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#166 - Sleep: The Foundation Habit Nobody Wants to Prioritise (But Should)
1 Playsin 8 hours
Sleep is the habit most people know is important — but very few actually do anything about it. In this episode, I'm breaking down why your sleep is the foundation of fat loss, mood, willpower, and long-term health, and giving you a simple action plan you can start tonight. Whether you're a sleep-deprived mum, navigating perimenopause, or just stuck in a cycle of late nights and snooze buttons, this one's for you.
(00:00) Why Sleep Matters
(00:58) Sleep and Fat Loss
(01:54) Sleep Deprivation Reality Check
(04:23) Hunger Hormones Explained
(05:38) Cravings and Brain Fog
(07:33) Movement Sleep Cycle
(09:49) Health Risks and Anxiety
(11:47) How Much Sleep Needed
(13:10) Consistent Wake Time
(16:51) No Screens Before Bed
(19:26) Wind Down Tools
(21:42) Hydration, Caffeine & Alcohol
(25:04) Optimise Your Sleep Environment
(26:48) Your Sleep Action Plan
(28:05) Wrap Up and Coaching
Links & Resources:
- Learn more about KHH coaching here
- Subscribe to my weekly coaching newsletter here
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- Connect with me on YouTube here
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Transcript
Introduction to the Importance of Sleep
00:00:00
Speaker
Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of the Kate Hamilton Health Podcast. So this one should be a little short, snappy one, or so I hope. We're going to talk about all things sleep.
00:00:11
Speaker
and why this is actually the most important habit, not only just for your health, but for fat loss as well. And one that it's kind of like people know, they know how important it is, but they don't really do anything about it. But I think it's because a lot of people really don't understand how much of a difference it really can make to your day-to-day life, to your progress towards your goals and how simple it is to just make a few little tweaks that are going to make a huge difference. So in general, for for health, for fat loss and for living your best life.
00:00:48
Speaker
Sleep is the foundation of everything. Fat loss and body composition, cognitive function and willpower and overall health and longevity.
Impact of Sleep Deprivation on Health and Decision Making
00:00:58
Speaker
OK, so when it comes to fat loss and body composition, sleep deprivation elevates cortisol, which is your stress hormone, promotes fat storage and muscle breakdown.
00:01:08
Speaker
And it makes fat loss and body recomposition in general, you know, if you're looking to lose body fat and build a bit of strength and muscle, it makes it so much harder than it needs to be. When it comes to cognitive function and willpower, even mild sleep restriction, even...
00:01:24
Speaker
six hours per night. It impairs decision making, self-control and emotional regulation significantly. So how are we supposed to make the decisions that we want to make to live our best lives if we're genuinely not functioning properly due to even just the minor lack of sleep?
00:01:42
Speaker
And then in relation to overall health and longevity, short sleep duration is independently linked to an increase in heart disease, type 2 diabetes and immune dysfunction. So it is over time. Now, I don't want anyone to panic, OK, because, you know, if you're going through bad period and you're sleeping right at the minute, you're not, you know, suddenly going to develop heart disease. This, you know, I'm talking about chronic sleep, if even mild sleep.
00:02:08
Speaker
sleep deprivation over a long period of time. So if you are a young mom and you you are struggling with sleep deprivation with because of your baby that doesn't understand how important it is to you, that is not like, don't get stressed about this, okay? Because getting stressed about lack of sleep is going to be counterproductive as well. So it's about optimizing the sleep that you can manage
Practical Advice for Sleep Issues
00:02:30
Speaker
to get. And, you know, and I know there's lots of ladies listening that are dealing with perimenopause and menopause and sleep disruption can be a huge issue. So obviously, as you are experiencing symptoms that are really interrupting your day to day life and affecting your overall health and you know functionality, it is important to go to your doctor about it. But in a practical sense,
00:02:56
Speaker
All of these things that I'm talking about the podcast, you know, that eating a bit more protein, eating more fiber, daily movement, lifting some weights, drinking plenty of water. You know, as we build these habits that I'm going through episode by episode, your sleep will improve as well as long as you put this sleep routine in place. So a lot although a lot might be feeling out of your control at the minute, as you bit by bit start to improve your lifestyle, in all areas, you'll find that your sleep, when you give it a bit of attention, will also start to improve. And there is obviously a healthy lifestyle is not a fix for everything. And, you know, working closely with your doctor in relation to any, you know, serious sleep disruption or in relation to menopause as necessary, you know, that it is...
