Sleep is pretty much the most important thing to our health.

I always say, you can eat healthy, you can exercise, you can take your supplements, but if you are not sleeping, good luck having energy, or holding a healthy weight, or being able to detox the body (especially the brain!).

That is why we focus on it SO much, and if you’re struggling with sleep, this is my all-time sleep guide to help you start to get on the right track to sleeping deeper and waking up more refreshed.

1️⃣ Sleep Habits

I know that many of us with stress issues CAN’T sleep well. I always start with evaluating our sleep routine and environment. This is the checklist:

• Make sure your room/house is cooler at night (63-66 degrees is a good place to start)
• Keep the room as dark as possible (no TV’s or lights on)
• Avoid coffee/caffeine after 11 am
• Avoid eating within 2-3 hours of sleeping
• Get sunlight as early as possible in your day
• Exercise regularly - but not late at night if you can help it!
• *Have the same bedtime/wake-time daily. Even on weekends. The ideal is in bed by 9-10 pm (or earlier!) and up between 5-6 am. The more sleep prior to 12pm we get, the more restful we will feel.

2️⃣ Melatonin Producing Foods

There are some great, healthy foods that are higher in melatonin you can enjoy before bedtime:

• Pistachios (and other nuts like cashews and almonds, but pistachios have the most dense levels)
• Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines)
• Tart cherries (see my recipe below!)