December 19th: ZzZzZz

Today is December 19th. There are 6 days until Christmas and 13 days until 2018! Less than a week until Christmas! Less than two weeks until 2018! Blows. My. Mind.

It's been a rough couple of months. I think I have forgotten how to sleep well. A lot of people have crazy sleep cycles. For example, my husband works 4 days a week (10 hour shifts) overnights. When he is off of work, he has to switch to daytime for being awake. It really affects how he functions. If you have a similar problem with your sleep schedule, you need to work on fixing it.

How long should you be sleeping?

• Newborns (0-3 months): Sleep range narrowed to 14-17 hours each day (previously it was 12-18)
• Infants (4-11 months): Sleep range widened two hours to 12-15 hours (previously it was 14-15)
• Toddlers (1-2 years): Sleep range widened by one hour to 11-14 hours (previously it was 12-14)
• Preschoolers (3-5): Sleep range widened by one hour to 10-13 hours (previously it was 11-13)
• School age children (6-13): Sleep range widened by one hour to 9-11 hours (previously it was 10-11)
• Teenagers (14-17): Sleep range widened by one hour to 8-10 hours (previously it was 8.5-9.5)
• Younger adults (18-25): Sleep range is 7-9 hours (new age category)
• Adults (26-64): Sleep range did not change and remains 7-9 hours
• Older adults (65+): Sleep range is 7-8 hours (new age category)

As a teenager, I would have a crazy sleep schedule! I would sleep from 12am to 4am then 5am to 6:30am OR I would sleep from 2am to 6:30am. I would sleep all of maybe 4 hours! It is recommended that you should sleep 8-10 hours. I would sleep half of that and be completely able to function (go to school, go to work, eat, exercise, etc.). As an adult, this is no longer the case!

As an adult, I can never get enough sleep! I could probably sleep from midnight to noon and still be exhausted! We all tend to blame being tired on a too-busy lifestyle. It could be caused by your quality of sleep. It could be caused by a medical condition. 

Today's task: Perfect your sleep. Make sleep a priority. Make a new pre-bed routine. Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. Use a new Sleep Cycle app to track your sleep quality. Take notice on how you're sleeping.

Tips and Tricks:

• Give yourself about 2 to 3 weeks to make some lifestyle changes.
• Get more sleep.
• Trim your social calendar.
• Eat more wholesome foods.
• Drink more fluids.
• Take a multivitamin.
• Cut back on caffeine and alcohol.
• 8 hours of sleep standard has been routinely researched to be the number of hours of sleep that most people need. However, it doesn't always work for everybody, and you may need to adjust it a little to get it right for you.
• Too much sleep can be just as bad as too little sleep.
• It's best to wake in-between deep sleep cycles rather than in the middle of one.
• Stick to a sleep schedule, even on weekends.
• Practice a relaxing bedtime ritual.
• Exercise daily (at least 40 minutes, 4 days a week)
• Evaluate your bedroom to ensure ideal temperature, sound and light.
• Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows.
• Beware of hidden sleep stealers, like alcohol and caffeine.
• Turn off electronics before bed.
• Try using "white noise".
• Avoid foods high in sugar and caffeine, fatty foods and processed carbs, and spicy foods close to bedtime. 

If you have tried these all and still have sleep issues, there may be further problems that may need to be evaluated by a doctor or sleep researcher. Excess exhaustion (even after trying these techniques) could be the sign of a more medical condition that can be treated, such as: anemia, thyroid disease, diabetes, depression, chronic fatigue, and sleep apnea. Please do not let this slide by if you're having a problem. Make sleep a priority today and every day.