Happy Fall and happy full moon! Last month I talked about vertigo resources and this month I am talking about sleep. The season is changing and here in Oregon we went from summer to fall VERY quickly. The light is also changing so now we have less than 12 hours of sunlight every day.

These changes as we head into winter will change your energy levels and your sleep. You might find that you are ready for bed earlier than you were in the summer and that it's harder to get out of bed in the morning. Our sleep is most affected by light and temperature, so when it gets dark and cold you body is ready for lights out!

However, your schedule may not align with this seasonal shift, so you might struggle more with good sleep in this transitional time. If only you could go to work a little bit later and leave a little bit earlier... wouldn't that be nice?! Since you probably can't change that, here are some sleep tips that you can control to help you get through this shift into darker days.

• Get outside during the day to get natural light
  • Go outside on your breaks
  • Open the front door in the morning and get some daylight as you have your morning coffee (just a few minutes can make a difference)
  • If you can't get outside, try turning off the inside lights for an hour or more during the day so that you are just getting natural light inside (this may not be possible with your work setting, but do your best)
  • If you can't get outside, use a salt lamp inside to help your energy
• Keep your bedroom dark
  • Cover up any lights on chargers, air filters, the TV or remove them from the bedroom.
  • Use blackout curtains
  • Turn your phone face down so that it doesn't light up the room if you get a message, or use do not disturb mode.
  • Use a sleep mask.
• Give yourself at least 15 minutes of wind down time before bed
  • Read a book
  • Take a shower or bath
  • Meditate / journal / pray
  • Brain dump - reflect on your day or what you need to do tomorrow, and then write it down to get it out of your head

These are just a few suggestions to help you get better sleep during this seasonal transition. Here is my sleep checklist that gives you a longer list of ways to help improve your sleep.

​Sleep Checklist Daly Balance.pdf​

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What works well for you to get better sleep?

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I've been busy behind the scenes this month continuing my osteopathic training for gentle hands-on treatment to help decrease pain, vertigo, and migraine attack symptoms. I've also been brainstorming a sleep accountability program that would include a few modules on sleep basics, the health benefits of good sleep, and a 14-day daily sleep accountability check-in. If you're interested in being part of the first group to test this out in exchange for feedback, reply to this email to let me know. It will be 50% off for the first group to work through the program.

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Also, if there are any other topics you would like to have covered or questions answered, please let me know.

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Thanks and happy fall!