High-quality sleep doesn’t seem easy to come by these days. And according to the National Sleep Foundation nearly 30% of Americans experience some sort of sleep disruption at night. However, experts suggest that it may even be higher and that most Americans are simply not aware that they aren’t achieving deep restful sleep.
They feel the affects, they just don’t know why they’re tired. In this article, I’m going to share my top 5 tips for better sleep. But before I do that let’s talk a little about why it’s so important to get restful sleep and why we’re talking about it on a ketogenic diet website.
For starters sleep deprivation mimics the aging process. Yep it’s true… When you don’t sleep it makes you look and feel older… And who want’s that? Not me! Plus, not getting enough sleep messes with your insulin sensitivity.
Which can make your blood sugar all screwy. But, when you get good, restful, quality sleep each night several very important things happen.
- Your health improves.
- You shed more pounds and you actually do it much faster and easier…
- Your mood, memory and focus improves…
- Your immune system gets stronger…
- …and your heart and cardiovascular system get healthier.
When you don’t get enough sleep… It can negatively affect your mood and emotional stability. You’ve heard of waking up on the wrong side of the bed? Well it’s true. And trust me… No amount of coffee can make up for a lack of sleep, I’ve tried.
Poor sleep also can impair your ability to think, problem solve and even drive. And guess what? A lack of sleep can even put you at risk of developing cancer! So, what are the best ways to get better, more restful sleep? I thought you’d never ask…
Here are my 5 tips for getting better sleep. 1. The darker the better. 
I can’t stress this enough. If you want to sleep soundly make your room as dark as possible. If you need to become the neighborhood crazy with the tinfoil windows, so be it (just don’t wear a tinfoil hat).
2. Get the TV out of your room . 
The glow from the screen and the stimulation to your brain makes it very hard to sleep. Some experts even recommend not reading in bed either. Instead make your bed a place for sleep and sex. Although feel free to have sex in other places too, just sayin… ?
3. Just like the TV, computers and other electronic devices are a no no in the bedroom. 
If you must work on a computer in the evenings, there are programs you can download that will change the color of your computer screen (they omit blue light) based on the time of day.
4. Avoid doing anything mentally stressful close to bedtime. 
That means, paying bills, reading emails and anything else that stresses you out. And if your significant other likes to talk about important things at night, politely tell them that I said to stop it.
Reserve that kind of stuff for early in the day. If you must…create a to do list. Get it out of your head, on paper and save it for tomorrow. Once you get some sleep, you’ll be better able to deal with it anyway. Late night exercise can also ruin your sleep.
Some people sleep just fine after a workout, but others find that they are up for hours. You’ll have to see how you body responds.
5. Get rid of any LED lights in your bedroom, this includes alarm clocks too. 
Removing the light from your bedroom can make such a big difference in the quality of your sleep. Cell phones, TVs, and computers give off intense blue light that has been shown to inhibit melatonin production by as much as 80%.
6. Monitor Caffeine Intake. 
While there can be some benefits to strategic caffeine use, you don’t want to let it wreck your sleep at night. Ideally you’ll want to limit your caffeine to before noon, ideally earlier. Some people find that they are particularly sensitive to caffeine and they may be better off avoiding it completely.
7. Balance Your Blood Sugar. 
Blood sugar levels and can actually lead to problems with normal hormone production. When there’s an issue with blood sugar regulation can result in an increase of cortisol. A spike in cortisol can create unwanted stimulation before bed. Lucky for you following a keto diet balances your blood sugar better than anything else.
Putting it all together.
The power of the keto diet combined with good sleep cannot be ignored. I know it sounds so simple and that’s only because it is…
Just think of it this way…
You are already prioritizing your eating and now by prioritizing your sleep your results can be even better.
And a quick side note… You’ll find that the longer you follow the ketogenic diet, the better you’ll sleep anyway.
It’s kinda funny how that works. Plus, better sleep means fewer food cravings, better mood and more energy too.
When it comes to sleep, you need to do everything you can to prepare yourself for a restful nights sleep.
And by making these strategies a part of your nightly routine you should see a significant improvement in your ability to sleep soundly throughout the night allowing wake up feeling well rested, energized and refreshed.
I cover this and so many more lifestyle tips and strategies inside of my Two-Week Keto Challenge.
Why Two Weeks?
Because, momentum is hard to stop and by actually doing keto right for as little as two weeks. You’ll see such a difference, you won’t want to stop.
Ever…
I designed the Two-Week Keto Challenge so that it is super simple to follow.
Everything is laid out for you step-by-step and by the end of two weeks you’ll see big changes…guaranteed.
Simply click here to join the Two-Week Keto Challenge and start your keto journey completely risk-free.
