You are not alone, my friend. Sleep, or lack thereof, is probably the biggest complaint I hear from clients. Whether you have trouble falling asleep or you wake up at 2:00 a.m. and cannot get back to sleep (this would be me!), it is frustrating and can really take a toll on your health. More and more research is finding a direct correlation between insomnia and major health issues such as obesity, brain fog, depression, heart disease and mortality rate.
I remember when I was young and could sleep for hours and hours and not have to get up once to go pee!! Why isn’t it as easy now as it was back then? According to Rubin Naiman, author of Healing Night, it is not that we are unable to sleep, it is that we are addicted to wakefulness! Wow….what a concept!! Just think about that for a moment…..we are addicted to wakefulness! We cannot stop thinking and doing in order to take time to sleep.
Our lives have become so fast paced and technology seems to fuel that fire. Electronic devices are fantastic for so many reasons, but they may actually be one of the biggest culprits of insomnia. The artificial light from electronics has been shown to suppress melatonin and interrupt the circadian rhythm. This blue light is great during the day because it can actually improve your mood, increase your attention span and your productivity. I notice this all the time. When I read emails or work on the computer during the day, it is like a jolt of caffeine. Well, that is exactly what is happening when you are exposed to the blue light in the evening……another jolt of “caffeine.” This is why it is so important that you shut down all electronics at least one hour before you go to bed. Two hours would be even better. You want to start quieting the mind and preparing your body to rest. Darkness and silence are key to activating melatonin and creating a conducive sleep environment.
It is not just the electronics that emit this blue light. LED and fluorescent bulbs are just as bad! They may be more energy efficient, but they are telling your body to wake up! In order to solve this issue in my own home, I put dimmer switches in all the rooms. This is a fairly inexpensive way to minimize the amount of bright light in the evening. Not to mention, it may cut down on the electric bill!! I also invested in a pair of amber tinted computer glasses. You can find amber glasses online, however, I wear prescription computer glasses so I had my glasses tinted. What a difference this has made!
Your body temperature and the temperature of your bedroom also has an impact on your ability to sleep. Being too hot definitely contributes to insomnia. Our core temperature should naturally decrease during the night, however this is not always the case (hello night sweats!). With our extreme summer heat, it is much harder to cool the body down when it is still 100 degrees at 10 p.m.! I know I toss and turn a lot more in the summer. However, in the winter, I am like a bear in hibernation!! My bedroom is freezing and I sleep great….except for those darn pee breaks!!
As far as supplements, Vitamin D has been shown to be extremely beneficial to improving sleep. Experts suggest that the widespread Vitamin D deficiency has a direct link to the epidemic levels of sleep disorders. Next time you have bloodwork done, get your Vitamin D levels checked. I was surprised at how low my levels were. If you are low, you can take a supplement, which I do recommend, but also consider spending more time outdoors soaking up nature’s “Vitamin D.” The sun is always shining and it is cheaper than a supplement! Herbs such as valerian and chamomile can also be quite effective. These can be found in pills or as a tea. On the flip side, prescription sleeping pills are best avoided at all costs. They do allow you to fall asleep faster, but the risks associated with sleeping pills are just not worth it. The link between sleeping pills and cancer is a very scary reality!
Recently, I have been experimenting with a CBD tincture. CBD stands for cannabidiol. It is the non-hallucinogenic ingredient in medicinal marijuana. Now I know what you may be thinking, but it is totally safe. CBD oil has been used for anxiety, depression, pain relief and insomnia. The tincture is a liquid and you put a couple drops under your tongue. I have used it before going to bed and also when I wake up in the middle of the night. Either way, I found it put me to sleep almost immediately. You can buy this product online, but I would recommend going to a reputable dispensary so that you know you are getting quality ingredients. You do not need a medical marijuana card for this because it does not contain any measurable amount of THC. Although CBD oil is safe, it is not meant to be taken on a continuous basis. For example, I may take it for a few nights and then skip a few nights. If you take any prescription medications, be sure to check with your physician to make sure CBD is safe for you.
Finally, I want to share something I recently learned at a lecture on sleep. Did you know that the “afternoon slump” we often experience is actually your body’s normal circadian rhythm? I always thought this was due to not enough sleep or too may carbs at lunch! Turns out that may not be the case. So, when 3:00 comes and you are feeling sleepy, take a nap! That’s right….napping in increments of 20 minutes can be as beneficial as a full nights sleep! Just tell your boss you are honoring your circadian rhythm and you will be much more productive after your nap!
Improving your sleep quality has so many benefits. You will strengthen your immune system, reset your hormones and you may even find it easier to lose weight! I hope some of these ideas will inspire you to make some changes. Hit reply and let me know what worked for you. Now go get some zzzzz’s!
