A Starters Guide - by Kayla Fomin
This list is a compilation of sleep enhancement practices I’ve learned throughout my career as a health practitioner and reverent student of the body. If you don’t sleep well or don’t feel well-rested after a full night of sleep, I hope some of these tools can support you!
☀️Morning & Evening Sun Exposure – Humans were designed to rise and set with the sun. Sunlight plays a major role in hormone regulation - specifically melatonin and cortisol which are the supreme managers of our sleep-wake cycle. The sun has specific light spectrums that stimulate these hormones from sunrise-10am (cortisol) and 4pm-sunset (melatonin). Exposing the eyes and skin without sunglasses, sunscreen or moisturizer at these times of day helps restore an optimal circadian rhythm.
💻 Nighttime Artificial Light Exposure – Once the sun goes down our body starts preparing for sleep. Blue light emission from screens, LED and fluorescent lighting can dampen melatonin production and send signals to your brain that it’s still daytime. If you want optimal sleep, it’s a good idea to reduce exposure to blue light from screens and bright lights at least 2 hours before bed. Consider using screen filters or blue light blocking glasses if you need to use your phone or computer after sunset. Use warmer, dim lights like salt lamps, beeswax candles or blue-light blocking light bulbs.
📡 EMF Exposure – Many of our modern day devices such as phones, computers and wifi routers produce harmful electromagnetic fields that can disrupt sleep. Consider removing electronic devices from the bedroom, power them off or keep on airplane mode. Since wifi routers emit stronger EMF’s, turning it off at night may be especially helpful.
🛌 Early Bed time – The body goes into deep physical repair mode starting from 10pm-2am. Going to bed before 10:30pm harnesses this small window of deeper, more healing sleep.
🍽️ Early Dinner – Having an early dinner at least 3 hours before bedtime allows the body to focus on repair and detox processes during sleep instead of digestion. If you need to eat a late dinner, keep it on the lighter side.
❄️ Sleep Environment – The bedroom should be cool (optimal 68-72° F), airy, well-ventilated, and as dark as possible. It’s not just our eyes that sense light - we also have light sensors on our skin. If you live in an area with high light pollution after sunset, consider using blackout curtains in your bedroom.
🦠 Bedroom Cleanliness – Dust mites are a common allergy and can inflame the sinuses and airway, making it harder to breathe through the nose and more likely to breathe through the mouth. The bedroom should be vacuumed once a week (especially with pets). Sheets should be washed every other week. Curtains, blankets and fan blades collect dust and need to be cleaned periodically.
🧘♀️ Gentle Movement & Stretching – 5-10 minutes of gentle movement and stretching before bed helps prepare the body, mind and nervous system for sleep. If you don’t already have a nightly movement ritual, I recommend starting with a short yoga video on youtube until it becomes a natural part of your routine.
☕️ Caffeine – Not just in coffee but also in dark chocolate, green & black teas. To minimize the stimulatory impact on sleep, the time of day matters most. If you have any trouble sleeping, consider reducing or only consuming in the mornings.
🍷 Alcohol – Although it may help people fall asleep initially, alcohol suppresses melatonin production, increases inflammatory levels in the lungs and sinuses, makes breathing difficult and sleep apnea symptoms worse. Ultimately it leads to poor, fragmented sleep. Consider reducing consumption (especially in the evening) or eliminating.
💧 Hydration – As a society we are suffering from chronic dehydration and it is affecting our ability to sleep deeply and repair. Many of our water systems are polluted with toxic waste products and heavy metals that your standard Brita or fridge filter do not adequately remove. When it comes to water, it’s about quality over quantity. For the sake of your health and sleep, I highly recommend researching and acquiring a high quality water filter.
🌀 Magnesium – A foundational mineral that supports depth and continuity of sleep and aids in many other neurological and hormonal functions. Magnesium is absolutely vital in managing stress and cortisol levels. If we don’t have enough of it, stress hormones can remain elevated late into the evening. Magnesium calms the mind and body by supporting the nervous system and easing muscle tension. Most of our food and drinking water is magnesium-deficient and lacks other necessary trace minerals our body needs. If you’re not sleeping well, consider supplementing with magnesium or a trace mineral blend.
👄 Breathing & Tongue Position – A functional breathing pattern and correct tongue position are of the utmost importance and especially during sleep! Upper chest breathing, mouth breathing, snoring, and low tongue posture can lead to disrupted sleep, anxiety, insomnia, airway obstruction, higher levels of inflammation and often exacerbate any pre-existing health condition. The way we breathe and rest our tongue in our mouth has a big impact on our nervous system and ability to heal during sleep. Breathing during sleep should be through the nose, it should be light, slow and deep. Additionally, the tongue should be resting on the roof of the mouth. This is the work we do in the Mind Body Myo Program. Please reach out if you’d like to receive tailored support with these goals. I’d be happy to assist you.
IP of Mind Body Myo LLC. All rights reserved. 12/26/2025