Fit Life with Stephen Cabral
by Stephen Cabral, Fitness Professional

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4. The 1 Food Exception

Dr. Johanna Budwig proved that a great anti-cancer recipe was to eat a mixture of cottage cheese and flax oil. This also just so happens to contain tryptophan, which in turn promotes serotonin release, which equals happy and restful sleep. So, if you’re someone who typically wakes up hungry during the night, or with low blood sugar this snack before bed may just do the trick.

5. Turn Down the Heat

You should keep your bedroom below 69 degrees. Try setting the thermostat somewhere around 64-68 degrees depending on personal preference. A room that is too warm will keep you awake and wake you throughout the night.

6. Let Your Body Breathe

Make sure that your sheets and comforter come from a natural material so your body can breathe at night. Synthetic material can make you hot and not let your skin breathe, which in turn will wake you up.

7. Seriously... No Light Allowed!

Make sure you don't have any light seeping into your room - it should be pitch black. Again, light signals the body to stop producing melatonin (and to wake up) and if you're not producing enough melatonin you're not going to be sleeping well. Invest in black out shades or curtains if necessary.

8. Relax Before Bed

One of the best things you can do to unwind before bed to promote a healthy night's sleep is to stretch. Some light stretches for your back and legs will help to release any aches, pains, stiffness, and tension, which may also be keeping you up.

9. Make a To-Do List

I find many people suffer from anxiety induced sleep insomnia where their mind is racing and they can't fall asleep because they're thinking of everything they have to do the next day. If this sounds like you I highly recommend making a to-do list before bed where you can get all your tasks off your mind and down on paper so you won't have to worry about forgetting them when you're trying to sleep.

10. Follow a Sleep Schedule

This was the #1 thing I did to beat my sleep issues. Until I started going to bed and waking up the same time everyday (within 30 minutes) I always had trouble falling asleep. My suggestion is to pick an 8-hour window that you can stick to and make that your own personal sleep schedule. It's amazing but after a few weeks you'll fall asleep within a few minutes of hitting the pillow and won't need an alarm clock to wake up.

As someone who suffered with sleep-based issues for many years I know what it's like not to feel rested and get a good night's sleep. However by following these tips above I have been able to sleep great and I hope you benefit in the same way.

Most of them are easy to implement, but they do require some slight lifestyle modifications. Therefore, you may want to begin implementing a few at a time and settle in on what works best for you.

Feel free to forward this article to anyone it could help and if you'd like more detailed information on my top stretching guides, nutrition plans, or powerful fat loss exercise programs just click the link below:

Click here for my free video and my complete 12-week fat burning system!


Committed to your success,

Stephen Cabral, CSCS, CPT, NS
Author of Fatlossity, Lose5in7 Weight Loss System
Health Consultant for MTV, Men's Health, NutritionData, Diet.com, MAXIM, Gather, SELF
http://StephenCabral.com

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