Sleep tight...How to get a good nights sleep.

As I mentioned in the last posting, sleep is one of the most important ways to optimal wellness. In my clinical experience, I have yet to see a person "recover" and "heal" from disease and move toward wellness without good sleep.

Lack of sleep contributes to many diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. It is no wonder these diseases are considered now to be at epidemic proportions. Sleep can help us not only prevent many chronic illnesses, but also recover faster from acute diseases such as the common cold.

So on to the how to part...

Routine. After committing oneself to sleeping an adequate amount, the next step is sticking to a routine. Go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning. What? No sleeping in on weekends? Exactly. When our sleep wake cycles are on a routine, our bodies physiological processes also become more rhythmical. We will have an easier time falling asleep and waking up. Think about times when you get hungry at work. Its probably about 1/2 hour before you have your lunch break. Your body starts to secrete digestive enzymes and hormones to prepare for food. The same holds true for sleep. Your body starts to secrete evening hormones and begins the repair and regeneration process if you are on a routine. Your dog or cat wants to go to bed at the same time every night...listen to them and listen to your body. To accompany and reinforce the routine, be in bed by 11pm at the latest.

Getting ready. A good nights sleep begins before bed. How many of us do email, work, or watch tv right before bed. To be in bed by 11pm requires some preparation. Ideally when 10pm rolls around we would turn down the lights and start the evening routine of washing up and brushing one's teeth. Even in the bathroom, try to brush your teeth with only a night light on as this low light level signals your brain that it is time to turn off and turn-in. I have notice when I am camping, I am tired within an hour of the sun setting and am zipped up in my sleeping bag soon after. Don't eat within 1 to 2 hours before bed as it can stimulate your mind into thinking its actually time to be awake. Also avoid fluid intake 1 hour before bed so that you can avoid waking at night to urinate.

The Bed. When in bed either sleep or have sex. Do not do other things associated with waking activities in your bed. Avoid using your laptop, watching TV, eating or even reading. This way your mind will associate bed with sleep and sleep with the bed. Make sure your bed is comfortable by getting what you need to be comfortable at night. Invest in the pillow, bedding and mattress that you want. You will spend the more time in your bed than on any other piece of furniture in your house. Splurge.

The Room. Quiet. Eliminate as many possible distractions as you can. Find ways to make your bedroom more sound proof - Area rugs, wall hangings, etc. When you wake at night even for a moment, your mind and body resets itself and starts the sleep cycle again. It takes almost 2.5 hours for the first sleep cycle to be completed. When sleep is interrupted, we start the sleep cycle from the beginning. According to numerous sleep studies, we function best with about 4 sleep cycles, which works out to an average of 8.25 hours.


The Room. Dark. Also sleep in complete darkness by having light proof window coverings and getting a non-continuously illuminated alarm clock. Melatonin requires complete darkness for its production. It is a very powerful anti-oxidant that mops up free-radicals in our brain produced by our daily mental activities. Melatonin is also a hormone that resets our circadian rhythms so that we can restore during the night and be active during the day. Sleeping eight hours in a completely dark room is one of the best ways to have amazing energy the next morning and to even regulate the menstrual cycle.

Sleep tight and sleep well,
Gibran

Good night!

I'll just check my email one last time after clicking that stumble upon button one last time...you struggle to keep your eyes open...

All the while we get the latest news report on the Center for Disease Control study finding that "Sleep Deprivation, a Public Health Problem."

Do we have less hours in the day than before? It sure feels that way sometimes.

Although it seems like we can make it through the day just "fine" on 5 and 1/2 hours of sleep, we were never meant to function, to live and to thrive with these habits. The effects of our sleeplessness go beyond the perceived drop in alertness. It may not be all that important to catch every single word during your company's budgeting meeting, but there are many more things your body is missing out on.

Repair begins at night. It is the time of not only rest, but also of renewal. It is the time for your cells to regenerate and to remove toxins, and for your mind to process all the day's events and release stressful events.

In Chinese Medicine nighttime is understood as a key to preserving the vital life force. Nighttime is a time when the Yin of the body replenishes itself and the Yang of the body goes inwards to repair the internal organs. It is a time to be still like the natural world around you.

So as long as the news reports keep coming out stating that a "Lack of Sleep Increases Childhood Obesity Risk," or that "Lights at Night Are Linked to Breast Cancer," it may be good to listen to that yawn and call it an early night.

More in the next post on sleeping soundly.

Good night,
Gibran