip color to distract from the dark circles under your eyes. You should also consider a good quality concealer. This is a temporary fix until you can get a good night's rest.

•Avoid Electronics Before Bedtime

Do not look at devices too soon before going to bed. Even if you are dimming the brightness, you are still exposing yourself to blue daylight spectrum light. This light mimics the sun, tricking your brain into thinking it is daytime. This hinders the release of melatonin, the hormone that notifies your brain that it’s time to sleep.

If you must use your computer, tablet, or other devices, there are programs you can download to send red waves instead of the blue waves at night. This will be beneficial because melatonin can then be released naturally, which will help you sleep more soundly at night.

•Exercise

Another thing to do if you have trouble sleeping at night is to exercise. Exercise releases endorphins that will make you feel good and alleviate the stresses in your life which may also be keeping you up. However, if you exercise do it few hours before your bedtime.

If you are a beginner to exercise, checkout these helpful workouts tips.

•Avoid Napping During The Day

If you are one that has trouble sleeping, do not nap, especially in the afternoon. It is important you make a schedule for sleeping and make it a habit to follow that schedule every day of the week.

•Set A Routine

Have a relaxing bedtime ritual. This might involve a hot shower or bath with lavender scents to relax you. The more relaxed you are for bed the better you will sleep.

•Avoid Lights

Eliminate any lights that are in your bedroom or anything that will keep you awake. It should be quiet and dark where you sleep. This will help you fall asleep faster and remain asleep.

Also, keep your room cool, studies show that a cool room will help to improve your overall sleep quality.

•Natural Sleep Aids

You may also want to try adding a natural sleep aid into your daily schedule. Chamomile and Valerian are relaxing ingredients and may help you fall asleep faster.

You can also supplement melatonin into your schedule before bed so that you can have a good night's rest and wake up looking and feeling great.

When you lose sleep, not only does it wreak havoc on your mind but also your skin and body. It is important that you average eight hours of sleep per day to keep your skin glowing and healthy. Create a bedtime ritual to keep you relaxed, and make sure you do not use technology too close to bedtime.

Your sleep is important to your overall health. You need sleep to help keep your skin looking young. You cannot deprive your body of sleep and expect to get that beautiful glow. Start sleeping better and achieve your best-looking skin now!

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Hi, I’m Sally Mitchell. I began my career as a makeup artist, and after receiving a diploma in Clinical Dermatology decided to combine my passions for makeup artistry and skin care becoming a licensed beauty professional. Staying informed with the latest cutting edge skin care treatments helps me to share useful tips with readers of Lumeskin.

There are times when getting a stellar night’s sleep is not within our control.

However, you may be surprised at a few sleep strategies that are less frequently recommended but that are highly effective at soothing your body toward a solid night’s rest. Here are some helpful ways to sleep better.

1. Calm Your Mind To Sleep Better

Although many of us turn to tangible, physical remedies when dealing with chronic sleep loss, it can be enormously beneficial to remember a few psychological reasons why some of us have trouble sleeping.

For example, Jeff Haden suggests writing down a list of all the things you’re currently worried about. It turns out that writing out your concerns, whether it be in list form or via free-writing or poetry, is surprisingly effective at warding off unnecessary racing thoughts.

Moreover, focusing on the positive, as well as situations within your control—rather than beyond it—will help alleviate stress and is an important way to sleep better.

Interested in better sleep? Get our FREE Sleep Diary!

2. Sleeping Positions To Help You Sleep Better

You are probably familiar with the old trick of turning over onto one’s stomach or back, if your usual sleeping position isn’t working. However, did you know that elevating different parts of the body can be an important way to help you sleep better? Let me explain.

According to Dr. Philip E. V. Van Kerrebroeck, “Even in people who [fall] asleep easily again, the interruption of sleep disrupts the normal sleep patterns and can have general (negative) health consequences…”.

To prevent sleep that’s regularly interrupted by urgent bathroom visits—try putting your feet up before bedtime in order to push accumulated leg and ankle fluids back into the bloodstream so that you can urinate before bedtime, rather than afterwards.