00:03:46
Speaker
the healthy lifestyle will get you so far so far. And for a lot of people, it will be enough. But for some people, it will be a case that you will need to touch base with your doctor on things. I just wanted to to to note that. And also not to be getting stressed. If currently your sleep is shit, it will improve as you start to take these steps. So don't worry.
00:04:05
Speaker
And as for the babies that haven't got the memo that, you know, you need a good night's sleep. I can tell you from experience, time does go fast. They do sleep eventually. So hang on in there. Those moms of young children, it does get easier and just manage what you can sleep
Sleep, Hormones, and Weight Management
00:04:20
Speaker
related. But anyway, let's get into sleep. So sleep and your hunger hormones. This is a huge thing. OK, so if you are lacking in sleep,
00:04:31
Speaker
Your hunger hormone ghrelin increases. OK, it surges with poor sleep and it makes you feel hungrier throughout the day. So up to 24 percent in some studies, it's shown that it ah it surges by. So if you're not getting enough sleep, you can be 24 percent hungrier than if you had got a good night's sleep. So obviously already you're fighting an uphill battle there when it comes to sticking to calories, sticking to your structure, your meals and the foods that you want to eat to be healthy.
00:05:01
Speaker
it Also with the lack of sleep, then your your hormone that signals that you're full, which is called leptin, decreases when you're sleep deprived, meaning your brain actually struggles to register that you've eaten enough. So you end up eating more and feeling less satisfied. so it's a double blow to fat loss. Late late night snacking becomes almost inevitable when you're running on little sleep. So, yeah, like we really do need to take it back to basics to these sleep habits in order to maximize as much as we can here before we even kind of dive into emotional eating and, you know, managing cravings and all of those things. Sleep is step one.
00:05:39
Speaker
Your brain then on poor sleep. I don't know if any of you have experienced it, but I i had a ah week or two there where my sleep was really poor. And I genuinely couldn't make my brain remember things like I could be mid sentence and I was getting that brain fog where I'm like, I can't find the word to say or I can't remember what I'm saying or even thinking of people's names. And that can happen.
00:06:03
Speaker
very, very quickly on poor sleep is that brain fog. And I know any of you menopause ladies will be experiencing that too. And, you know, initially I was like, oh my God, it's perimenopause. It's here. I can't think straight. But anyway, in relation to your brain and poor sleep, it go is going to cause weakened self-control, heightened food reward and late night eating. Okay. So when we if we zone in on weakened self-control, So the prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the brain that's responsible for decision making and impulse control, is disproportionately impaired by sleep deprivation. So you're actually just scientifically making it harder to resist cravings because you're just not going to make good decisions and you're not going to be able to control impulses when you are on sleep deprivation.
Exercise and Sleep: A Virtuous Cycle
00:06:50
Speaker
Heightened food reward then. So sleep restriction amplifies the brain's reward response to high calorie foods. Studies show that junk food becomes significantly more appealing after a bad night's sleep.
00:07:03
Speaker
Late night eating then, especially midweek when you should be getting to bed earlier, going to bed earlier is one of the simplest strategies to avoid late night snacking. You can't eat if you're not asleep. And I know that's nearly sounds like making a joke of it, but it's not. It's true, especially like it don't mean go to go to bed at eight zero o'clock on a Saturday night when you should be able to relax and spend time with your partner or whatever and avoid social occasions. But midweek, when you should be getting to bed a bit earlier and anyway, if you're asleep, you're going be less.
00:07:31
Speaker
So, you know, it is a win win. So then if we talk about sleep and movement, OK, and this virtuous cycle that we can create, exercise doesn't just burn calories.
