Yoga – Diana Weil

7 Ways To Get Better Sleep

Diana Weil — Fri, 07 Jun 2019 15:07:39 +0000

1. Go to bed at the same time every night

You know how a sleep schedule is really important for young children? Well I’ve got news for you… it’s really important for older children too– meaning you. Going to bed and waking up around the same time each day (even on weekends) helps to keep your circadian rhythm on track. Your circadian rhythm is your bodies internal clock and it’s really really important for your metabolism, core body temperature, cortisol levels, and your sleep-wake cycle, among other things. Keeping a schedule helps your body know when you should be awake and when you should be asleep. This means less time staring at the ceiling counting sheep.

Going to sleep around the same time each night may also help cut down on sleep latency– the horrible time you spend in bed tossing and turning, but not actually sleeping.

There are so many benefits of getting good consistent sleep, but one is a boosted metabolism. One study actually found that people with irregular sleep patterns had higher rates of metabolic problems like insulin resistance.

2. Dim your lights

Blue light, which is found in digital devices like your phone, TV, and LED lights, disrupts the production of melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone, which controls your sleep-wake cycle. Our body has an internal clock that is set by the amount of light we are exposed to. In a perfect world we would wake up when the sun rises and go to bed when the sun sets. When our eyes detect light it sends a signal to the brain that it’s time to start waking up. Same thing happens when it gets dark outside, except the brain releases melatonin, which gets the body ready for sleep. But in todays world everything is sort of wonky. So what can we do?

An hour before bed begin to dim your household lights
At least 30 minutes (but preferably an hour) before bed put your phone, tablet, TV, and any other sort of electronic devices away. Sometimes you just can’t though and that’s OK because we’re human. Thankfully, there are some things you can still do to avoid blue light near bedtime. Most smart phones have a Night Shift setting that changes the colors on the screen to warmer orange tones, Learn how. For Android users there is an app called Twilight, which does the same thing. You can also use an app called Flux which works on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

3. Keep your room as dark and cool as possible

Wanna know what doesn’t scream “Mmm that was a great nights sleep”? A hot stuffy room. Wanna know why? Just before we fall asleep our body temperature drops. This drop in temperature is thought to help promote sleep.

Sleeping in a cooler room may help your body reach this point faster, so you can fall asleep quicker. A cooler room also helps improve the production of melatonin.

Keep your room between 60-67 degrees. Above 75 degrees and
below 54 degrees can negatively impact your sleep.

4. Avoid coffee or stimulants in the afternoon

This is a pretty self explanatory one. Caffeine is a stimulant, and stimulants are meant to keep you awake. If you’re having trouble sleeping stay away from any sort of caffeine after 3pm, even if you claim not to feel the effects of caffeine. No harm in cutting back to see what happens.

5. Meditate

Anxiety and stress is one of the main reasons people report not being able to fall asleep, or the reason they wake up in the middle of the night (that and having to pee). Meditation works wonders for stress and anxiety. I personally use the Headspace app daily. They have some great meditations geared towards falling asleep. The 4-7-8 breath also works wonders for combatting stress and anxiety.

6. Reduce long naps during the middle of the day

Naps that are longer than 30-45 minutes can make it harder to fall asleep at night, for pretty obvious reasons. I have never ever been able to take a nap for less than 1.5 hours, so pretty much naps are out for me. Sad world we live in. Save your sleeping hours for the night. If you do need a nap, do your best to keep it under 30 minutes.

7. Reduce alcohol

This one is a toughie because I’m sure many of us have experienced the effects of alcohol actually putting us to sleep. And it does. Alcohol helps us fall asleep and sleep deeper, but it also reduces REM sleep (rapid eye movement).

REM sleep is thought to be the most restorative sleep. It’s also where you dream. The more you drink before bed, the more pronounced these effects become. If you’re having any problems sleeping keep your alcohol consumption to one glass a night or less.

Interested in ways you can eat for better sleep?

4-7-8 Breath

Diana Weil — Sun, 23 Oct 2016 21:27:45 +0000

My life is rarely calm and quiet; there are deadlines to make, places to be, and things to do. At the end of one of these days I often find my thoughts still racing and my body tense. There are many different ways to cope with these sensations, and some ways are more beneficial than others. Here are a few things I use to relax my mind and body to ultimately regain my center

I’m not really allowed to have Weil blood running through my veins unless I write about the 4-7-8 breathing exercise. But don’t get me wrong, I’m not just doing this out of obligation. This breathing practice really is worth its weight in gold. Commit to practicing this twice a day (morning and night) and you will have a tool to combat stress and anxiety in any situation. This calming breath naturally relaxes your nervous system. The more you practice, the stronger this becomes. The 4-7-8 breath is an incredibly powerful anti-anxiety, can lower your heart rate, blood pressure, and even improve digestion.

• While you are learning this sit with your back straight.
• Place your tongue directly behind your teeth.
• Exhale all your air out.
• Inhale quietly through your nose to a count of 4.
• Hold your breath for a count of 7.
• Exhale forcefully through your mouth by pursing your lips (keep your tongue directly behind your teeth, exhale as if you were aggressively blowing out a candle) to a count of 8.
• Repeat this for 4 breath cycles.

