We’ve all been there. Headaches and yawns, counting down the clock till we can crawl back into bed. Powering through a workday with a burn out can be tough. Mental Health and Sleep Expert Dr. Ellen Vora shared her three top tips to help us avoid getting to this state in the first place:
- Magnesium! Dr. Vora says "Lack of magnesium makes it harder to relax and sleep. I recommend magnesium supplementation and Epsom salt baths." Epsom salt is actually magnesium sulfate and can be purchased almost anywhere that carries personal care items, including grocery stores, pharmacies and popular online retailers.
- Keep your phone out of the bedroom – "Technology and screen time in the evenings suppress melatonin release and disrupts our circadian rhythm. In other words, we don't become sleepy in the evening when we're actually tired."
- Set a wind-down alarm – Just like we set an alarm to wake up in the morning, set an evening alarm to begin a bedtime ritual. This helps us avoid getting overtired, which happens when we wait too long to go to bed. In this state, we feel wired due to a surge of cortisol, which prevents us from falling asleep. To avoid this, Dr. Vora suggests aiming for an early bedtime (between 9:30-10:30 p.m.), powering down electronics, ending the night with an Epsom salt bath by candlelight and then reading a paper book in bed under dim light.
Dr. Vora says getting a good night's sleep is the ultimate form of self-care."It's free, it feels good, and it does more for your health and sense of wellbeing than any self-care practice out there."