I'm AMAZED at how many of my new clients say they struggle to get a good nights' sleep. In fact, 70 million Americans are affected by chronic sleep loss or sleep disorders. It sounds simple, right? Lay down, close your eyes and drift off. But if you've ever been exhausted, yet unable to get to sleep, you'll know how frustrating that can be. Since we heal and detoxify when we sleep, proper sleep is essential for good health.
I'm going to give some practical tips for getting better sleep, plus explain underlying issues that can be linked with why a person struggles to sleep through the night.
Practical Tips For a Better Nights' Sleep
Avoid stimulants in the evening like caffeine and sugar. It's after dinner that people often get a sweet craving, but that is the worst time to consume something sweet if you're trying to promote better sleep. If you really want something sweet, try an herbal tea with a little raw, local honey. Chamomile is especially known to promote relaxation.
Don't eat after 7:00 pm. When your body is having to work on digesting food at night, it can interfere with proper sleep.
No screens 1-2 hours before bed. When your eyes see the blue light from a screen, it can "trick" your pineal gland into thinking it's daytime, and it might not properly release melatonin. Speaking of melatonin, cherries and pistachios are naturally high in melatonin. These are foods that are best consumed during the day, since I pointed out that it's best not eat after 7:00 pm. If you must be on a screen at night, I recommend setting your phone to "night shift" and purchasing blue light blocking glasses like these.
The following plants have been known to promote better sleep: ivy, aloe, spider and lavender. These would be great plants to keep in your room. When my daughter was little, I bought a cheap aloe plant at the local hardware store, and I was amazed at how much it helped her sleep better. But watch out, aloe plants can get really big really fast. We nicknamed ours Ursula!
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps you feel calm and happy, and also sleep well. Foods that boost serotonin: chicken, turkey, eggs, salmon, pineapple, and nuts. The reason these foods boost serotonin is becasue they're high in tryptophan. Your body converts tryptophan to serotonin, but this happens in the gut. So if your digestive system isn't functioning properly, you may have a difficult time converting that tryptophan to serotonin.
Reset your cirucadian rhythm. This one sounds a bit "out there." However, natural health practitioners have been recommending this for years. And now scientific studies are backing it up. What you'll do is go outside barefoot and stand in the grass, dirt or sand. Face the sun as it's setting, but don't look directly at it. Remain for about 20-30 minutes, and do this for a few nights in a row. When your body sees the sun setting multiple nights in a row, it's, in a sense retraining you to see that when the sun goes down, it's time to release melatonin and go to sleep.
Make sure your bedroom is dark and cool, since light and heat can make it more difficult to sleep well.
Some people are more sensitive to EMFs (Electro Magnetic Fields) than others. To reduce your exposure, you can turn your router off at night. Plugging your router into a lamp timer would mean you don't have to remember to turn it off and on. Also, I have EMF blocking stickers on my phone and laptop. Here is one you can check out. Another way to reduce your exposure to EMFs is to keep your bluetooth turned off when you're not using it, I also turn my phone to airplane mode every night. However, if you need to be reached at night, airplane mode is not for you. Some people find that taking these simple steps to reduce their exposure to EMFs can really help them feel more calm in general, and also sleep better.
Exercise during the day, but not too late at night. I KNOW that I sleep better on days when I get a good walk in. Find whatever exercise you can do and be consistent with.
There are supplements that can be helpful (for instance, magnesium), but if there is a deeper underlying cause, it must be addressed.
If a client is doing all of these things, but still can't sleep well, we dive deeper to see what the underlying issues might be. This could be hormonal imbalance, "unwanted organisms", blood sugar imbalance, mineral deficiencies, digestion and absorption issues... This is why I test every client and see what their individual needs are. You can book an appointment at https://www.pleasantwellnessmi.com/services