Getting your beauty rest is essential for looking and feeling your best! Research shows that getting a good night’s can help rev your metabolism, balance your hormones, and boost your mood. And a lack of sleep can actually increase production of the stress hormone cortisol and the hunger hormone ghrelin. Plus, when you sleep well, you’ll wake up feeling energized and ready to rock your morning workout and everything else on your to-do list!
We want you aiming for 7.5 to 8 hours of sleep per night. We know this isn’t always easy, so you may need to hit the hay earlier or nix some Netflix time. We promise it will be so worth it when you’re feeling refreshed and amazing the next day!
Today we’re sharing our top three tips for the best night’s rest. Night night!
1. Get your sweat sesh in. Working out first thing in the morning not only boosts your metabolism and helps you feel energized all day, it also ensures you’ll have a better night’s rest. Research shows that people who exercised regularly had a longer and more restful sleep. You can join us in Studio Tone It Up to do your Toning Moves with us every day and take amazing classes with your girlfriends.
2. Eat for your zzz’s. Certain foods help you get your beauty rest! Try snacking on a handful of walnuts. Research shows that walnuts increase the concentration of melatonin in the bloodstream. Melatonin is a hormone that’s made by the brain and helps control your body’s sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin production is higher at night, and the hormone naturally puts you in the mood to snooze!
Seafood such as salmon, tuna, and halibut are also great for getting a good night’s sleep. These fish are high in vitamin B6, which your body needs to make melatonin. And the best sip for sleep is tart cherry juice. It’s a natural source of melatonin and the amino acid tryptophan (yup, the stuff in turkey!), which helps make you sleepy.
3. Unplug & unwind. It’s easy to get sucked into a Netflix show or spend hours scrolling Instagram before bed, but it won’t serve you and your goals. Our body normally knows to go to sleep as it gets dark out, but with the TV or phone screen lit up, it can get confusing for our internal clocks and make it harder to fall asleep.
We like to turn off the TV, put our phone on “Do Not Disturb Mode,” and unplug from all electronics an hour before bed. Instead, create a relaxing nighttime routine you love — light a candle, take a bath, put on a face mask, cozy up with a book, or journal your intentions for the next day. You’ll feel so refreshed in the morning!
Looking for more science-backed info on how to feel your best? Join the Tone It Up Nutrition Plan for access to thousands of healthy recipes and all the info you need to live your healthy, balanced, and confident lifestyle!
