Fix Your Mood, Weight & Health With This One Feel-Good Habit
How to lower early death risk, boost mood and prevent obesity—naturally
What if the secret to better health, sharper focus, and emotional resilience was hiding in something you do every night—but might be doing wrong?
Nowadays, insomnia and sleep disorders are more common than ever.
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate over 35% of adults do not get the minimum recommended 7 hours of sleep each night1.
Lack of sleep can affect your mood2 and is linked to a higher risk of obesity3,4 and mortality from cardiovascular diseases5, which remain the leading cause of death worldwide.
Good sleep is essential for our health and emotional well-being. Both the quantity and quality of sleep are vital for healthy rest.
This simple, often overlooked aspect of your daily routine could be silently sabotaging your energy, your weight, and even your heart.
In this week’s post, you’ll discover:
The scientific link between poor sleep and your mood, weight, and cardiovascular risk.
How to identify the signs of poor quality sleep (even if you’re in bed for 7+ hours).
A simple, doctor-designed Sleep Reset that fits real life (parents, shift workers, busy brains).
Specific morning, midday, and evening strategies to reset your circadian rhythm for good.
The complete list of “Nutrition and Supplement Hacks” for sleep—including the specific foods, herbs, and vitamins proven to help you fall asleep faster.
A printable “Sleep Reset Checklist” to help you build these life-changing habits.
Recommended Hours of Sleep by Age
Getting enough sleep depends on your age. Here’s their daily recommended sleep for each group1:
Newborn (0–3 months): 14–17 hours
Infant (4–12 months): 12–16 hours (including naps)
Toddler (1–2 years): 11–14 hours (including naps)
Preschooler (3–5 years): 10–13 hours (including naps)
School-age (6–12 years): 9–12 hours
Teen (13–17 years): 8–10 hours
Adult (18–60 years): 7 or more hours
Adult (61–64 years): 7–9 hours
Older adult (65+ years): 7–8 hours
Health Benefits of Sleep
Getting enough sleep can help you:
Get sick less often.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Improve heart health and metabolism, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke.
Enhance emotional well-being, lowering stress and improving mood.
Prevent accidents: Reduce the risk of motor vehicle crashes and injuries.
Boost productivity: Improve your attention, memory, and daily performance.
Melatonin
As the light decreases at dusk, our pineal gland produces a hormone called melatonin.
This hormone plays a crucial role in regulating our sleep-wake cycles.
However, its production declines after the age of 35, and factors such as the use of anxiolytic or hypnotic medications, night shifts, or excessive exposure to artificial light during sleep can further reduce its production, disrupting the circadian rhythm and sleep quality.
Understanding Sleep Quality
Quality sleep isn’t just about how many hours you get—it’s about how well you sleep. Signs of poor sleep quality include:
Difficulty falling asleep.
Frequently waking up during the night.
Feeling tired or sleepy even after enough sleep.
If you notice these signs, improving your habits or seeking help from your healthcare provider can make a big difference.
Sleep Disorders: What You Should Know
Sleep disorders are health conditions that prevent restful sleep, no matter how hard you try. Common sleep disorders include:
Insomnia: Trouble falling or staying asleep.
Restless legs syndrome: Uncomfortable sensations causing the urge to move your legs.
Narcolepsy: Sudden sleep attacks during the day.
Sleep apnea: Interrupted breathing during sleep.
If you suspect a sleep disorder, consult your healthcare provider. They may recommend:
Sleep studies to diagnose the issue.
Keeping a sleep diary to track patterns like bedtime, wake-ups, naps, and caffeine or alcohol intake.
The Sleep Reset for Restful Nights
Improving your habits can lead to quality, uninterrupted sleep. This is a simple, doctor-designed Sleep Reset that fits real life (parents, shift workers, busy brains).
Try all these:
1. Go to Bed and Wake Up at the Same Time Every Day, Even on Weekends
According to a comprehensive review by the National Sleep Foundation6, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule can transform your health and performance.
Here’s what the research revealed about people with regular sleep patterns:
Better cardiovascular and metabolic health
Improved mental health
Enhanced academic and cognitive performance
Plus, sticking to consistent sleep times can lead to higher quality sleep and longer durations of rest. On the flip side, irregular sleep schedules have been linked to both health and performance problems.
2. Morning Strategies
Sunlight exposure: Natural light within the first hour of waking resets your circadian rhythm, improves melatonin production, and boosts alertness. Aim for 10–20 minutes outdoors or near a bright window.
This works incredibly well for me—on days when I can’t catch the morning sunlight, I notice I’m in a worse mood and my sleep quality suffers
Morning movement: Gentle exercise, like walking or yoga, helps wake your body and prepare for a productive day.
Hydration boost: Rehydrate first thing with a glass of water, adding lemon for antioxidants and a refreshing kick.
Morning journaling: Writing down goals or gratitude reduces stress and sets a positive tone, which ultimately benefits your sleep cycle.
3. Midday Adjustments
Mindful breaks: Incorporate short breathing exercises or stretches to reduce stress and prevent overstimulation.
Limit long naps: Keep naps under 30 minutes and avoid sleeping after 3 PM to maintain your nighttime rest.
4. Evening Routines
Dim the lights: Reduce exposure to bright lights and screens 1–2 hours before bed. Switch to red or amber lighting to signal relaxation. Intense light can trick your brain into thinking it’s daytime, disrupting melatonin production.
In my home, we make it a point to use low, warm lights in the evening instead of bright overhead lighting. This creates a calming atmosphere that helps prepare our minds and bodies for rest
Wind down slowly: Establish a calming pre-sleep ritual, such as meditating, reading, or taking a warm bath.
