Too much or too little and you're off.

You, my dear, are such a delicate tender creature when it comes to sleep. Nightly rest that falls in the zone of just right is what you're after.

In my 15+ years as a therapist, people have been telling me the stuff that keeps them up at night. I freaking love hearing about this for so many reasons.

One of them is because if your sleep is off, then using your power in the world is much more difficult.

I look at bedtime routines (yes, you need one), when you put down electronics (at least a half-hour before bed), what you put in your body within a few hours of getting horizontal, and how you put the day's thoughts and worries away.

The key here is that just right sleep helps you use your power in ways that feel good.

photo by Becca Schultz

Here are my expert tips for a good night’s rest: 

• Exercise during the day. Hands-down the best tool. Walking, running, biking, swimming … whatever makes your heart beat faster, do it. There’s a ton of science behind this, some of which you can read here, here and here.

• Take a bath about 2 hours before bed. This raises your body temperature as you’re soaking and lowers it quickly as you get out, both of which helps you drift off to a deep slumber. Again, there’s science behind this that has to do with your circadian rhythm that you can easily find. 

• Take Magnesium. Either add 1 cup or so of Epsom salt to your bath or drink it before bed. I love Calm Magnesium Drink — available at online and at your local health food store.