Counting Sheep Doesn’t Work

Transcript

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Hello my beautiful sparkly souls and welcome back. To living the Living Tway. I am your Doctor Sunshine. And today we are talking about something that literally everyone craves, but almost no one feels they are getting enough of sleep. Now, let's be honest, how many of you have laid there staring at the ceiling, calculating how much sleep you will get if you fall asleep right now? Only to still be awake an hour later or maybe you fall asleep, fine, but wake up at 3:00 AM with your brain hosting a TED Talk no one asked for. Yeah, I see you. And let's not even mention the people who proudly say, oh, I only need four hours of sleep, honey. That's not driving, that's survival mode. Your body deserves better. So today, let's pass the myth, sprinkle in some science and give you tools you can actually use to get real deep restorative sleep because counting sheep cute, effective, Nope. Okay, let's do my usual quick nerd sparkle moment here. Sleep isn't just one big block of unconsciousness. It's a cycle. You go through stages, light sleep. You are kind of there, kind of not. Your deep sleep, the body repair shop, and the rum, sleep your brain's movie theater, dreaming, memory, emotionally processing. You need all of them, but here's the kicker. Stress hormones and lifestyle. Well, they can hijack the cycle. Cortisol or stress hormone should be low at night, but if it's high. Hello, 3:00 AM wake ups melatonin. The sleep hormone only kicks in when your body gets the darkness signal. So if you're scrolling TikTok at midnight with blue light blasting your eyeballs, good luck with that. And here's the gut tie, because of course your belly is involved too. Your gut makes neurotransmitters like serotonin, which then becomes melatonin when it's dark. So if your gut is unhappy, your sleep will be too. Bottom line, sleep is not optional. If your daily reset button for your brain mood, hormones and sparkle doesn't function, we have a problem. So here is by counting sheep flops, sleep is not about forcing. The harder you try, the further it runs away. It's like chasing a cat. Good luck with that too. The problem isn't that your body can't sleep, is that your nervous system won't let you. You are stuck in fight or flight mode. Instead of rest and digest mode. So if it's not about the sheep, it's about the signals. You have to send your body the right message, and the message is you are safe, it's dark, it's time to power down, or, all right, here is where it's gets a little juicy. Real tools, not boring at advice. Evening light hygiene. Dim the lights an hour before bed. No dooms crawling. Pretend you are camping, your body craves. Start signal. Temperature drop. Your body sleeps better when it's cooler. Open a window, not in Florida. Lower the thermostat or try a warm shower before bed. Yes, warm makes your body temperature tr afterwards. Magnesium magic. Magnesium glycinate is like a hug for your nervous system. It calms the muscles, it calms the mind. Vagus nerve reset what I said in some podcast episodes before humming. Sighing, gentle breath work before bed. It signals your body. It's safe to rest the gut connection. No late night heavy meals. Keep your belly light at bedtime so it's not throwing an all night rave. And mind dump. Keep a notebook by the bed. Write down the worries. Tell your brain you don't have to hold that all night long. So I remember it in the morning, we will deal with vis visus and the next day, no, just write it all down. Sparkle supplement supports. It's optional, not mandatory, but there's a valerian root You can drink. A coil altheine, no snake oil. Just gentle support. Let's do a quick reset together. Lie down or sit comfortably. Close your eyes, not if you're driving. Inhale through your nose for a count of four and exhale through your mouth for a count of eight. Repeat this three times. Inhale and exhale. One more time. Inhale through your nose. And exhale to a count of 4 0 8. Sorry. Be inhale to four and exhale to eight. One more time. Inhale to account to four, and exhale to a count of eight. Now place one hand on your belly and one on your heart and whisper to yourself. I am safe, I am calm. I allow my body to rest and take a deep inhale. And exhale with a long sigh, ah, feel the weight of your day melt away. You are safe and you're ready to sleep. It takes you two to three minutes just when you are ready in bed. The blanket is cozy around you. I just do this tiny little ritual and you will see and notice a big, big difference if you, after this mini reset, imagine having a whole toolbox of sleep rituals there. Inside of the Lived Academy, you'll find my Sleep Reset Tools guided meditations for depressed and even quick use Vagus ritual. You can press play, and when your brain refuses to shut up at night tune. It's a little magic and a little trick, and if you are more of a reader, you will find sections in gut to be healthy. Let's be real and connect your gut health with sleep because what happens in your belly at lunch can totally decide what happens in your brain at midnight. All right, my. Here's your Sparkler reminder. Sleep is not a luxury. It's your body's repair shop, a therapist office and an anti-aging spa all rolled into one. Yes, that's your sleep, so don't fight with it. Send your body to signal it needs and let it sleep. Come to you. Remember as dear Dr. Sunshine, I'm here to remind you. Don't forget your sunshine within. Don't forget your nervous system. It deserves love too. And don't you dare to forget your sparkle. Way brighter after a good night's sleep. Now close those eyes and glow.