Ten Helpful Tips For a Good Night’s Sleep
By: Jason Simpkins FDN, NSCA-CPT
“The day of the living dead!”If this sounds less like a low budget horror movie and more like your everyday life, then you may be one of the millions of North Americans who struggle with chronic sleep deprivation.
Listed below are ten tips for a good night’s sleep that your doctor may not have mentioned:
1. Avoid stimulants:
Take no stimulants (i.e. caffeine) after lunchtime. The body metabolizes caffeine slowly, so if you consume it late in the day it will still be in your system late at night, which can lead to restless sleep.
2. Total darkness:
Make your bedroom completely dark by placing blackout shades over the windows. If this is not possible, wear a sleep mask. Adequate melatonin (the sleep hormone) will only be produced in the complete absence of light.
3. Calm your mind:
Read calming literature or learn to meditate for 15 minutes right before bed. This may help alleviate your worries of the day and studies show that meditation can lower blood pressure and heart rate.
4. Stop the flood:
Avoid drinking fluids two hours before bedtime, so you won’t have to get up to go to the bathroom during the night.
5. Tune into nature:
Get into the biological rhythm of nature by going to bed shortly after sunset and awakening shortly after sunrise. Your body loves routine, so by sticking to this schedule restful sleep becomes habitual.
6. Unplug your bedroom:
Unplug all electric devices such as alarm clocks*, electric blankets, television and computers. The low frequency electromagnetic fields they produce can disrupt your brain’s release of the sleep hormone melatonin. *(Purchase a battery powered alarm clock)
7. Sexual healing:
Having sex (with a partner or yourself) releases “feel-good” chemicals in the brain creating a state of relaxation, possibly leading to a good night’s sleep.
8. Silence is golden:
To avoid being disturbed by loud noises, turn the ringer off on your phone before bed and consider wearing foam earplugs when you sleep.
9. Ditch the sweets:
Avoid high-glycemic carbohydrates before bed, as these can cause your blood sugar to crash in the middle of the night, waking you up with possible nightmares and/or anxiety. Instead, eat a high protein snack such as turkey or cottage cheese.
10. Control your climate:
Adjust the temperature in your bedroom so that it is slightly cooler than normal daytime temperatures − too hot or too cold will keep you awake.
Supplemental Sleep Aids
Due to unwanted side effects, many people are reluctant to take prescription sleep medication and instead have turned to more natural remedies for relief.
The following is a list of some of the more popular nutritional supplements and herbs found to be effective for the occasional sleepless night:
• Melatonin 1-3 mg taken right before bedtime.
• Magnesium 200-300 mg taken one half hour before bedtime.
• L-Theanine 200 mg taken one half hour before bedtime.
• L-Tryptophan 1-2 g taken one half hour before bedtime.
• 5-HTP 100-150 mg taken one half hour before bedtime.
• Herbal extracts include valerian, passionflower, chamomile, lemon balm, kava and catnip. Dosages will vary depending on method of delivery (i.e. tincture, capsules, tea).
Getting a good night’s sleep can not only set your day off on the right foot, but it can strengthen your immune system as well as greatly enhance your mental and physical well-being.
Who would of thought lying around could be so good for you!
About The Author:
Jason Simpkins is a wellness coach. Practicing
a "whole person" approach to wellness, Jason coaches each individual he
works with to develop total health from the inside out. He is also the Co-Founder of The Healing Canopy. He can be
contacted at jason@thehealingcanopy.com