00:07:43
Speaker
It directly improves your sleep quality. It reduces your time to fall asleep and it increases your slow wave, deep sleep. So if you get better sleep, okay you're obviously going to have more energy. Your mood is going to be better and you're going clearer head.
00:08:00
Speaker
which is then going to make you more likely to want to exercise. You want to move your body because you have the energy to do so. And you're you're in a good mood. It makes you want to do it. It gives you that motivation.
00:08:11
Speaker
Okay. Although, you know, I don't like motivation. And then you do more activity and the activity you do is actually more effective. if You are able to lift heavier in the gym. You're probably walking with a bit of a spring in your step. You get the more activity then makes you more tired, which then helps you sleep better the following night. So, you know, you're you're getting a good night's sleep.
00:08:33
Speaker
It's putting you in a better mood. You've got more energy. You're exercising more and because you're exercising more. You're more tired. And that cycle continues. And it's a really fantastic cycle to get into. And this is where I'll always urge you, if you are tired and feeling sluggish and you don't feel like going for your walk, do it anyway.
00:08:51
Speaker
Use the five minute action and just get out even for five minutes and move your body, because I guarantee you, particularly after dinner, I guarantee you it that little evening walk is going to help you sleep.
00:09:04
Speaker
So exercise doesn't just burn calories, it directly improves sleep quality. It actually reduces your time to fall asleep and it increases your slow-wave deep sleep.
00:09:16
Speaker
So even just like a daily walk, just be someone who walks every day. yeah It doesn't have to be, oh, i have to walk five kilometers, I have to do 10,000 steps, I have to get out for an hour.
00:09:27
Speaker
five, 10 minutes, if that's all you can manage, it doesn't matter. Just be someone who walks every day, make it your identity, make a part of your routine. It doesn't have to be hugely time consuming, but it's going to do so much more than, you know, get you fitter and healthier. It's going to also massively improve your sleep routine, which then massively improves your overall health.
Risks of Sleep Deprivation
00:09:50
Speaker
Okay. Sleep, stress, and your health. Studies show that people who are getting less than six hours sleep per night are four are at 40% higher risk of heart disease than someone who's getting a full night's sleep, 48%.
00:10:08
Speaker
That's that's insane. So and quite a lot of people get between five and six hours sleep and it's not enough. And you might think, oh, well, I'm fine functioning on that amount of sleep. And we'll talk more about that as we go on. But you're not. You're just used to feeling like that. The study also showed that people who were not getting enough sleep were at a 36 percent higher risk of colorectal cancer.
00:10:32
Speaker
Here's another one for you. People who get less than seven hours sleep per night are three times more likely to catch a cold. Three times more likely to catch a cold from less than seven. And most adults are getting less than seven.
00:10:46
Speaker
So think how much getting over seven hours per night is actually going to improve your immune system. And studies have shown that with adequate sleep, there is a 40% reduction in anxiety symptoms. Now I can attest to this firsthand as someone who, you know, when I get stressed and when I am sleep deprived, my old anxiety symptoms come back a little bit. You know, am I get few a little heart palpitations where chest feels a little tight or, you know, I kind of forget to breathe properly. And I'll get those little symptoms when I'm sleep deprived.
00:11:21
Speaker
And it's a real warning sign to my body to be like, Kate, slow down. When I am well rested and I'm not stressed, those symptoms go away. And I think no matter what we're going through in life and life can be very difficult. But if we are managing our sleep, it's going to make us more equipped to deal with whatever it is that we have to deal with. So it really is worth prioritizing what is in our control.
Improving Sleep Routines
00:11:47
Speaker
So how much sleep do you actually need? We are told all the time by the National Sleep Foundation exactly how much sleep we need to get, which is seven to nine hours per night. A great way to know exactly how much sleep you need is, you know, having a really calm night where you go to bed when you feel tired and you wake up when you wake up naturally and do that regularly.
