Improve Your Fertility, in Your Sleep…
How many hours of sleep are you getting each night!?
Did you know sleep plays a very important role in hormone balance & fertility!? Getting less than 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night impacts fertility in many ways.
Sleep is a time for our body to rest and repair. When this time is taken away our health and fertility often suffer.
Poor sleep negatively impacts fertility, immune function, hormone balance, mood and appetite. Nobody has time for any of that!
Our circadian rhythm — influenced by light exposure — directs our sleep cycle & regulates our reproductive hormone production.
Light exposure when we should be sleeping can actually interfere with the communication between our brain and our ovaries, messing with ovulation!
Moreover, poor sleep doesn’t only play a role in regular ovulation, it is also associated with early miscarriage, preterm birth, and fertility struggles.
Sleep is just as important for male fertility! Research shows that late bedtimes and 6 or fewer hours of sleep impair sperm health.
The sweet spot for how much sleep we should be getting each night is 7-8 hours.
Research shows that women getting less than 7 hours of sleep are 15% less likely to get pregnant than women who get 7-8 hours. Alternatively, women getting 7-8 hours of sleep are 25% more likely to conceive when compared to women who get 9 hours or more a night.
REMEMBER: We can’t out-supplement poor sleep! You have to put out the work here, I promise you will reap the benefits in SO many ways!
Are you getting 7-9 hours of good quality sleep!?
Supplements — like the Magnesium Glycinate Complex from Klaire Labs — can help us support sleep but we can’t pop a pill to replace good quality sleep.
Try incorporating these tips to improve your sleep:
Darkness
Our sleepy-time hormone — melatonin — is very sensitive to light and necessary for a regular sleep cycle & even plays a crucial role in the regulation of ovulation.
Cover any electronics, use dark-out curtains & turn off night lights!
Screen time
Aim to have 1-2 hours of screen-free time before bed to support melatonin.
At the very least, make sure you are using blue-light-blocking glasses.
Bedtime
A regular bedtime before 11 pm supports our natural detoxification process, which is crucial for regulating our reproductive hormones.
Try to be asleep by 11 pm. Consistently.
Movement
Regular movement can decrease the time it takes you to fall asleep and improve sleep quality.
Fun fact: sex counts as exercise… And having an orgasm before bedtime can improve sleep quality as it reduces blood pressure & cortisol levels!
Natural Light
Natural light in the morning can increase ovulation & support ovarian development. It also supports circadian rhythm, which can help you sleep better at night!
So try to get outside first thing in the morning, for at least 15 minutes.
BONUS TIP:
Have you had your melatonin levels tested? They naturally decrease with age but play a very important role in egg quality and ovulation.
You can support melatonin production even more with tart cherry juice & walnuts!
And if you want to dig deeper the DUTCH test can help us look into many hormones that are impacting your sleep!
Need some inspiration to establish a solid bedtime routine?
Here's how mine has looked over the past few years:
Turn off screens at 8 pm (about 2 hours before I plan to be asleep)
Make my mineral mocktail — find my favorite recipe here!
30-minute walk during longer days (summer), stretch/yoga in other seasons while catching up with my husband
Bedtime snack
Wash my face & brush my teeth (+ sometimes mineral soak bath)
I put on my Temp Drop for cycle tracking before I turn out the light
*Put on a castor oil pack before ovulation, when not pregnant*
Read a book until ready to turn out the light