One’s position during sleep, however, is another story altogether. Sleeping with the head and torso elevated has been known to alleviate symptoms of common health complaints (such as indigestion —among other health issues). Try experimenting with different levels of elevation and sleeping positions to see which ones work best for you to help you sleep better.

3. Stretches That Help You Sleep Better

While vigorous exercise helps regulate blood sugar levels and keeps our hearts and stress levels healthy and under control, we should switch into low gear in the hours immediately before bedtime. Certain stretches can be very effective in helping our bodies wind down. Deep breath work and stretching can alleviate stress in not only our lungs, but our legs, necks, and backs as well.

Harvard Medical School recommends implementing what’s known as ujjayi pranayama (victory breath), as well as going into child’s pose, standing forward bend, standing half forward bend, reclining bound angle, and legs up the wall pose (you can see the recommended poses in the linked article).

Another reason why stretching is so effective at improving the quality of our sleep is that, when performed correctly, stretching is essentially a form of mindfulness that ideally brings us to a place that allows our mind to relax, without focusing on external factors.

4. Reduce LED Light For Optimal Sleep

By now, most of us have heard that staring at our smartphones isn’t beneficial when trying to go to sleep. This is because of the prevalence of blue light (LED lights) in computer screen monitors, smartphones, and TV screens. This blue light activates our brains and makes it hard to wind down at night. Do not fear! You may not realize that it’s possible to reduce the amount of blue light in our indoor and outdoor lighting, as well, via the use of LED lightbulbs rather than conventional light bulbs. Additionally, you can also get blue light blocking glasses via our friends at Zenni Optical. 

Try to correlate your use of artificial light with your sleep cycles. Although our need for indoor and outdoor lighting of course increases as night approaches, minimizing artificial light is also helpful for birds’ migratory cycles, as well as city stargazing efforts, energy efficiency, and sustainability. Perhaps that’s why excessive use of lights at night is called light pollution: because the excess use of artificial light pollutes the natural world’s ability to function normally—as well as our own.

5. Foods That Help You Sleep Better

Though this may not come as a surprise, decreasing our use of artificial stimulants like tobacco, caffeine, and alcohol can greatly increase our ability to sleep soundly through the night. This is because, although alcohol is a sedative, it’s also a diuretic. And while it initially seems to help alleviate stress, tobacco is a stimulant.

Even though coffee has many benefits, a good rule of thumb regarding caffeine is to avoid drinking coffee or caffeinated tea past four o’clock—while avoiding any caffeine past noon is ideal.

In addition to helping us sleep, avoiding stimulants can help calm your whole body. Try drinking a warm cup of herbal tea or warm milk instead. In addition to what you eat and drink, taking a warm bath or shower before bedtime can also work wonders in helping you relax—in part because it ends up cooling us down after we dry off.

6. Plants And Herbs That Help You Sleep Better

Lastly, a few specific plants have been shown to help improve sleep quality through their presence in the bedroom and throughout the house. One of these, aloe vera, is more well known for its moisturizing and after-sun healing properties. However, aloe vera also emits oxygen at night, which is beneficial to our body’s ability to sleep—as well as improving the general air quality.

Two plants that improve the general air quality of our interior surroundings are snake plants and English Ivy plants—both of which have actually been recognized by NASA as having air-purifying qualities. In addition to that, Lemon Balm Leaf and Valerian Root are two herbs that have long been utilized to make tea as well as in supplements that aid your body in falling asleep.

*   *   *

Are there any lesser-known strategies you use to help you sleep better? Share your advice in the comments section, below!

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Avery Phillips is a freelance human based out of the beautiful Treasure Valley. She loves all things in nature, especially humans. Comment down below or tweet her @a_taylorian with any questions or comments.

By Dr. Allison Brager

Sleepless nights are a bane to the human existence. Shakespeare, Ben Franklin, and many other notable figures had plenty to say about it.

That's why we are bringing you our best tips for falling asleep. 

There are two key components for falling asleep:

1. Establish A Sleep Routine.

…..and make it as militant as possible.

You may know that I have studied body clocks for the past ten years.  As I have mentioned prior, our bodies and brains have sets of self-sufficient, self-operating, and self-sustaining biological clocks. These biological clocks tell us when to eat, when to wake up, when to sleep, and when we perform our best.

