Wouldn’t you love to wake up each morning actually feeling refreshed and ready to deal with any challenge that comes your way?

When you don’t sleep well it disrupts your whole day. You’re tired, grumpy, and far less likely to make it through your to do list.  When you don’t sleep well for several days it’s hard to think straight, make good business decisions or good food choices.

Hormone imbalance can disrupt your sleep and poor quality sleep will result in hormone imbalance. It’s like a vicious circle!

When you do sleep well your cortisol peaks within 30 mins of waking up which sets off all your other hormones to do the jobs that keep you healthy, slim and energised.

When you don’t sleep well cortisol is high first thing in the morning which disrupts your other hormones and prevents them from doing their jobs. The results are low energy levels, an expanding waist line and that dreaded mid afternoon slump.

So how do you get a good nights sleep?  First of all let’s bust a few of those sleeping myths:

  • A glass of wine helps you relax and sleep.  No!  Alcohol raises cortisol and sabotages your sleep quality. I’ve gradually reduced the amount I drink over the last couple of years, originally as way to help manage my weight. What surprised me was that firstly and actually quite quickly the quality of my sleep improved and only then did those pounds start to melt away.
  • Drinking coffee in the morning won’t impact your sleep that night.  Not true!  Even a small dose of coffee first thing in the morning can affect the quality of your sleep. Even if you don’t notice it your cells do. Caffeine raises your cortisol levels and raised cortisol levels prevent you from sleeping well.
  • You need less sleep as you get older.  Wrong!  If you’re sleeping less than you used to it’s a sign you’re responding poorly to stress. Don’t let cortisol get the better of you and rob you of your beauty sleep!

How to get a good nights sleep:

  • Reduce or cut out caffeine. It’s a stimulant so if you’re having trouble sleeping cut back, if you still have trouble cut it out completely!
  • Keep your bedroom cool. Research has revealed that 64 degrees is the optimum temperature for women and their hormones!
  • Respect your circadian rhythm. Tune into our natural light and dark cycles. Blue light from devices such as tablets, phones and computer blocks production of melatonin, your sleep hormone, so switch those devices off at least 60 minutes before bedtime.

Good sleep is crucial to avoiding hormone imbalance, menopause weight gain and poor decision making. Take steps to ensure a restful and restorative sleep every night and you’ll soon notice improved memory, sustained energy levels and even a reduction in those bags under your eyes. You really will wake up each morning feeling refreshed and ready to face any challenge that comes your way. The bonus is that healthy weight loss is part of the package too!