Personally, I find that moving slowly during my nightly routine—while brushing my teeth, washing my face, and preparing for bed—helps me break the fast-paced rhythm of the day. This shift makes it much easier to fall asleep
Aromatherapy: Use lavender scent via diffusers, sprays, or bath oils for relaxation.
Evening gratitude practice: Reflect on positive moments from your day to ease anxiety.
Gentle evening movement: Stretch or try yoga poses like child’s pose to release physical tension.
Make your bedroom quiet, cool, and relaxing.
Nutrition and Supplements Hacks
1. Chamomile
Perhaps the best-known infusion for its relaxing properties, contains an antioxidant called apigenin.
This antioxidant binds to brain receptors that promote sleep and reduce insomnia.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses have shown that regular consumption of chamomile can significantly improve sleep quality, particularly by lowering nighttime awakenings and helping maintain continuous sleep7,8.
2. Valerian
A medicinal herb with a rich history dating back to ancient Greece and Rome, is renowned for its calming effects and therapeutic properties.
Hippocrates, the father of Medicine, documented its benefits, and in the 2nd century, the physician Galen prescribed it to treat insomnia. Centuries later, during World War II in England, valerian was used to help people cope with the stress of constant bombings, becoming a natural remedy for alleviating anxiety during challenging times.
3. Caffeine timing
Avoid caffeine 6–8 hours before bed. Opt for herbal teas like chamomile or valerian root instead.
4. Avoid large meals, alcohol, and caffeine in the evening.
This will help you to sleep right through.
While alcohol may induce drowsiness, its effect on the sleep cycle is disruptive, especially in the REM phases, which are essential for physical and mental restoration. Consuming alcohol before bed can lead to frequent awakenings and fragmented sleep.
Caffeine is well-known for stimulating the central nervous system. It can remain in the body for up to eight hours, and it’s found in coffee, tea, energy drinks, and even dark chocolate.
5. Vitamin B6
Found in: chickpeas, beef liver, fish, chicken, turkey, fortified cereals, potatoes, and bananas.
6. Tryptophan
Found in: pumpkin seeds, cheddar cheese, turkey, chicken, fish (salmon, tuna), soy, nuts, oats, eggs, lentils, and bananas.
7. Omega-3
Found in: fatty fish, fish oils, and seafood.
It’s a worrying statistic that more than 90% of Americans do not meet the recommended omega-3 intake120.
If you find it difficult to consume sufficient amounts of fatty fish (two to four times a week), consider supplementation.
8. Magnesium
Found in: pumpkin and chia seeds, nuts (almonds, cashews), leafy green vegetables (spinach), legumes, and whole grains.
However, achieving optimal magnesium levels through diet alone can be challenging.
It is estimated that 6 out of 10 Americans do not get enough magnesium from their diet54. Consider supplementation.
9. Melatonin
Pistachios, tart cherries, goji berries, fatty fish, eggs, almonds, walnuts, rice, tomatoes, bananas, strawberries, pineapple, and oats.
Melatonin production declines with age, consider supplementation.
The Sleep Reset Checklist
Use this checklist to build a powerful routine that resets your circadian rhythm, calms your mind, and primes your body for deep, restorative sleep.
Start by incorporating just a few habits, and build from there.
By combining these habits you can achieve restful, rejuvenating sleep.
I truly hope you found this post helpful.
To your zenith within,
Sara Redondo, MD, MS
Take Your Health Journey to the Next Level
References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. FastStats: sleep in adults [internet]. 2024 May 15. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/data-research/facts-stats/adults-sleep-facts-and-stats.html.
Tomaso CC, Johnson AB, Nelson TD. The effect of sleep deprivation and restriction on mood, emotion, and emotion regulation: three meta-analyses in one. Sleep. 2021 Jun 11;44(6):zsaa289. doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsaa289.
Wu Y, Zhai L, Zhang D. Sleep duration and obesity among adults: a meta-analysis of prospective studies. Sleep Med. 2014 Dec;15(12):1456-62. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2014.07.018.
Capers PL, Fobian AD, Kaiser KA, Borah R, Allison DB. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of the impact of sleep duration on adiposity and components of energy balance. Obes Rev. 2015 Sep;16(9):771-82. doi: 10.1111/obr.12296.
Krittanawong C, Tunhasiriwet A, Wang Z, Zhang H, Farrell AM, Chirapongsathorn S, et al. Association between short and long sleep durations and cardiovascular outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Heart J Acute Cardiovasc Care. 2019 Dec;8(8):762-770. doi: 10.1177/2048872617741733.
Sletten TL, Weaver MD, Foster RG, Gozal D, Klerman EB, Rajaratnam SMW, et al. The importance of sleep regularity: a consensus statement of the National Sleep Foundation sleep timing and variability panel. Sleep Health. 2023 Dec;9(6):801-820. doi: 10.1016/j.sleh.2023.07.016.
Kazemi A, Shojaei-Zarghani S, Eskandarzadeh P, Hashempur MH. Effects of chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) on sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Complement Ther Med. 2024 Sep;84:103071. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2024.103071.
Hieu TH, Dibas M, Surya Dila KA, Sherif NA, Hashmi MU, Mahmoud M, et al. Therapeutic efficacy and safety of chamomile for state anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia, and sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials and quasi-randomized trials. Phytother Res. 2019 Jun;33(6):1604-1615. doi: 10.1002/ptr.6349.
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I listened to a podcast recently with a doctor who stated that many kids who are being diagnosed with ADHD are really sleep deprived. So many young kids these days are being allowed to have phones and video games with them in their rooms and they are on them all night. This is effecting there sleep schedule causing attention issues, and mood swings which can be misdiagnosed.
@Sara Redondo, MD Thank you for sharing this importand information regarding sleep and the difficulties that can ensue without it being in place. Pick any physical, emotional or psychological problem and poor sleep either causes these and or exerbates them. Great read.