00:12:09
Speaker
on a like, you know, over a space of time where you can actually see how many hours naturally is that for you. So like the weekend can be a really good time to that. Notice does it over at the space of a few weekends. Now, obviously, we need to make sure there's alcohol involved and, you know, that it's just a normal kind of chilled night. There's no particular stress. So that can take a few at a few weeks or a few months to figure out exactly what that number is for you. But definitely, i find for most adults, it's usually closer to seven than it is to nine, but it depends on the person and you'll know yourself.
00:12:39
Speaker
If you're getting under seven hours, you're going to start aiming for seven hours per night. And what studies have shown is that only one to three percent of the population genuinely functions on less than six hours sleep.
00:12:53
Speaker
The rest of us are simply sleep deprived and have adapted to feeling that way. And we just think that that's normal. And you don't know how amazing you could feel when you develop a good sleep routine and you're getting over seven hours per night. So enough about the science and the the statistics and the lectures. Let's talk about practicalities here. So how can we actually have healthier sleep? OK, so that the first tip here is setting a consistent uptime.
00:13:19
Speaker
So the time that you get up at every morning is far more important than your bedtime, believe it or not. So if you know that you have to get up at 7 a.m. m so that you're not rushed to get out the door and go to work. Or maybe it's 6.30 a.m. or whatever. You know what time you need to get up at. You know you push it and you press the snooze button and you drag yourself up and you rush around and you're shouting at everyone to hurry up. you know, and then you get into work, you sit at your desk, you're flustered, you're stressed before you've even started at your day's work. You know, we can all relate to it. We've all been through periods of that. That consisted of time. Like how much time do you realistically need?
00:13:58
Speaker
in the morning. OK, so if that is 7 a.m., let's say set your alarm for 7 a.m., no snooze button. OK, no snooze button. And as soon as the alarm goes off, you are up and out. OK, because once you set that's how you set your circadian rhythm, which is your your your body's your body clock, basically is by the uptime and it takes a while to train. But the consistency with the uptime is really important. So even if you've had a really bad night's sleep, get up at your usual uptime and you might be a little bit more tired. You might need that extra coffee that day, but you'd be tired going to bed that night.
00:14:39
Speaker
And you'll get a better night's sleep the following night. You're training your body to get up at that time. Obviously, then the bedtime needs to be calculated from the uptime. So if you're aiming for seven hours sleep per night, you need to count back eight hours from your uptime. So if you want to get up at seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, twelve, eleven. So I did. Yeah. Eleven.
00:15:00
Speaker
Eleven p.m. is when you need to be. in bed. that like Bedtime is 11 p.m. if you want your aiming for seven hours sleep because, you know, give or take any tossing or turning.
00:15:11
Speaker
But if you're getting up consistently at 7 a.m. and you've got a bad night's sleep, the following night you'll be tired and ready to go to sleep at 11 p.m. anyway and you'll get into a routine with it. If you need to get up at 6 10 p.m. is your bedtime. So being incon consistent with it and with your bedtime and your uptime, try and be as consistent through the weekend as well as you can. Give or take an hour or two. You know, it's also important to be able to chill and enjoy your weekend a little bit more. Within a reason, the more consistent you are with your bedtime and your uptime, the sooner your body will settle into it and you will feel better for it and you will thrive and you will get better at falling asleep and staying asleep but that consistency is really important so like midweek I'm like I'm such an early bird now like that well I usually get up about six so I actually go to bed about half nine and read for a little bit and I'd be asleep by half ten so at the weekend
00:16:05
Speaker
I would wake up about half seven, so about an hour and a half later. So instead of going to bed at half nine, I would go to bed at 11 at the weekend. Now, not that rigid with it, but, you know, it happens kind of naturally because I'm tired at that time. But I've had that extra couple of hours in the evening where I've watched something with Dave on the TV and,
00:16:21
Speaker
But I'm ready then for bed. And then I still wake up early at the weekend. I'm not lazing around until 10. I'm up early and I feel energized and I feel rested. And that's taken a while to to get myself there. But it is. So you're kind of treating yourself a bit like your toddler.
