Your body depends on you to take care of it well, and one of the easiest ways you can meet its needs is by going to bed early. Sleep contributes to your well being in many ways- weight control, healthy metabolism, proper hormone function, mental and emotional stability, memory and learning and guess what else – fertility! During sleep your body repairs the damage that occurred during the day by releasing the hormone melatonin. Based on the circadian rhythm it does this at about 10:30 every night. If you aren’t asleep when “the janitor” comes out to mop up all of the junk, it can’t do its job! Have you ever wondered why you can go to bed at 10, wake up at 6 and feel much more rested than if you go to bed at midnight and wake up at 8? This is why. In fact, every hour you sleep before midnight is equivalent to 2 hours after midnight. Lack of melatonin release puts the body in a stressed state and the reproductive hormones are the first to get out of whack when you’re body is stressed. Why would your body want to procreate in an stressful environment? To put it simply, going to bed before 10:30=hormone balance=better chance of conceiving! This is just as important for men as it is for women. So try it for 2 weeks- go to bed at or before 10:30 every night in a totally dark room. If you have trouble staying asleep or wake up at night to use the restroom, etc., I have lots of tips to help you get the shut eye you need. And take advantage of this time when you can decide when to sleep and when to wake up- when that baby gets here you won’t even remember the last time you slept!