March is sleep awareness month. How well your sleep patterns are is vital for good health. Many people I have been in touch with have told me that they have trouble sleeping soundly through the night or sleep just a few hours, wake up and cannot get back to sleep. Fatigue can affect our health and well being leaving us stressed, affecting our daily lives, lead to high blood pressure and other illnesses.
Living or visiting higher altitude may be challenging for a good nights sleep. Tourists who come from sea level may experience high altitude sickness. Oxygen helps, as well as keeping the body hydrated by drinking at least 64 ounces of purified water each day. When I visit the ocean, the negative ions give me calmness and sound sleep.
My 75-year-old grandmother who had Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 would often read a book in the middle of the night. One time I asked her why. Her response was simply “At my age, I can’t afford to sleep.” I understood her intentions and yet, a good night’s sleep is important for our well-being. Dr. Eve Van Cauter at the University of Chicago found that chronic sleep deprivation—defined as 6.5 hours or less of sleep per night—has the same effect on insulin resistance as aging. Along with poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle, aging and chronic stress, lack of sleep is a risk factor for Type 2 Diabetes.
I sleep 8 to 9 hours each night, and rise early in the morning. There are times I take a 30-minute ‘cat nap’ during the middle part of the day. My sister was the opposite. She often stayed up till 1 a.m. and still got up early to go to work.
❖ Avoid bedtime snacks, particularly grains, sugar, caffeine, liquor, high fat or spicy meals; these will raise blood sugar levels, stimulate digestion and make sleep difficult; later, when blood sugar levels drop too low (hypoglycemia), you might wake up and not be able to fall back asleep
❖ Combining B vitamins with calcium and magnesium can calm your nervous system; beans, turkey, chicken, nuts, eggs, and dairy contain high levels of B vitamins
❖ Eat foods that enhance serotonin levels (such as salmon, hummus, and baked tempeh) a few hours before bedtime; this helps to balance our sugar levels and provide for a more restful sleep
❖ Do not watch television or work in bed; read spiritual or inspirational literature for a few minutes before bed, and avoid dramatic novels or distressing reading material; once in bed, close your eyes and simply ‘feel’ your body—and wherever you notice tension, consciously relax that area—then, simply pay attention to your slow, easy breathing until you fall asleep
❖ Go to bed as early as possible; prior to the invention of electricity, people went to bed shortly after sundown, as most animals do, which is what nature intended for humans as well. The body systems, particularly the adrenal glands, do a majority of their recovering during the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. In addition, the gallbladder dumps toxins during this time period; if you are awake, those toxins back up into the liver—which then secondarily backs up into your entire system, causing further disruption to your health
❖ Aim to be in your bed with the lights out between 9:30 and 10:30 p.m.; if you are not used to getting to bed this early, move your bedtime up by thirty minutes every week until you are in bed by 10:30; for example, if you usually watch television until midnight, try turning off the TV at 11:30 for a week; then aim for thirty minutes earlier; and finally to bed at 10:30 p.m.
❖ Stay away from alcohol; although alcohol makes you drowsy at first, its effect is short-lived and you often wake up after a few hours. Alcohol will also prevent you from falling into the deeper stages of sleep, when the body does most of it’s healing
❖ Avoid foods to which you may be sensitive; this is particularly true for dairy and wheat products, because they have been shown to cause sleep apnea, gastrointestinal upset, excess congestion, and gas, among others
❖ Try to reduce or avoid as many drugs as possible; many medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, may affect sleep.
❖ Create a peaceful, dark bedroom
There are a variety of herbs for a sound sleep; some herbal supplement suggestions are Melatonin, Seratonin, Lavender, Chamomile, Hops and Valerian; drink a nighttime herbal tea or soak in an herbal bath
Consult with your practitioner if you are having difficulty sleeping and wish to substitute a more natural approach than prescription medicine.
Excerpt from Looking Up: Seven Steps for a Healthy & Youthful Midlife and Beyond by Cynthia Olsen ©
Cynthia is an award winning Colorado author, writer and publisher