00:16:36
Speaker
The only thing that's really disrupting my sleep at the minute is my fucking teenagers. I go to bed early, Dave is in charge of making sure they all go to bed and everything, but I'm like asleep. And then my 16 year old is wandering around the fucking house, making so much noise, getting himself ready to go to bed that it wakes me. In relation to bedtime, though, OK, this is the no brainer one. And I know we've heard it before, but it's just so important is no screens in the bedroom.
00:17:00
Speaker
OK. like particularly phones, computers, tablets, anything that has access to the Internet. When you think about it, OK, if you like take social media, for example, You by going on your phone and scrolling through social media in your bedroom, your bedroom is supposed to be your safe space, your place to rest and recover from life.
00:17:19
Speaker
And if you are opening social media and you are letting all of that information, all of those people into your sacred space, and we need time to really be able to detach, rest and recharge. And you can't do that if you're taking in other people's opinions, other people's information.
00:17:37
Speaker
good stories, bad stories, it doesn't matter. But all of that information, our nervous system is not able to take that. And we're not supposed to be doing that before bed. So by all means, the evening time, if you enjoy a little scroll, it downstairs in your sitting room and, you know, watch your Netflix or whatever it is that you're watching. And then when you go to bed, like bed is not for screens. So if you need your phone, like ideally leave your phone downstairs.
00:18:02
Speaker
If you need your phone for your morning alarm, set your alarm and put your phone over the other side of the bedroom. This is a double hack, actually, because if you put your phone over the other side of the bedroom, when the alarm goes off, you can't hit snooze because you have to get up out of bed to go and turn off your alarm. When you're up, you're up. Don't get back into your bed. You're up, up out and at him. Get going, OK? And just remember the morning time is the most important. Your up time is the most important thing for setting this routine.
Effects of Screens and Blue Light on Sleep
00:18:26
Speaker
As well, then obviously screens in bed, the blue light suppresses melatonin production by up to 50%. And so it really does delay you being able to fall asleep.
00:18:36
Speaker
And it's it's kind of tricking your brain into thinking it's daytime. So apart from the information overload and the stress that you don't even realize you're putting into your nervous system, it's the actual just blue light and your melatonin is being affected. So I know it's hard and there's nothing wrong with you for finding that hard. Like there's a re like social media.
00:18:55
Speaker
And your phones in general are set up to be addictive. They're set up to, you know, hit our our dopamine needs. And if it's beside you in the bed in the bed or on the bedside locker, you are going to reach for it. Just put it somewhere else. And it's the most important rule for good quality sleep. So it doesn't matter how bad your menopause symptoms are, how little your baby sleeps.
00:19:21
Speaker
Get the phone out of the bedroom. It's going to make the biggest difference to your sleep quality. So when you're in bed without your screens, then you're going to be able to read. So 10 minutes before bed or night before sleep, when you're in bed, reading a physical book is one of the most effective ways to wind down. So studies show that it can reduce stress levels by up to 68% and help you fall asleep.
00:19:45
Speaker
way faster than if you're watching anything. It doesn't matter what type of book you read, whether you enjoy nonfiction, fiction, personal development, whatever. But losing yourself in a world of a book and out of your own thoughts and worries is a great way to switch off the stress response and just calm down and get ready for sleep. So it doesn't matter. It could even just be a few pages each night. But if you find a book, I just finished a really amazing book. And I haven't been reading fiction lately. I've actually been more on the nonfiction vibe.
00:20:15
Speaker
for a personal development vibe for the past how many years now at this stage nearly 10 years i read a book called the seven husbands of evelyn hugo anyone hasn't read it it's an amazing book i loved it i was so excited to go to bed each night to be able to read the next bit of it i'm finished it now and i've started a new book but i just can't get into it at the minute because i miss the book i was reading it's brought this new joy to my life that i forgot so don't throw aside the idea of reading It really makes a huge difference to help you fall asleep. And it's a really nice de-stressor. If you really do, despite reading, struggle with falling asleep or staying asleep, guided meditations or sleep stories can be the way to go. So apps like Headspace or Calm, they offer sleep meditations, sleep stories, and they're really, really effective to help you sleep. They can be just good, you know white noise, music.
