Week 6 Update

Week 6: 5/23 - 5/30 —REST

Points earned for drinking water, 5 minutes of meditation, 15 minutes self care, at least 7 hours sleep and 30 minutes exercise.

PRIZE: Diffuser and Lavender Essential Oil

Pro Tips – SLEEP! From Karoline Gustafson

Sleep is fundamental to our health, it impacts our brain function and influences our ability to learn. Lack of sleep can lead to depression, seizures, high blood pressure, and can influence our immunity and metabolism.

So how much sleep do we need? Well, it depends! The National Sleep Foundation recommends adults get 7 – 9 hours of sleep per night. How much sleep you got the night (or nights) before, the amount of and intensity of exercise you got, and your stress levels play a role in how much sleep you should get.

Tips for a restful night:

• Avoid screens before bed: blue light from electronics directly affects your circadian rhythm. If you do use a screen before bed try using blue light blocking glasses.
• Avoid alcohol: Your body is busy processing the alcohol while you sleep preventing you from reaching the restorative stages of sleep. While alcohol may help you fall asleep it won’t provide you the quality sleep you need!
• Read! Reading for a few minutes before bed can help you distract your mind, relax your muscles, and allow your breathing to slow. A 2009 UK study showed that reading just six minutes before bed each night reduced stress levels by 68%! Try not to stay up reading all night though!
• Environment: make sure your sleeping space is cool, quiet, dark, and comfortable! Turn the thermostat down, shut the blackout curtains, and settle in.
• Bedtime routine: try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Following a consistent sleep routine helps train your brain to naturally feel tired when it’s bedtime.

Karoline Gustafson is a Wellness Trainer at LRH. She holds personal trainer, CrossFit L1, USA Weightlifting L1, Precision Nutrition L1, and many other certifications. Walking alongside individuals in their health journey is a great passion of hers. Progress, not perfection!