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3 Bedtime Habits that Set Me Up for Success the Next Day

Jaime

I’m the queen of efficiency.  And I’ve found that being your best self does not have to require a lot of energy or time during your waking hours; and thanks to a few tricks and tips, you can actually get healthier while you sleep. Think of it as the easiest habit stacking ever.

Keep reading for three overnight health hacks that work their magic while you sleep so you’ll wake up healthier than when you went to bed:

Magnesium may not be as “sexy” as probiotics or colostrum, but it plays a major role in multiple functions of the body–in more than 300 reactions actually!  Ok, so speaking of not-so-sexy, let’s talk about what it’s going to do for you.  Help you poop first thing in the AM.  Yep, I said it.

Taking magnesium at night can help ensure you have a regular bowel movement the next morning because magnesium is a smooth muscle relaxant; it helps with the muscular contractions that push stool through the gut. Having a regular bowel movement first thing in the morning can help with gut health symptoms throughout the day and is an important step in the body’s daily detoxification process. By having a bowel movement first thing in the morning, you can get rid of that annoying bloat so you feel better through the day!

It also helps you wake up healthier because it can help you have restorative sleep, which means waking up more refreshed the following day. It works to relax more of our muscles than just the digestive system, helping to relax the whole body and decrease cortisol levels overnight.  I wake up feeling restored and refreshed without the normal grogginess that I used to get when I took melatonin.

To get my magnesium in, I either make a “mocktail” at night that I drink while I’m taking a bath OR I take a magnesium packet from Cymbiotika.

Tape Your Mouth

Let me tell you right now, you are going to look ridiculous.  But taping your mouth is going to change your LIFE.  Taping your mouth closed while you sleep leads to increased energy and reduced anxiety the next day, not to mention better sleep, a more defined jawline, and reduced bad breath. Because mouth taping encourages breathing in and out through the nose, rather than poor breathing (breathing through the mouth into the chest), you get 10 to 20 percent more oxygen intake and better circulation. That translates to not only more energy, but reduced inflammation, and potentially less stress when you wake up. As for how nasal breathing can change facial structure and enhance dental health, it all comes down to poor versus proper tongue posture and working different muscles when you mouth breathe versus nose breathe.  I’m a HUGE fan of The Skinny Confidential Mouth Tape but I’ve also just used regular medical tape in a pinch. 

Try a few different ones to see which one you like best!

Use a red light

We all know that blue light at night—be it your phone, laptop, overhead lights, or TV—can make it harder to fall and stay asleep, so you may know that opting for red lights before bed can help you sleep. Red light therapy before bed can also improve energy the next day, thanks to the circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm works as an internal 24-clock; when the body is exposed to “daylight” (or blue light), the body halts melatonin and increases cortisol, but it’s also a sign to begin melatonin production again in about 12 hours. When the body experiences red and orange wavelengths (like a sunset), the body interprets it as a sign to increase melatonin production and then gradually slows down melatonin production in 12 or so hours. It’s this specific balance of the circadian rhythm that’s critical for both sleep and energy.

When your body is exposed to blue light at night, not only is that increasing cortisol and halting melatonin production (hello poor sleep quality), but the body may not fully halt melatonin production and increase cortisol for optimal energy and alertness the next day, leaving you groggy, tired, or lethargic.

Easily said: Red light therapy at night can help you wake up as soon as your alarm goes off and feel more energy throughout the day. I recently got a red light book light for my birthday (thanks Mom and Dad!) so I can read in bed at night and I love how it helps me wind down at night. Try switching to red light bulbs, meditate in front of red light, or reach for a book instead of mindlessly scrolling on Tik Tok.

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