00:21:08
Speaker
YouTube also does have free options because you do need to pay for Headspace or you know some of those apps. It's money well spent, in my opinion. I don't think Headspace is expensive, maybe 10 or 15 euro a month. But if you're using it every night, that's improving your sleep. It's worth it. The thing about YouTube is, you know if you're using it to fall asleep and obviously you're leaving your phone over the other side of the room, if you put on a sleep story on YouTube, it's good just going to go into the next video and the next video and the next video. Whereas with something like Headspace, when that sleep story is finished,
00:21:36
Speaker
Your phone will just, you know, go into standby and you can stay asleep. So it's worth doing.
Hydration, Caffeine, and Alcohol's Impact on Sleep
00:21:42
Speaker
One thing that can also really disrupt your sleep is your water intake. So make sure you're hydrating during the day and not at night. We talk about hydration and how it's important to have two to three liters of water a day, but get it in before dinner time if you can. Because if you're trying to drink a pint of water just before you go to bed, you know it's going to wait you an hour or or two into your sleep needing to eat. So just get it in earlier or in the day.
00:22:05
Speaker
Particularly if you know you're 40 and over, I'd be 40 now, probably by the time this episode is out, I'll be 40. So I've noticed in even just in the past year or two, the difference in my bladder's ability to hold on. So, you know, the toilet trips are a real strain on sleep and having to wake up to go to the toilet. So you want to minimize that as much as possible.
00:22:25
Speaker
And then the two culprits as well that you're consuming that is going to be sabotaging your sleep, caffeine and alcohol. Not to be a party pooper, okay? And let me just say, I love coffee. I don't drink alcohol anymore.
00:22:39
Speaker
But that's more just for... mental health reasons and just general health reasons than sleep reasons but that probably ties into it as well just general just feeling way better without alcohol but coffee i love coffee and i love going to a coffee shop and getting a coffee and i love my nespresso machine it's the best things i ever bought i have three coffees every day i don't have more than three because it doesn't sit well i mean so have three coffees a day every day and i love it But caffeine has a half life, half life of five to seven hours. So coffee at 3 p.m. means that half that caffeine is still active at 9 p.m.
00:23:17
Speaker
which is going to be delaying your deep sleep. Okay, so really what you want to be doing here, and some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others, but cut off, aim for no caffeine after 2 p.m. if you can. Even if you fall asleep, fine. Caffeine reduces sleep quality and deep sleep massively. So just...
00:23:35
Speaker
try and keep it to, you know, 2, 3 p.m. You know, it depends what time you're trying to go to bed at, but you don't want to be having a coffee too late and you're still it's still in your system when you're going to sleep. So 2, 3 p.m. is a good cutoff time, I think, for caffeine in general. Alcohol is not your friend in life in general for so many reasons.
00:23:54
Speaker
But when it comes to sleep, your alcohol is not your friend at bedtime. It might help you fall asleep faster or just, you know, knock you out. But it fragments sleep in the second half of the night.
00:24:06
Speaker
And it virtually eliminates REM sleep, which is your your dream sleep. And that's really, really critical for emotional processing, memory and recovery. And all you need to do after a night's drinking is just look at your resting heart rate. And it could be like, or by like when I used to drink after a night's drinking, my instead of my heart rate, my resting heart rate being about 60 beats per minute, would be about 70 beats per minute, go up by 10 beats per minute. the whole way through the night. So that just shows you exactly how hard your body's working. Your body's spending the whole time metabolizing the alcohol rather than restoring and preparing for the next day, which is what it should be doing during sleep.
00:24:49
Speaker
So obviously, like if you don't go out drinking very often and you're meeting your friends and you do it a few times a year and, you know, once in a blue moon, relax, go enjoy, your only live once. But, you know, if out if you drink alcohol regularly, it is having a massive impact packed on your sleep. No doubt.