You can do this more than twice a day, but never more than 4 breath cycles at a time. After a month of regularly practicing twice a day you can increase to 8 breath cycles at a time.
If you need more instructions click here.
“Practicing regular, mindful breathing can be calming and energizing and can even help with stress-related health problems ranging from panic attacks to digestive disorders.” Andrew Weil, M.D.
If you find some of these techniques helpful or have some of your own leave a comment. I would love to hear from you.

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20 Ways To Treat Yourself Without Chocolate

Diana Weil — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 19:26:58 +0000

Adulting is hard, real hard. And I know that when I’ve had one of those hard days I like to “reward” myself with a big glass of wine or piece (ok bar) of chocolate. Now don’t get me wrong, wine and chocolate certainly have their place when it comes to fixing bad days, but you do have other options.

Drink some tea (Chamomile or Kava are good ones for relaxing) and sit outside if you can, or just in front of a window with natural sun light. Kava contains phytochemicals called kavalactones which act to calm nerves, and fight stress and anxiety. Sunlight releases serotonin which has huge mood boosting benefits.
Light some candles and take a hot bubble bath. Turn your phone off, close the door and just take some time for yourself. Alone time is so necessary and very underutilized.
Hang out with animals. Don’t have a pet yourself? Go hang out with a friend’s dog or cat and get some therapeutic kisses.
Have a dance party in your granny panties. For the optimal granny panty dance party, listen to Beyonce. And sing. Really really loud.
Curl up in your coziest pajamas and watch your favorite guilty pleasure (here’s looking at you Bachelor in Paradise).
Work out. Even if its just doing jumping jacks in your living room. Hello endorphins.
Do some yoga and allow yourself to have a nice long savasana. Meditation has been known to boost the immune system, lower blood pressure, and relieve stress.
Treat yourself to a manicure or pedicure (even if you do it yourself).
Watch the “how animals eat their food” video on YouTube.
Buy yourself your favorite flowers.
Journal.
Create your dream living room on Pinterest.
Buy a new pair of shoes
Be creative. Draw, color, paint.
Lay in legs up the wall pose for at least 5 minutes. Sit parallel to a wall so your hip is touching the wall, legs are long in front of you. Bend the knee that is touching the wall and spin yourself so both legs are vertical on the wall. You want your bum to be touching the wall to reduce pressure on your knees. Arms rest beside you, gaze up. This is a go-to yoga pose recommended for people battling anxiety, depression and insomnia.
Go for a hike. Look at how beautiful the world is around you.
Call a friend.
Put fresh sheets on your bed and take a nap.
Look at the account @doggodoingthings on Instagram. Thank me later.
Be ok with having a bad day. Sometimes what we really need is to just feel it all and have a nice long cry. And that is ok.

What do you do to cheer yourself up when you’re having a bad day?
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Staying Sane and Healthy on the Road

Diana Weil — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 17:08:24 +0000

While eating mac and cheese and s’mores by the campfire comes close to a spiritual experience for me, it isn’t exactly the best for your body (sometimes you just have to do it for your soul though). I spent the majority of the summer camping and on the road, and I knew that if I ate mac and cheese and s’mores for three months straight my body was going to revolt. These tips are exactly what I used, and I came home feeling better than ever (although I was excited to wake up in the middle of the night and pee in an actual bathroom).

Plan

This is absolutely crucial and I can’t stress it enough. I know that part of the fun of a road trip is the spontaneity and not being on a strict schedule. But don’t worry! All I’m asking for is a little bit of meal planning. It’s really hard to make smart decisions when you’re starving and pull into a gas station late at night. Plan your week! Make it easy on yourself and do everything you possibly can in your kitchen before you leave. Having real counter tops and a stove come in pretty handy while cooking. Prep as much as you can so when you get into camp late at night your veggies are already cut up and everything is ready to go.

One of the rare times we actually had a table to cook on

Bring Snacks

Driving can be boring, and I know when I’m bored I eat. Have fruits, nuts, and other easy snacks readily available. Keep all of the yummy indulgent things in the back so they aren’t easy to get to. Just say no to gas station food (except pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds)! I always have pumpkin seeds with me, the slightly salted ones are my favorite. They are packed with protein and are easier to eat than sunflower seeds.

Drink Water

Even if this means you’re going to be peeing every half hour. Repeat after me… It is ok to stop the car so I can pee. In fact, you should have everyone thank you for giving them a chance to stretch their legs. Sitting all day is one of the worst things you can do for your body.

Find a Farmers Market

Keeping veggies fresh in a cooler is a real challenge. Its like the cooler suddenly becomes this magical destroyer of all living things. Vegetables wilt, freeze, or get waterlogged. But just think of this as another opportunity to explore where you are. Find a local farmers market and pick up whatever veggies you need for the next few days. Cant find a famers market? Its probably worth stopping at a grocery store daily or every other day to buy veggies.

Cook Once, Eat Twice

This is something I recommend to all my clients, but it’s especially useful if you’re traveling. Make enough for dinner that you can eat leftovers for lunch the next day. This way you can easily grab a healthy lunch out of the cooler that takes zero time and saves you from stopping at McDonalds for a burger.

Explore

Its about balance remember! You’re in a new place and there are probably some awesome restaurants around. Go explore! You can be healthy and still indulge every now and then.

Let me know what other tips and tricks you have for staying sane and healthy on the road!
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