PK enjoying a well deserved nap
Like most cats, PK finds a way to sleep just about anywhere. He sure knows how to relax! But that is not true for many of us. Everyone has an occasional sleepless night, and as many as 25% of Americans report occasional sleeping problems. Chronic sleeping problems affect about 10% of people.
Getting a good night’s sleep is vital to our health. Research has shown that sleep deprivation increases inflammatory cytokines such as CRP and IL-6. (1) Lack of sleep makes it difficult for us to focus on our daily tasks, affects our mood, and even alters our natural hormone balance, leading to a poor immune system. Studies find that the less people sleep, the more likely they are to be overweight or obese, to develop diabetes, and to prefer eating foods that are high in calories and carbohydrates.
8 Tips to Get a Good Night’s Sleep
- Exercise at least 30 minutes every day. Incorporate exercise into your daily life. This can be as simple as taking a couple of energetic walks, parking the car at the other side of the lot, and taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Just don’t exercise within 3 hours of your bedtime!
- Avoid caffeine. Individuals vary in their sensitivity, but the stimulating effects of caffeine in coffe, colas, certain teas, and chocolate can take as long as 8 hours to wear off fully.
- Don’t eat a large meal within 2 hours of bedtime. Although this advice sounds simple, it’s actually very important and not that easy to follow. We spend the day rushing around, grabbing a cup of coffee, and not sitting down to enjoy food during the day. Read more about how food affects our sleep at www.whfoods.org
- Make your bedroom a relaxing retreat. No matter what your decorating style, your bedroom should be clear of electronics, extra lights, toxic materials, and clutter. The Healthy Home book and website explain the hazards in the bedroom that affect our health as well as simple solutions we can all take to eliminate these hazards. This is imperative for a good night’s rest.
- Create a relaxing bedtime routine. Take time to unwind after your hectic day. Take a warm bath: Epsom salts and lavender are quite relaxing. Listening to soothing music or a meditation CD help you “shift gears” into sleep. Also see my blog post Magnesium: To Calm the Nerves
- Have the right sun exposure. Daylight is key to regulating daily sleep patterns. Try to get outside in the natural sunlight for 30 minutes a day. This will not only help your vit D levels, but will also help regulate your melatonin. When people are exposed to bright sunlight in the morning, their nocturnal melatonin production occurs sooner, and they sleep more easily at night. (4) For those days when you need a little melatonin boost, USANA’s Pure Rest™ provides an exceptionally pure source of melatonin in an orange-flavored dissolvable tablet.
- Don’t lie in bed awake. If you find yourself still awake after 20 minutes in bed, get up and do a relaxing activity until you feel sleepy. The anxiety of not being able to sleep makes it even harder to fall asleep.
- See a doctor if you continue to have trouble sleeping. If you continually find yourself tired during the day despite spending enough time in bed at night, you may have a sleep disorder. Your family doctor or a sleep specialist should be able to help you.
What if someone else is keeping you awake at night?
If it is your spouse, these suggestions should work for him or her. If you are a parent of a wakeful child, I found some excellent tips at AskDrSears: 31 Ways to Get Your Baby to Sleep and Stay Asleep.
Sleep Well!
Robin
References:
1. Sleep Duration and BioMarkers of Inflammation, Sleep. 2009 February 1, 32(2):200-204 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2635584/
2. How Foods Affect Our Sleep. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=109
3. Dr. Myron and Dave Wentz, The Healthy Home: Simple Truths to Protect Your Family from Hidden Household Dangers, Vanguard Press, 2011.
4. Mead MN 2008. Benefits of Sunlight: A Bright Spot for Human Health. Environ Health Perspect 116:A160-A167. http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.116-a160
Other websites with valuable information on this topic:
Hidden Insomnia Health Risks: How to Sleep Better, Starting Tonight!
National Institute of Health: In Brief- Your Guide to Healthy Sleep
Ask Dr. Sears 31 Ways to Get Your Baby to Sleep and Stay Asleep
