“Without enough sleep, we all become tall two-year olds.” – JoJo Jensen, Dirt Farmer Wisdom
Being able to sleep well is such a gift. To fall asleep effortlessly the moment you hit your pillow, sleep soundly through the night and to wake up feeling fresh and well rested is a feat not many of us are able to achieve these days.
Rather than waking up feeling fresh and well rested, for most people the alarm is literally a dreaded wake-up call which forces them out of bed, feeling groggy and already longing for evening so that they can find their way back into their warm, cozy bed.
Although the fog lifts eventually along with the desire to get back into bed, there are several reasons why it is important to make sure you address your lack of sleep.
Sleep is the time where your body goes through growth and repair processes. These processes are essential for optimal neurological performance, memory performance, athletic performance, immune system functioning, musculoskeletal growth and repair, thyroid function, insulin resistance, cellular regeneration, stress resilience and more.
Continuous sleep deprivation or lack of good quality deep sleep is harmful to the mind and the body by affecting all these functions in a negative way paving the way for many serious health issues to arise. Heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, even cancer have been linked to long-term sleep deprivation.
It is estimated that 2/3rds of adults have some kind of problem with sleep. Some of it is self-induced by choosing to do something else like working or partying late but often the lack of sleep is a result of other underlying health issues.
If you are one of those people who has trouble falling asleep, wakes up often during the night, and/ or has an inability to go back to sleep after waking up it makes sense to investigate what is going on. The answer (as always) may not be so simple and could lie in underlying malfunctions, nutritional deficiencies, stress, a blood sugar imbalance, your overall level of health, the use of caffeine, alcohol among other things. Analyzing these factors and adopting a holistic health building protocol should get you well on your way to resolve your sleep issues.
In this article I will share some more information and tips on how you can build better habits that lead to a restful and restorative night sleep.
Your circadian rhythm
Your circadian rhythm is like your internal clock, which regulates your body’s chemical and hormonal production and metabolism over a 24-hour cycle. It makes sure your body works when it is supposed to and rests when it needs to.
The circadian rhythm is affected by certain external cues also known as Zeitgebers (a German word for “time givers” or “synchronizers”). Some examples of Zeitgebers are temperature, meal timings, exercise, social interactions, nutrition, medicines, drugs and the light/dark cycle of the earth.
Here is a list of things you can do to maintain your ideal wake and sleep rhythm and keep all of these external cues well regulated and synchronized.
Waking Up
1. Use a dawn simulator alarm clock, which has lights that gradually brighten to avoid a jarring wake-up call.
2. Don’t hit the snooze button. Sleeping for those extra few minutes does nothing but provide you with fragmented sleep, which can affect your productivity later on in the day.
3. Think some happy thoughts before you step out of bed. Be grateful for another wonderful day and all the goodness it will bring.
4. Expose yourself to some bright light. If it is still dark out, use bright artificial light.
5. Get physical. Walk the dog, do some yoga, dance a little. Getting some movement in during the early part of the day is said to improve sleep later on at night.
Daytime Routine
1. Head outdoors at some stage during your day to get exposed to natural bright sunlight.
2. Exercise regularly. It has been shown that regular exercise over a longer period of time results in better quality sleep.
3. If you must nap, do so in the early part of the afternoon rather than closer to evening.
4. Keep regular mealtimes with an early dinner.
5. Dim the lights when it gets dark outside. This is your body’s cue to start winding down. Exposure to bright lights after this will upset your internal clock by tricking it into thinking it is daytime.
6. Wind down after dinner and avoid activities that are highly stimulating or work related.
7. Avoid screens (computers, tablets, smartphones, TVs) at least 1 hour before bedtime. These screens emit blue light that disrupt your melatonin production. Melatonin is the sleep hormone that rises at night getting you ready for bed. Grab a (relaxing) book instead!
Bedtime Routine
“An hour before midnight is worth 2 after.” – Sleep Proverb
1. Keep regular sleep timings. Turn in at about the same time every night (preferably around 10:00 – 10:30) and get up at about the same time every morning.
2. Individual sleep requirements are very personal but most people require a minimum of 7 to 8 hours a night. Remember that most of our deep sleep occurs early on in the night so going to sleep well before midnight is best.
3. Keep your bedroom cool and as quiet and dark as possible. Blackout curtains are best.
4. Reduce your exposure to Electro Magnetic Frequencies by turning off your phone, computer, devices and TV plug.
5. Practice some breathing exercises before you go to sleep to activate your relaxation response:
- Breathe deeply through the nose for 5 minutes, inhaling to the count of 3 and exhaling to the count of 6
- Practice left nostril breathing for a few minutes by placing the index and middle finger of your right hand on the space in between your eyebrows and closing the right nostril with your thumb.
6. Look into using BrainWave: an iPhone app, which has a deep sleep feature that supposedly helps to put your brain into the different states associated with sleep. Check it out here.
Your Diet
1. Eat a real, wholesome food diet appropriate for your individual requirements to make sure you provide your body with the right fuel. This is a foundation for good health overall which covers the ability to sleep well.
2. Avoid caffeine or anything else with caffeine in it post lunch. Caffeine is metabolized in different people in different ways but drinking it in the latter part of the day can disrupt your ability to sleep.
3. Avoid alcohol after 4 pm. It has been shown that even the moderate consumption of alcohol as long as 6 hours before bedtime can affect wakefulness during the second half of sleep. *
4. Have a high protein bedtime snack about ½ hour before bedtime to maintain stable blood sugar if this is a problem for you.
As with most things in life it takes commitment and effort to achieve the results you are looking for. Sleep is a result of good health but also a requirement for maintaining it. I highly recommend making it a priority so that you can start reaping the wonderful benefits of experiencing good night sleep on an on-going basis.
Be Well!
Monique
Resources:
*http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh25-2/101-109.htm
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-definitive-guide-to-sleep/#axzz3IHQXk6pu
http://robbwolf.com/2014/02/13/importance-good-night-sleep/
