Sleep is an important part of human life, an average person living to 75 years of age will sleep 25 of those years. And it is essential that we get quality sleep for overall vitality, weight loss, flexibility and mood.
Sleep is the time when the human body recovers, its cells regenerate, toxins cleanse and the brain structures information and even learns during sleep.
Most people will need between 7-9 hours of sleep per day, whilst children need more sleep depending on their age. And we all know that sleep quality and quantity declines as we age.
If you are chronically missing out on quality and quantity of sleep you will notice your digestive system is becoming sluggish, causing bloating, indigestion, IBS; your energy levels drop significantly and you struggle to get out of bed in the morning and crush around 3-4pm; the skin loses its tone causing wrinkles, pimples and dryness; you might notice you are putting on weight, and anxiety and irritability follow, making it harder to be stuck in traffic and not snap, more challenging to speak with co-workers with a calm voice, and almost impossible to keep your cool with the screaming enthusiastic kids at home.
You are not alone. Shocking 48% of Australian population have reported having poor, broken, inadequate sleep, insomnia.
Questions to ask yourself to determine if you sleep well:
What time of the night do you go to bed? You want this to be around 10pm.
How long does it tike you to fall asleep? Aiming for 5-10 minutes tops.
Do you wake up through the night? How many times? Ideally once or none.
If you do wake up at night, is it to use the bathroom, because of the noise the others make, or because you have an active mind that is doing the thinking?
What time do you wake up in the morning? Aiming for 6-7am
Do you wake up refreshed? Ideally yes
If after answering these questions you can see you are sleeping less than 7 hours per night, waking up a few times, and getting up groggy - we can fix this!
Steps to improve sleep quality:
Step 1 - increase melatonin production
Melatonin is the main sleep hormone, produced by the brain - pineal gland, in response to darkness. It stimulates deep restorative sleep and is extremely anti-inflammatory, assisting with organ repair and recovery. It is released in great qualities in complete darkness.
To generate melatonin production:
Watch the sunset each night, that sends the message to the brain to release melatonin.
Avoid using technology 2 hours before bed (socials, tv, computer work, gamin) - the blue light that technology emits decreases melatonin. You can also invest into blue-light blocking glasses and wear them in the evening if you are struggling to change this habit.
Drink 50ml of sour cherry juice at dinner. Sour cherry juice is known to stimulate your natural melatonin production.
Step 2: decrease night time cortisol
Cortisol is a hormone released by the adrenal glands - two little "nuggets" sitting on top of your kidneys to provide you with sustained energy through the day. I call this hormone "your natural coffee". It should be as high as the sun early in the morning, and it is supposed to reduce as the sun sets and we are getting ready for bed. If you notice you have "second wind" in the evenings to get things done, this balances has been disrupted and will cause you insomnia, loss of sleep and anxiety.
To reduce night time cortisol:
Do not drink caffeinated beverages like coffee and tea later than 12pm. Caffeine stimulates cortisol release and if you have it in the second part of the day your cortisol will be high giving you trouble with sleep.
Do not plan intense exercise past 4pm, aka hiking, cardio, F45, HIIT, etc. Include these in the morning hours instead. All exercise stimulates cortisol production, and stimulated at night you might find you are wide awake comes 10pm.
Drink herbal tea to unwind and decrease cortisol production in the evening. This tea can be Tulsi, Chamomile, Lemon Balm, Passionflower, Lavender
Do not have sugary foods 2 hours before bed. These will also stimulate and excite you stealing your sleep.
Step 3: Maintain
Just like with everything in life that you wish to achieve, consistency is key. Natural lifestyle and dietary changes need your commitment in order to have solid results. Establish a healthy sleep routine by going for a short walk after dinner to watch the sunset, pick up your favorite book to read before bed, have a small glass of sour cherry juice and leave all your stimulants like caffeine, simple carbs and intense exercise for the morning hours. This is the way nature has intended it.
Questions & Answers
Due to the nature of my practice I address a lot of sleep issues in clinic with my patients. Here are some of the most frequent questions for you.
How do I know I have low melatonin and high cortisol, do you test for it?
This is something that I can test for you in clinic using your saliva. The test looks into your cortisol during the day and then at night, and checking your melatonin levels at night to see what time of the herbal and nutrient supplementation you need to get you sleeping well again. The average cost for the test is at $300AUD. The kit arrives to your home with instructions and once fulfilled you mail it to the lab for analysis in a pre-paid envelop. Takes around 3 weeks to process the samples.
Can I take melatonin medication and give it to my kids?
Melatonin is a hormone, and in our country is can only be prescribed by GP. You will need to visit the doctor to get a scrip. As you might be aware, a lot of these scripts can be written without proper investigations into the reasons why you or your child are not sleeping well. I recommend first finding out the root cause of your insomnia with a natural health care provider before seeking melatonin. We don't want your body or your kids body to become dependent on external hormones for life. In saying that, I have worked with people where we have identified they are severely underproducing melatonin and initially need melatonin medication to address symptoms whilst we work on the root issues. In vast majority after the correct treatment plan you will not need melatonin tablets.
I sleep a lot, and even nap during the day, but still wake up tired, what I wrong with me?
This looks like a case of Chronic Fatigue or Adrenal Fatigue, where your adrenal glands no longer manage the appropriate release of cortisol to sustain your activity during the day. I recommend performing a saliva test to establish the stage of your Chronic fatigue (there are 4 stages) and address this with specific herbal and nutrient remedies to gain your energy and your life back. A full nutrient panel might also be needed to understand what crucial nutrients you are missing to create necessary hormones like cortisol and adrenalin.
How do I know if I have sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is very common and under-investigated. If your partner notices you stop breathing for a few moments per night - this is it. You can attend a clinic and sleep there for a night or 3 where these studies will be performed. People with anxiety, overweight, thyroid issues are more prone to have sleep apnea. It can be resolved using natural medicines.
Comentarios