subject: How To Get A Good Night's Sleep [print this page] Modern research shows us that poor quality sleep is a contributing factor to many chronic disease states. From Type 2 Diabetes to obesity, lack of good sleep is not just a health risk but also a form of torture.
Sleep deprivation can occur on many levels such as finding it hard to get to sleep on a frequent basis to being awake for long periods during the night for days on end. Physical, emotional and mental health are all negatively effected by sleep deprivation.
Poor quality sleep is a physical significant stress on the body. Often when people are asked if they are stressed the response is "no" because people perceive stress as a sign of not being able to cope with life. Stress is much more than this, for instance if you don't eat breakfast and have a late lunch this lack of fuel is a physical stress of the body. Poor quality sleep or lack of it is a major physical stress on the body that is often underestimated. Unlike in World War Two in modern Australia we are lucky enough to have the opportunity to resolve the problems and no matter how bad your sleeping problems are, there are solutions.
Getting a good nights sleep allows the body to heal and repair effecitvely. Some of the major functions of sleep include body detoxification and immune and nervous system repair and down time. Quality sleep is also important for your body to maintain the correct pH or alkalinity. To give an extreme example, long term sleep deprivation results in death in lab animals.
Anyone who walks through the door of the clinic looking for assistance with lack of energy, weight loss, stress, depression, anxiety, mood swings, hormonal imbalances, diabetes, Chronic fatigue, high blood pressure and so forth, indicates the need to investigate sleep habits. A major area of investigation is the effect of poor quality sleep on metabolic syndrome or the combination of excess weight with a large waist circumference and possible high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Research has shown that sleep deprivation alters the hormones that regulate hormones associated with glucose, metabolism and appetite thus leading to a greater likelihood of metabolic syndrome and eventually Type 2 diabetes.
If sleep is having a significant effect on health or the health issues at hand it is one of the first things I address during consultation, due to the major effect on healthy, well being and normal body functioning.
Commonly asked questions during consultation
What time to you go to bed? To get quality sleep you need to be asleep before 10pm. I usually recommend going to go to bed 15 to 30min before this time especially if you wish to read. Some with long term sleep problems avoid going to be by this time for fear of not being able to get to sleep. I use natural supplements and techniques to re-balance this making it easier to relax into sleep.
How long does it take you to get to sleep? If your head hits the pillow and you're out to it in less than 5 min, it's a sign you're exhausted and need more rest. If you are laying in bed for more than 25min it is a sign you are having trouble relaxing, often unable to turn their mind off, and frustration and restlessness can result from not being able to get to sleep. Stress stabilizing herbs are needed as well as calming and relaxing ones. Often these herbs will need to be taken during the day to help calm the nervous system.
Do you wake in the night, how long does it take you to get back to sleep and what time do you wake? Waking in the night and not falling back to sleep is often sign of chronic stress and support at every level is needed. If you are waking between 1pm-3pm it is when the liver is most active and a signal your liver may be under stress. To address this, lifestyle factors and herbs that support the liver can be used. Toxic overload of the liver can also be related to feelings of anger, depression and irritation.
How do you feel when you wake in the morning? Not waking refreshed is a sign you are not getting enough sleep or the quality of sleep needed.
Some Basic tips to start you off
Avoid or minimize substances such as coffee, sugar, cigarettes and alcohol as they have a negative effect on the nervous system and our adrenals. Don't do mental or stimulating activities at night such as work, watching stimulating TV shows. Play relaxing, soothing music to wind down the mind. Make sure your body temperature; especially your feet are not cold, nor too hot. Cold feet can prevent melatonin from kicking in and alternately being too hot in the night can wake you up. Relaxing herbal tea blends assist in inducing sleep. The process of drink herbal tea is also quiet meditative. Make a relaxation activity or therapy part of your life a minimum of once per week; meditation, yoga, and having a bath are all perfect. Walk or spend time in nature as it has an amazing balancing affect on your body and it is so good for us on so many levels. Try gardening, rain forest, walking on the beach, sitting in the sun at a relaxing caf.
Author Deanne Bromham is a naturopath and nutritionist. Deanne is a motivated, dynamic healer who uses naturopathy, iridology, nutrition, herbal medicine and flower essences to correct the underlying processes going on in the body. This can be resulting in a medically recognized disease or just not feeling 100%. Practically all health complaints or diseases are able to be improved and potentially eliminated through the right dietary, lifestyle changes and a specific individually well chosen nutritional and herbal treatment plan, to get the body back to feeling optimal, in balance and vital.
