Sleep Your Way to Optimal Fertility
Originally Posted April 17, 2014
No Joke, go to bed, and get some sleep.
One of the easiest ways to improve your fertility and chances of conceiving is by getting enough sleep. Your body requires 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night. If you’re dipping into this time you are shortchanging your health and your fertility.
It’s called your beauty rest for a reason, proper quality and quantity of sleep reduces aging. While we immediately start thinking about our skin complexion and our appearance, aging is also happening on the inside. Our internal organs especially our reproductive system is not immune to this natural process and getting your sleep can do wonders to slow the progression and optimize function.
While you are dreaming away, your body is busy at work repairing cells and regulating your hormones including progesterone, estrogen, lutenizing hormone (LH) Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Melatonin, Leptin, Cortisol and Human Growth Hormone. All of these hormones are required to work in perfect harmony to ensure proper regulation of your menstrual cycle, ovarian quality and ovarian reserve.
This Daily practice isn’t rocket science, it’s a requirement that you can build into your life and routine. The truth is, unless you are a nursing mother or have young children there is no excuse, every women has the same opportunity to make sleep a priority. If you have lots on your plate and you are working long late hours then some creative scheduling is in order. Otherwise it’s about prioritizing your needs creating a routine so your body gets what it requires.
Tips to get more and better quality sleep.-Be consistent and create a Bed time routine and stick to it.-Avoid work and checking email at least 1 hour before sleep-Avoid Caffeine in the late afternoon or evening-Have a cup of herbal tea just before bed and journal-Keep your bedroom work- and TV-free-Meditate do some breath work to calm the body and mind
If you find that your mind is racing and it’s preventing you from falling asleep. Try writing in a journal. Start with a brain dump, write out everything that your mind is trying to process, ie: Appointments, Projects, whatever you have to remember to do tomorrow, this week etc. and get them out on paper. Then continue writing see what else come up that needs to be expressed. Afterwards settle back into bed try doing a few breaths and hopefully you will be ready to go to sleep.
If you are having trouble getting proper sleep and these recommendations have yet to help improve it then please seek some professional help from your Doctor, Acupuncturist, Naturopath or other health care practitioner to seek further solutions.
XO Ashley