As summer fades and crisp autumn days sneak up on us, cozying up at home on the couch and sleeping more are always so comforting. There is a biological basis for your sleepy yearnings. As the days get shorter, your body naturally produces more melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone that helps control the body’s circadian rhythms, also known as sleep patterns.

This fall, give your body and soul a treat by making sleep a priority. Sleep benefits not only your looks, but also your overall health and mental disposition. When those cold and flu germs are creeping all over, giving your body a good night’s sleep is an outstanding preventative measure.

To help your body invite sleep, here are some things you can do:

  • Exercise, especially earlier in the day to tire your body
  • Try to get to bed around the same time, and wake up around the same time each day
  • Eliminate computers and TV before bedtime, try reading a book instead
  • Alcohol can interrupt sleep
  • Long hot baths with essential oils of lavender and ylang ylang promote relaxation and sleep.
  • Follow a bedtime routine to give your body a gentle alert that it is time to slip into slumber
  • Make a tea of honey and 1/2 oz each of peppermint, rosemary, and sage.

For more tips on sleep, read one of many books on sleep by Richard Shane.

Read more about sleep in Lily’s book, Beauty, Health, and Happiness: A Way of Life.