One of the most important things we can do to improve our health is invest our time getting adequate good quality sleep. The research has been clear for a long time, and is being reinforced today, that if we deprive ourselves of good sleep, we will become sick. It may not catch up with us today, but in the end, sleep deprivation will shorten our lives. So, how can we improve our sleep? Here are a few recommedations.
Keep the bedroom sacred. The bedroom should only be for two purposes: sleep and procreation. Any other use (other than dressing and undressing) will make it more difficult to get a good night's sleep. When you spend time reading, watching TV, or doing other non-sleep related activities in the bedroom, your body becomes accustomed to doing that. So, instead of falling asleep when you want, your body starts saying "shouldn't we be reading for a while" or "what's on TV", instead of starting the slide down into the depths of sleep. I often hear "but I can't fall asleep if I don't _____ for a while before bed". That's fine. Just don't do ______ in the bedroom. Teach your body that when you go to the bedroom, it's time to sleep.
Make your bedroom into a cave. We are meant to sleep in darkness. Light disturbs our production of melatonin, which is vital for our regeneration and maintaining proper sleep rhythms. It is important to have room darkening shades and block out as much light as possible. Nightlights are not allowed, especially for kids. If your kids are used to sleeping in the dark, they don't become afraid of the dark. It may take a while for them to acclimate, but they will thank you for it in the long run. If you need to take a toilet break from your sleep, keep the lights off. There is usually enough ambient light in most houses to not require added light to navigate. Alarm clocks can be an issue here as well. The only light that seems to not affect us too much is red, so make sure your clock is red, and as dim as possible.
Caves are meant to be quiet. Turn off the noise-makers before you go to sleep. While you may think the radio and TV help you fall asleep, they actually disturb it. We are meant to sleep in a quiet environment, so shut off the radio and TV before you crawl into bed. If you have outside influences that make it noisy, then something that generates white noise like a fan on low is next best. You can also purchase machines that generate white noise if you'd like. If white noise isn't an option, the next step down is natural sounds, like the ocean, babbling brook, or rain. While not ideal, these sounds at least are things our bodies have heard for thousands of years, and so disturb us less. Avoid noises that are intermittent or go up and down (like music, radio and TV), and your sleep quality will go improve.
Don't do stimulating things right before bed. Exercising, watching the news or horror movies, or reading an action thriller right before bed stimulates your brain, which impedes your sleep journey. Instead, spend a few minutes meditating, doing deep breathing exercises, or in prayer. Try to calm your mind before bed, not ramp it up.
Avoid alcohol and get to bed on time. As much as having a drink may calm one down, it actually makes it more difficult to get quality sleep. Alcohol keeps the brain from reaching stage IV sleep, which is where we get growth hormone released as adults. Kids get this hormone all day long, which is why they sprout like weeds before our eyes. As adults, we have a limited supply of this wondrous hormone, and stage IV sleep is one of the few times we can get it released. Timing here can be problematic as well. It seems that our bodies have a circadian rhythm that only allows growth hormone's release between 11pm and 3am, and only when we're in stage IV sleep during those times. This makes shift workers' lives extremely difficult, since they'll have added time needed to heal from injury or illness. We really are meant to be sleeping when it's dark, so get to bed in time to access your growth hormone.
Get enough, but not too much. Research keeps telling us that most adults need 7 to 8 1/2 hours of quality, uninterrupted sleep each night. If we miss one here and there, we'll be a little tired, but it won't affect us greatly. If, however, we continually limit our sleep to less than 7 hours, we do, in the long run, have a higher risk of sickness. On the other hand, sleeping too much also isn't good for us. More than 9 hours seems to have a negative effect as well. These recommendations are for adults. Kids (even teenagers) need more than 9 hours, and often 10-12 is best. Keep a regimented schedule with your kids, and they'll do much better, and don't let those teenagers get by with staying up until midnight on a regular basis.
Don't be offended if your spouse doesn't want to sleep with you. If you snore or toss and turn all night, you are reducing the sleep quality of your partner. For both of your health, work on your sleep hygiene, but if they decide sleeping in the same bed as you is not the best for them, honor their choice, knowing they will have more energy and be healthier because of it.
Pharmaceutical sleep aids are detrimental. Regardless of the claims made by BigPharma, all sleep aids are addictive and become habit forming or have significant side effects that are detrimental to your health. Over the counter sleep aids generally have an antihistamine added, which will make you drowsy. Unfortunately, they also dry out the mucous membranes of your nose and sinuses, leaving your more prone to colds and flues. Prescription medications like Ambien and Lunesta work on deeper levels of your brain to get and keep you asleep, but don't allow for stage IV sleep, which is vital for regeneration. These medications also often have rebound effects upon withdrawal, where it is more difficult to sleep for a time without them, since your body has become dependent on the drug to induce sleep. In addition, there are nasty side effects, like sleep walking, eating, and driving. It is not uncommon for an Ambien user to find their fridge raided (by themselves while sleeping) or wake up to find a police officer asking why they are out in their jammies as they write the ticket for a DUI.
Natural sleep aids have their downsides as well. While pharmaceutical aids are to be avoided if at all possible, I also don't recommend most herbal remedies. Herbs like passion flower, valerian, skullcap, and jujube can be used to induce sleep, but often make the user groggy the next morning, and are difficult to dose for the individual. Unless gotten from a health care practitioner, you also can't rely on quality or purity, which has it's own problems. Melatonin can be taken in dropper form, and I have used this for jet lag in patients who travel. On a regular basis, however, you can suppress the natural hormone production, disturbing your sleep cycle unless you dose yourself every night.
In most patients with insomnia, I use a single herb that has nothing to do with inducing sleep, yet has everything to do with getting and keeping you there. Rhodiola rosea is an adrenal adaptogen (it helps you deal better with stress) that is great for helping insomniacs. Instead of forcing the body into sleep, it enhances your production of GABA, which is a chemical in your brain that helps you focus. If taken about 30 minutes before bed, Rhodiola helps the brain shut down, so it doesn't act like the Energizer Bunny, and keep going, and going, and going....I also use this herb with patients who need help focusing during the day, i.e. for tests or studying. It doesn't make one tired, it just helps focus.
Sleep is a vital component of a healthy lifestyle. Getting an adequate amount of high quality sleep should be a priority, and by utilizing these recommendations, your sleep quality can easily improve.
Look for future blogs that will give more information and insights into improving your health with natural health care. You can also visit my website, like me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter.
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