joanneameyacohen.com Is this happening in your bedroom? Dear Joanne, I am finding that my sleep has been really interrupted lately and because of this, I wake up exhausted. I can go to sleep easily but then I wake up from 4 am -- 7 am intermittently or just stare at the ceiling. I am exhausted but not falling back to sleep. And over the last week, I have become irritable on top of exhausted. I am one of those people who require a good night's sleep to function in the world. My business and my family need me functioning fully. Please help! ~ Alison Hey Alison, I completely understand your question. I go through periods in my life where my sleep can get a little wonky. And when this happens, I take a look at my actions and what is happening in my life. Your sleep is a top priority and needs to be addressed. When we are sleep deprived, everything in life becomes more stressful and overwhelming. When there is interruption in normal patterns, it is your body saying that something is not balanced. Here are some tips for all of you. 1. My first question is to gauge the level of stress in your life. Cortisol levels fluctuate to allow us to sleep and wake up. Your cortisol levels should be lower at nighttime so that your body can relax and recharge. If they are too high, you may feel wide awake when its time to go to sleep, even if you felt sluggish throughout the day. Or you might have too sudden of a release of cortisol in the morning which results in early morning waking and an inability to fall back to sleep. If either of these are happening, your adrenals are in need of some TLC. When the adrenals are overtaxed, you will probably experience other symptoms like depression, irritability, PMS, low libido, etc. Recommended herbs would be ashwagandha, rhodiola, reishi, and nettles to name a few. 2. One of my favorite practices is borrowed from ayurveda. Oil your feet at night. We are so busy during the day and even into the evenings that many of us need time to wind down before bed. Watching tv, reading email, etc is not that... we are still being stimulated. Sometimes I have my partner rub my feet with sesame oil or even olive oil mixed with yummy lavender. Helps calm mind, promotes good sleep. Really nice way to nourish yourself. 3. sometimes our sleep is affected because we are doing too much all day. If you are an entrepreneur like myself, I am assiting others and hearing their stories. I take a protection flower essence to protect my energetic field and not take on the pains and stories of others. When I forget to do this every day, I notice a shift in my sleep. Remember that you are an energetic being and some of us are more sensitive than others so make sure you put the necessary practices in place. Of course there are so many other tips like nourishing your nervous system with herbal teas daily, exercising but being mindful if there is adrenal exhaustion, meditating, making sure your pillow and mattress are supportive, removing all electronics from your bedroom... Sleep is crucial and needs to be made a priority. What has helped you? Have you ever been messed up with your sleep? What seems like one action you can put into place to get your sleep working for you? Please leave a comment below or visit joanneameyacohen.com

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