These body clocks are sensitive and adapt to their environments. Light is the most potent environmental cue for our body clocks, but other basic needs work just as well in cueing and re-setting our body clocks: food, exercise, and even stress. Thus, if you can plan your meals, plan the best time to workout, and plan your stress (if it’s inevitable) around certain hours of the day, your body will adjust its physiological demands accordingly. Everyone should have a bedtime routine AND morning ritual.

 2. Avoid Light (and Noise) When Sleeping

.....start this process an hour before bed.

Bright light disrupts Melatonin release. Melatonin is the “hormone of darkness.” Melatonin release is triggered by darkness and dim light. Ever feel extra sleepy in a swanky restaurant or bar even in the absence of libations? Melatonin is released to help us fall asleep and stay asleep. I’ll say it again: put away those smart technologies, turn the TV off, and dive into a classic novel an hour before bed.

Interested in a Natural Sleep Aid for Falling Asleep? Consider our Doctor-formulated Fall Asleep Product

Bedtime Rituals and Other Sandman Musings:

• -Get extra Tryptophan in your system. The amino acid Tryptophan produces Serotonin: a neurochemical driver of sleep. Tryptophan is found in high abundance in our bodies. But, there’s nothing wrong with having some extra tryptophan in the tank. A healthy protein snack high in Tryptophan (turkey) before bed prevents blood sugar levels from spiking during the night partly due to its slow digestion. Spikes in blood sugar levels can wake you up

• -Supplement with Vitamin B. Vitamin B is well-known to promote energy and alertness, but do you know that it can also promote sleep? Vitamin B aids in the conversion of tryptophan into serotonin. One lesser-known but potent source of Vitamin B (and other valuable nutrients) is blue-green algae. You can also supplement with Vitamin B via a multi-vitamin supplement.

• -Supplement with Magnesium. Magnesium directs many biochemical actions of the body, such as relaxation and calmness. This makes it a perfect mineral to take before bed. Check out our U-Mag Organic lemon flavored drink mix!

• -Create a sleep-friendly environment. Minimize light, minimize noise, sleep on a firm and cooling mattress (check out our friends at Performa who make mattresses for the high-performer), and make your feng shui (spatial arrangement) of the room to your liking. No one wants to sleep and wake up to neon green painted walls (which I actually did for a long time until I realized how unfriendly the color was for sleeping).

• -Alter your Thermoregulation, slightly. For years, doctors have recommended heat before bed to induce sleepy-like blood flow. Nowadays, scientists are finding that brief exposure to cold has anti-stressful, pro-sleep effects. Regardless of hot or cold, a slight but routine change in your core body temperature can be beneficial.

• -Blast yourself with sunlight in the morning. Nothing jolts your body clocks awake and keeps them ticking (entrained) throughout the day like 15-30 min of sunlight in the morning. Sleep scientists from the University of Colorado took students camping for a few weeks and discovered that our body clocks are more sensitive and stabilized by natural light compared to artificial light. Consider adding sunlight to your morning routine!

 If you'd like more sleep tips, check out our article on 33 sleep tips for getting better sleep at night.

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Dr. Allison Brager is a neuroscientist specializing in the physiology and genetics of sleep and performance. She is author of Meathead: Unraveling the Athletic Brain which debunks the myth of the "dumb jock" and serves as a manual for optimizing athletic performance through neuroscience. Outside of the laboratory, she is a former D1 varsity athlete, Crossfit Games team athlete and still competes in track and field: pole vault and hurdles.

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Other Resources for Optimizing Sleep:

1.     My book, “Meathead: Unraveling the Athletic Brain” describes many unique properties and functions of sleep tailored towards bettering human performance.

2.     Podcast on How To 10X Your Sleep 

3.     Invest in a quality mattress. I used to trick myself into thinking my dorm room mattress was sufficient, nope. A firm mattress that has cooling properties (typically through copper lining) is best. Go check out my friends at PerformaSleep. Georgia engineers who designed a mattress for athletes and those who want to excel like pro athletes.