Healthy Eating, Healthy Sleeping, Healthy Self

I was on a bit of a food binge today.

Normally, I am pretty good about carrying healthy snacks and not feeling the urge to eat all day long. Today, however, it was all I could do not to grab a giant bag of chips with my lunch "for later."

It occurred to me about halfway through the day that this need to eat was in large part due to exhaustion. In truth, last night was one of those nights where I just didn't get enough sleep.

Science (and all of my research) has told me that getting enough sleep (7-9 hours) is essential to controlling the hormones that stimulate hunger.

Too little sleep will make you feel more hungry and can get in the way of weight loss.

Also, it is much more difficult to "just say no" to unhealthy cravings when you are tired.

So what can we do about it? Here are a few tips:

Establish a routine: One of the most recommended tips for getting a good night's sleep is to stick with a regular routine. A consistent schedule will reinforce your body's natural sleep-wake cycle.

Exercise: One more reason to get some exercise; physical activity promotes better sleep. It can help you to fall asleep faster and to sleep more deeply.

Make your bed inviting: Do whatever you can to create a space that is ideal for sleeping. Make sure that you bedroom is dark and quiet. Also, make comfort a priority. Why not indulge in some extra-soft sheets or great pillows?

Limit caffeine late in the day: Everyone responds to caffeine differently, but for most us, caffeine should be avoided late in the day.

Don't indulge late at night: It's best for your system not to have large, heavy, or super-spicy meals too close to bedtime. Make sure that you don't go to bed hungry (as this can also disrupt sleep), but try to have a healthy dinner and then a light snack if you are hungry later and avoid pigging out before going to sleep.

Learn to relax: This can be a hard for some of us, but it is vital. If it is stress that is keeping you from falling asleep, try to find a way to let it go. Use relaxation techniques, try deep breathing, take a hot bath, or read a great book before you drift off to sleep.

Skip the second drink: It may seem like alcohol helps you to fall asleep (and this can be true), but unfortunately it is known to disrupt normal sleep patterns and can leave you feeling extra tired the morning after.

Janie Behr is a qualified life coach specializing in helping people find their purpose, achieve their goals, and explore all the possibilities that life has to offer. She is available for private individual coaching, group coaching and public speaking engagements. She runs frequent teleseminars dedicated to helping people find and live their most positive lives! For more information please visit http://www.janiebehr.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janie_Behr

Do You Have Healthy Sleeping Habits?

How do you know if you have healthy sleep habits? It's actually very simple. You just have to ask yourself a few questions. When you wake up in the morning, do you feel like you got a good night's sleep? Do you get at least 5-8 hours of sleep a night? Do you feel awake all day long? If you answer yes to all of these, then you probably have very healthy sleep habits.

Unfortunately, most people don't have very healthy sleep habits. They don't get enough sleep at night, and then are tired and groggy during the day. If in the middle of the day all you want is a nap and you can't concentrate on your work, it might be time to start thinking about how to get healthier sleeping habits.

There are many different ways to get healthier sleeping habits. One of the first things is to make sure you go to bed early enough. If you know you have to get up at a certain time, make sure you go to bed early enough that you will get the amount of hours of sleep you need at night, plus give yourself some extra time to fall asleep, since nothing is harder than falling asleep when you know you need to be asleep at that time.

Another set of ways that will help you have healthy sleeping habits is to set up your bedroom correctly for sleeping. There are many things you can do in your bedroom that will help you sleep better at night. For example, make sure it is very dark when you go to bed. All of the electronics we have in our bedroom can really leave a lot of brightness in the room even once you turn the lights off! If you can make the room completely dark, you will fall asleep sooner and sleep better at night.

Yet another set of ways to help yourself get into healthier sleeping habits is to make sure you are set up to go to sleep at night. For example, get yourself into a pattern. Go to sleep at the same time each night, and wake up at the same time each morning. This way your body will get used to the times you go to sleep and wake up, and you will find that it is easier to do so.

As you can see, there are many ways to make sure you have healthy sleeping habits. Some of them will take a little time to get used to, but once you get into these healthy sleeping habits, you will find that you will be more rested, and sleep much better each night.

Jessica Mara has found many ways to fall asleep at night without medication. Having problems falling asleep at night, or wish you could fall asleep faster? Get free tips at Secrets to Better Sleep.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jessica_Mara