6 Easy Tips for a Better Sleep

I am one of those people that wakes up several times in the middle of the night. I don't get a proper, deep sleep and I'm always tired. Or at least I was. Lately, I've been fortunate to get much better sleep. I still wake up at night, sometimes, but not nearly as frequently as I used to. I've spent a long, long time monitoring what I do and I've narrowed down my better sleep to six things:

1. Exercise: I'm sure there's a chemical reason as to why exercising helps you sleep better. I also know there's a scientific reason as to why it gives you more energy during the day. But I find that days I work out in the evening, it just exhausts my body and gives me a deeper, more intense sleep.

2. Warm Shower/Bath: Cold baths are great in the morning because it jolts you and wakes you up. Likewise, I find a warm shower or bath a couple hours before bed does me wonders. I feel warm and clean, and I do it so frequently that my automatic response is to go to bed!

3. Warm Tea: Nothing makes me feel warmer, cosier or sleepier than a warm mug of tea (decaf, of course). My favourites include vanilla, camomile and apple cider.

4. No Screens: This means my laptop goes away at least a half hour before bed. The backlight on screens like your computer and phone tell your brain it's time to wake up rather than wind down. I'm still working on putting my phone away before bed but my night owl friends have me responding to texts later than I'd like!

5. Reading: The easiest way to follow the "no screen" rule: I try to read a book in bed. Not only does reading help me sleep, it gets me through my reading list faster!

6. Night Mask: This is probably my favourite sleeping tip as the night mask blocks out any and all lights making sure nothing disturbs me at night. You can get expensive ones on sites like WildFox but I got mine from Michael's for less than $5.

Not getting a proper night's sleep is probably one of the most frustrating things (sleep deprivation is actually a form of torture). I really hope these tips help you - let me know if they do! And leave your tips for a better sleep in the comments below or tweet me @SundayWardrobe!

Image Source: weheartit

STWW: Chocolate Chip Oatmeal

For as long as I can remember, my grandpa has been eating oatmeal for breakfast every morning (or as he says, porridge). My parents have recently gotten into it too, realizing the benefits of the grain on the human body. Oatmeal, other than being a warm, delicious breakfast is great because:

1. It's a whole grain and a source of fiber: so it lowers your risk for many diseases such as type 2 diabetes (by stabilizing blood sugar levels) and high blood pressure. It also helps lower the risk hemorrhoids and provides relief for those suffering from IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
2. It's great for weight loss: being fibrous, it keeps you full longer so you don't end up snacking or eating soon after.
3. It lowers your cholesterol: oatmeal helps lower your LDL, or your bad cholesterol, and therefore reduces your risk of cardiovascular diseases and strokes
4. It enhances your immune system: oats contain beta-glucan which enhances your immune system to respond to and eliminate bacterial infections.
*Information from: 1 / 2 / 3

We stay away from the flavoured pouches of oatmeal as they have a lot of sugar and are unhealthy. My mom makes a healthy mix of oatmeal, combining plain oats, ground almonds, raisins, a touch of brown sugar and cinnamon. I dislike cinnamon and so I've come up with a recipe that's less healthier but a lot tastier (but still healthy!).

1/2 c. Quick Oats Almond Milk Chocolate Chips 1 Banana

Put your oats in a bowl and cover with almond milk Stir your oats so all of it is coated with milk Heat up your oats in the microwave in 30 second intervals for 1.5 minutes, stirring in between. If you heat it all at once, it will explode! You can add your chocolate chips while you heat it or all at the end, stirring them in to distribute the chocolate Slice your banana and add on top!

I also make this for my little brother who loves it - adding chocolate to most things make for delicious food. I hope this inspires you to eat this healthy grain, dressing it up with anything from chocolate to fruits and nuts - get creative with your breakfast!

How do you eat your oatmeal? If you don't eat oatmeal, what food do you generally eat for breakfast?

STWW: Fitness - Tips for Sticking To It

I realize my STWW posts are generally about making others' lives and the environment better (while hopefully enhancing your life along the way) so I wanted to do a post just for you. Exercise is not just great for your health but for your mind and mood as well! I'm sure many of you have decided to get fit for the new year and I'm hoping these tips help.

I really, really, really hated working. Really.

But as I get older, I'm realizing that I can't just eat anything I want, not work out and be healthy. I'm in my twenties and fatty foods no longer melt off my body. I couldn't walk up the stairs and talk at the same time without panting (I bring shame to my family). So I finally decided to join a gym and I've been going twice or three times ever since. And guess what: I love it!

Shirt - Adidas, Pants - Costco, Headband - Target, Shoes - Adidas

So who better to give you tips that someone who hated working out?

1. Do something you'll enjoy. I cannot stress this enough: if you hate your workout, you will not stick to it. You have to do something you enjoy and make working out something you look forward to. I hate running. I hate how my ears and jaws get cold, I hate people watching me as a puff along and I'm pigeon-toed so the insides of my feet would get painfully sore. So I don't run - it's that simple. The easiest and most fun way to start working out is by joining a class. The gym I joined has great Zumba, yoga and kickboxing classes and so I do that!

2. Start slow. You don't have to go to the gym every single day - you're allowed to have rest days and cheat days and lazy days. I go twice, maybe three times a week. And it's okay because I used to go no times a week and even my comparably small effort is huge.

3. Don't be so hard on yourself. It's okay if you can't work out as fast as everyone else - go at your pace and gradually build yourself up every workout. I'm probably a lot younger but a lot slower than many of the women there but I try not to compare myself or bring myself down. I push myself just a little harder each week and it really does get easier over time.

4. Do what's convenient. When choosing gyms, I was tempted by a gym that was a twenty minute drive away because it was significantly cheaper than my current gym (a two minute drive). But my mom reminded me that I'm not a huge fan of the gym in general and if I had to make more of an effort to get there, I wouldn't get there at all. And looking back, this was entirely right and the extra $15 a month was worth it.

Hopefully these tips help you start and stick to a healthier lifestyle! Let me know what tips you have for gym-bunny-wannabes! 

Guilt-Free Pancakes

I love all things breakfast but my mom is a "healthy helicopter" (a phrase my little brother coined) and so pancakes are a rare food at my house.

Luckily, I discovered a healthy pancake recipe and all it takes are:

- 2 eggs
- 1 (ripe) banana
- A pinch of baking soda
- A pinch of cinnamon OR a dash of vanilla extract
- Optional: half a handful of blueberries or chocolate chips

All you do is mash the banana (very, very well) in a bowl and beat in the eggs (this step can also be done in a blender). Add the cinnamon/vanilla, blueberries/chocolate chips and baking soda and wait five minutes. This gives the baking soda time to do it's thing and produce fluffy pancakes. Then pour a spoonful of the mixture into a hot skillet (as you would normal pancake mix), cook, flip, remove and repeat!

This recipe makes a small stack that is great for one. I've found this mixture cooks very quickly so you can probably do the stack of pancakes in five or so minutes.

I add the vanilla and chocolate chips because it takes away the subtle egg flavour that my sensitive palette notices. I also add maple syrup because I'm a Canadian with a massive sweet tooth.


Hope you guys enjoy the recipe and tell me what breakfast foods you guys love!