You Snooze, You…Win!

Getting enough sleep is a win for your health

To Stay Healthy this Fall – SLEEP is key! 

Tips to ensure a good night’s sleep:

1. Establish a regular sleep schedule and stick to it as much as possible. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including on weekends.

2. Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed. Caffeine can keep you awake, while alcohol can make you drowsy but disrupt your sleep later in the night.

3. Avoid working or using electronic devices in bed. The light from screens can keep you awake and working or using electronics close to bedtime can interfere with your sleep quality.

4. Get some exercise during the day. Exercise releases endorphins that can help you feel relaxed and sleepy at bedtime.

5. Keep your room cool, dark, and quiet. A cool room is ideal for sleep, while darkness helps to promote the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep cycles. Silence is also key – studies have shown that people who sleep in a quiet environment tend to get more restful sleep.

Set your circadian rhythm

You can reset your circadian rhythm by waking with sunrise and earthing or groundings (which is sitting on the ground or walking barefoot). First thing in the morning I recommend sitting or standing in your yard or on the beach, do this barefoot and soak in the morning sunlight for 30 minutes. You can also do this when traveling to help reduce jet lag. Another way of resetting your circadian rhythm is camping – with no artificial light people tend to go to sleep earlier and might discover their natural bedtime is 2.5 hours earlier than they thought. 

Why is sleep important?

In the evening, the brain naturally converts serotonin into melatonin, the main sleep hormone. Getting sufficient levels of serotonin during the day may improve your chances of getting a good night’s sleep. Sleep restores, replenishes, detoxifies and repairs the body.  Your brain needs sleep to function better, and dreams help you detox the brain.  Adequate sleep helps the grumpiness to melt away. Sleep is reparative, restorative for the body to fight illness, improve digestion, and hormonal balance. When you are sleeping your body is activity detoxing, and enough sleep is important for weight control.

Lack of sleep is associated with high blood pressure, diabetes, heart failure, coronary heart disease and cancers.

More ways you can improve your sleep

To support optimal sleep and boost brain health, try natural sleep aids, such as:

• sleep-promoting foods, such as those with tryptophan
• calcium
• magnesium
• essential oils for sleep, including bergamot and lavender
• passion flower
• valerian root
• St. John’s wort
• essential oils – chamomile, lavender 

You can also try sleep meditation and take melatonin, but be careful not to take melatonin every night for a long period of time. Research shows that taking too much melatonin can be risky.

Other ways to promote better sleep include:

• managing stress
• avoiding blue light at night
• increasing exposure to natural light during the daytime
• exercising
• adjusting your diet
• creating a bedtime routine 

Melatonin-rich foods:

• Bananas
• Morello cherries
• Porridge oats
• Rice
• Ginger
• Barley
• Tomatoes
• Radishes
• Red wine

For more information

Work with Dr. Anita to improve your quality of life with optimal health and vitality.

You can schedule an appointment online with Dr. Anita, or contact us to learn more about a personalized wellness program.