00:25:04
Speaker
And last thing then really is about optimizing your
Creating an Optimal Sleep Environment
00:25:07
Speaker
sleep environment. Okay, so keeping your room cool. I know it's lovely to be cozy and have everything nice and warm, but your core body temperature needs to drop by one degree Celsius to initiate sleep. So a cool bedroom, so we're talking 16 to 19 degrees Celsius or 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit. It supports this natural process and improves your sleep quality.
00:25:29
Speaker
Total darkness as well. Get those blackout blinds. Even small amounts light can suppress melatonin, which is your sleep hormone. Blackout blinds. Sleep mask if you don't have blackout blinds. And cover any LED lights or devices in the room because you don't want LED light affecting your sleep at all.
00:25:46
Speaker
reduce noise. If noise is an issue, white noise or low level pink noise can mask disruptive sounds. So, you know, if you can get, you can get these white noise machines, which can really help. Earplugs are also an option. So yeah, it's a bit of a challenge, that the noise thing, but, you know, just, you know, looking at at what you can do to reduce the noise that that is affecting your sleep. And then just reiterating what i'm saying about the screens, bed equals sleep only. Okay. So you need to train your brain to associate your bed exclusively with sleep. Okay. Avoid working, scrolling and watching TV in bed. Okay.
00:26:22
Speaker
Do that in your sitting room. Don't do that in your bed. This is scientifically proven and it is a core principle of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. So you're training your brain.
00:26:33
Speaker
Bed is for sleep. bed is for sleep. And you know that the couch is for scrolling. The couch is for watching TV, your desk or your table or whatever is for work. And just not blurring those lines is is a really, really healthy way to look at it.
00:26:48
Speaker
So set your consistent wake up time starting tomorrow.
Implementing and Maintaining Sleep Routine Changes
00:26:51
Speaker
Don't delay on this. What time do you need to get up at? Make that your up time. Make sure your phone is outside the bedroom or across the bedroom tonight. So all this stuff can be done immediately. So, you know, do this after you've listened to this. Set your uptime for tomorrow.
00:27:06
Speaker
Tonight when you're going to bed, that phone goes other side of the room or else downstairs or into another room to charge if you need overnight or whatever you do. Choose a bedtime and commit to it this week as well. Choose your uptime first and count backwards. So count backwards eight hours and that's your bedtime and stick to it this week. See how you get on. See if you notice there's a difference.
00:27:25
Speaker
And then think about your relationship to caffeine. Think about your relationship to alcohol. You don't need to change everything. And you don't definitely don't need to give up anything you that you don't want to give up.
00:27:35
Speaker
But think about one caffeine or alcohol related habit that you can start to improve. And what is your next step on that? And be realistic. You what mean? Don't be like, I'm giving up all caffeine. I'm giving up all alcohol. Be realistic.
00:27:50
Speaker
What little changes? No coffee after 2 reducing alcohol to one night a week and no more two glasses. What does that need to look like for you? You figure it out.
00:28:04
Speaker
That is all.
Transition to Evergreen Coaching Model
00:28:05
Speaker
Thank you so much for listening as always. And if you enjoyed the episode, please do leave a review, leave a comment, share it with your friends. Sleep is another thing that we cover in Nourish Her Coaching. I know you're sick of hearing me talking about but all these little bits that we're building on week after week is exactly what we're working with clients on through Nourish Her Coaching with that accountability, that structure, that support, that community. So if you're interested, check the show notes. There's a link to Nourish Her Coaching in them. And we are no longer doing intakes. That's the big announcement. We are now going towards our evergreen model, which means that you can sign up to coaching whenever you like. As long as we have space, obviously, as long as there's space within our coaching service, you can start straight away, which means if you're like, now is the time I'm ready, then you can...
00:28:59
Speaker
Contact us, ask any questions, get started tomorrow and start moving in small baby steps towards your goals in a way that's manageable and enjoyable for you and personalized to you. This is one-to-one coaching with all the joys and fun of a group coaching model as well. So you've got the community, you've got the personal partners, personable stuff and yeah it's fantastic if I do you say so myself thank you so much for listening and I will see you all on the next episode