Sleep

For weight loss, sleep is key.

Sleep helps you recover from exercise.

And it keeps your hunger hormones under control.

Here are 12 things you can do to improve your sleep.

1. Work out 3-5x per week.

If you’re trying to lose weight you should be doing this anyway. The body needs movement, and it needs to actually do some work.


2. But not too close to bedtime.

Because tough workouts leave you fired up and not relaxed, which is going to make sleep WORSE.

Give yourself at least 3 or 4 hours to come down.


3. Stop caffeine 8 hours before bed.

This seems to be the minimum time needed for your body to remove caffeine from your system.


4. Turn off the TV.

The blue light TVs - and any device with a screen - emit has been shown to keep people from falling asleep.

And watching documentaries about serial killers isn’t exactly calming.


5. Get the f*ck off social media.

Give it a break, at least for an hour before you go to sleep - you’re feeding your brain a ton of unnecessary information, which will make you feel wired.


6. Read fiction in bed.

Read fiction - NOT non-fiction - for 20-30 minutes in bed. Non-fiction tends to be more stimulating.


7. Don’t eat dinner too late.

Going to bed digesting a big meal can make it hard to fall asleep.


8. Set the same daily wake-up and sleep times.

This helps set your body clock, making falling asleep easier. Use your Apple Watch to set a regular go-to-bed alert.


9. Sleep in a cooler room.

If the thermostat is set to 65 F (18 C), I’m out in minutes.


10. Spend more time outside.

Especially on sunny days. It seems to contribute to setting your body clock.


11. Sleep in a dark room.

Did you ever spend your holiday in a hotel with blackout curtains? I bet your sleep was AWESOME.

You can also wear a sleep mask if it’s not possible to make your room darker.


12. Meditate/Breathe before bed.

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