Enhance Your Summer Sleep Time Routine

Summer is here!

In the Pacific Northwest we are lucky to enjoy what seems like endless days of sun in the Summer. The sun rises before 6 am and sets just a little before 10 pm, bathing us with its golden rays for over 16 hours a day.

With all the places to go and outdoor spots to explore, it is critical to maximize sleep in the dark hours of the night, so you are well fueled for the morning.

For many though, sleep can be elusive. Intrusive thoughts can play on repeat. The worries of tomorrow can haunt us. Ideas swirl around the noggin’ on all the things we have to do.

The good news is, there are things we can do to manage some of our daily habits to enhance wind down at the end of the night and promote more restful sleep.

3 Tips to Better Sleep

1) While no one likes to hear it, and most are aware already, we need to stop using screens about two hours before bed.

The sun naturally gives off blue light that helps our bodies know what time of day it is. The blue light gradually reduces over the day and and is very minimal during sunset. This helps our bodies control its natural sleep/wake cycle and impacts cortisol production. Cortisol should be highest in the morning as we are waking up, and then gradually reduce as the day turns into night.

What screens do (computer screens, phone screens, tablet screens and even tv screens), is blast us with unnatural and more intense forms of blue light. Not only does it prevent our bodies from producing melatonin, a key hormone that helps get us sleepy and ready for bed, but it also prevents blinking and can leave our eyes dry and strained.

Stopping all screen use two hours before bed (with bed time no later than 10 pm preferably), will help our minds and bodies wind down and prepare for sleep. Plus, the lack of stressful social media and the inevitable life comparison that happens will be prevented from ruining our moods. 😉

2) Keep caffeine consumption before 12 pm.

Caffeine lingers in the body for hours and also impacts our cortisol levels. Taking caffeine too late in the day can keep us up with excessive thoughts and that wired but tired feeling.

If you want something hot and comforting in the afternoon/evening, try our hot cocoa instead of coffee! It contains calming and regulating minerals, a serving of collagen, and it is rich, creamy and delicious! Just add water and you have bliss in a cup.

Clean Minerals with Collagen Peptides – Hot Cocoa

Great night time hot beverage

I enjoy two scoops of this mix in a coffee cup at night. It’s such a healthy alternative to caffeine!

Lisa Pipes

So yummy!

I am a devout drinker of hot chocolate, and this is my all time favorite. I usually drink some around bedtime and I’ve noticed mild improvements in sleep and overall wellbeing. I’ve been taking collagen for years already, so my hair and nails were already as good as it gets, and I’m pleased that this has helped me maintain that. As soon as they start selling a bulk size, I’ll be purchasing it bulk!

S.O.

3) Include minerals in your nighttime routine.

Minerals play so many roles in our bodies, with one of them being able to soothe the nervous system. They can provide calm and they work as catalysts in our body’s varied activities. Magnesium can be especially helpful for relaxing the body and mind. Unfortunately supplemental magnesium (in pill or powder form) can often cause loose bowels and low absorption rates. However topical magnesium, typically in the form of magnesium chloride either by itself or mixed in lotion, is much better absorbed without any digestive distress. Ancient Minerals is a popular brand for the liquid magnesium oil, but I found magnesium oil itself often makes me itchy and is irritating.

You can find a few different brands that mix magnesium into their lotion, like Earthley and Fatco. Fatco is a partner of ours and sells amazing organic, tallow-based skincare. I love that their Calming Body Butta contains lavender and magnesium too. It can be a great addition to your nighttime wind down. Use code MTCAPRA for 15% off your order on fatco.com.

A Few More Tips to Consider:

• Coloring, drawing or some light artistic work. This helps activate more of the creative right brain and lessen activity in the analytic, critical, and thinking left brain. Think of it as switching modes.
• Practice breathing techniques, humming, or other things that transition the body into a parasympathetic state. Your parasympathetic nervous system is also known as the “rest and digest” part of your nervous system (think relaxation).
• Journaling, meaning writing down your thoughts and emotions with pen and paper, can help to get troubling emotions out of your head.
  

Elysium Rest – Sleep Support

For occasional sleep support, you can also consider a sleep supplement, like Elysium Rest.

Elysium Rest is part of our Mt. Athos performance line. It contains calming and relaxing ingredients like magnesium, valerian, lemon balm, glycine, chamomile and melatonin.

Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link, which means that if you click on one of these links and make a purchase, Mt. Capra will receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. We partner with high quality brands that we trust.