Emphasize Changes Earlier
Believe it or not, there are still a number of things you can do in the morning that will help you sleep better at night. Again, we want to emphasize changes earlier in the day to make sure everything is easier in the evening. We will be getting to changes you can make later in the day, but we still need to discuss a very important aspect of your morning, which is breakfast.
Proper Breakfast
Starting the day off with a proper breakfast can make or break your day. It should allow for a nice stable rise in blood sugar and contain the proper macronutrients to help your body recover from fasting overnight. There is a recent trend happening which many people are subscribing to, which is intermittent fasting. This type of diet can be very beneficial in some cases, but knowing when to apply this or any type of diet, is the key factor. One thing that does not go well with intermittent fasting is poor sleep. There is a plethora of reasons why but I will explain the simplest. Fasting, causes for a rise in stress hormones. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when you combine it with poor sleep, which also causes a significant rise in stress hormones, you are starting your day in a literal bath of stress hormones and adrenaline. The scary part is you actually may feel pretty good, as all those stress hormones give you a jolt of energy, but this won’t last. You will eventually burn out and deplete your body to the point where getting up will be very difficult, not to mention many other unfortunate symptoms.
What Are You Eating In The Morning ?
What you eat in the morning can have a significant impact on your brain chemistry for the day. Neurotransmitters, which are important brain chemical messengers, can wake you up, wind you down, determine your mood, set your energy levels, and motivation. We can choose different foods to help maximize the effectiveness of your brain chemistry which will make you feel better.
Macronutrient: Protein
The macronutrient that has the biggest impact on proper brain chemistry is protein. There are many food sources we can eat that give us protein, the most optimal being from animal. If you are someone who prefers a smoothie for breakfast, then protein powders can be a good source as well.
Type Of Protein To Have In The Morning
We can go even a step further and specify what types of animal protein to eat. The best to have in the morning are going to be eggs which is no surprise. Red meat is also very effective which you may have not expected. The amino acids in these types of proteins provide the building blocks for dopamine and acetyl choline which are the 2 neurotransmitters that we want to boost in the morning. Dopamine is one many of you probably know about. It gives you drive, satisfaction, it is your reward complex in your brain. People with higher dopamine can stay on track with their goals better or seem more disciplined. Acetyl choline is great for focus and cognition. It will be easier to stay on task and assimilate information when you have higher levels of this neurotransmitter.
Macronutrient: Healthy Fats
The second macronutrient that is very important are healthy fats. They are going to do the best job at allowing for a slow rise in your blood sugar, to give you stable energy levels throughout the morning and day.
These fats take the place of starchy carbohydrates which we will be avoiding at breakfast. In my experience, 90% of my general population clientele respond well to a breakfast including protein and healthy fats in the morning.
Fruits Fruits Fruits
You can top this breakfast off with some fruits like berries or some sautéed vegetables, to give you some fiber and micronutrients.
It’s Okay To Have Coffee
Now, my clients often like to have coffee or tea in the morning. Like I have said in the other video series on hydration, I am not against caffeine, provided you don’t overdo it. Having a cup of coffee or tea in the morning is perfectly fine, and consistent use can actually be beneficial to your energy. Overdoing it and having multiple in the morning and throughout the day, is not a good idea. Your morning hot drink should be out of enjoyment and routine rather than relying on it to get you moving. Hopefully by implementing many of the dietary changes we have talked about so far, and the ones we will work on next, it will reduce your reliance on caffeine in the morning.
This sums up our morning changes. I suggest you pause here and implement as many of these changes as you can before moving on to the next videos, which cover what you can do as the day progresses.
Chris Munro
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In this 10-part sleep series, personal trainer Chris Munro emphasizes the importance of getting enough nightly zzz's and regulating your sleep cycle. Explore how to improve your quality of sleep from the moment you wake up until your head hits the pillow.
Explore why regulating your internal clock, or staying consistent with what time you wake up at in the morning is crucial for your health. It will also discuss why using the alarm on your phone is not good sleep practice.
Chris discusses how and why light exposure in the morning, as opposed to sound, can be a great first step in sleep improvement and help you feel better.
Is it really that important to eat breakfast? What about intermittent fasting diets - are they healthy? Chris discusses why it’s bad practice to skip a morning meal, the detriments it can have on your sleep patterns and healthy foods to eat for breakfast.
Do you tend to feel sluggish in the morning? Chris explains how exercising in the morning will not only improve your energy levels throughout the day, but also help your quality of sleep at night.
Chris discusses how to monitor and limit your caffeine consumption so you can still drink coffee without ruining your sleep patterns. He also reviews an average daily step count goal, and the importance of staying active outside of your workouts.
Alcohol makes me drowsy, but does it help me sleep better? Chris outlines a few guidelines for what you should aim to eat and drink in the evening to ensure optimal sleep quality. He explores the negative impact drinking alcohol too close to bed will have on your nightly rest.
Are you on your cellphone and/or iPad late at night? Chris explores how artificial light, including electronics, should be avoided in the evening, and details tips to decrease your exposure.
Chris looks into the many things you can do right before bed, and during sleep that will help you fall asleep faster and improve the quality of your nightly zzz’s. He will touch on things like bedroom temperature and light, routine, and activities to do.
In this final video in this sleep series, Chris emphasizes the importance of consistency and routine. He also addresses a few common sleep problems, such as nighttime wake ups and how to avoid these.