Desperately Seeking Sleep? These Practices Can Help!

Hello, friends!

If you or your family members are struggling with sleep, this newsletter is for you! I work with SO MANY kids and adults who suffer from poor sleep. The CDC estimated that as of 2014, 35% of adults got insufficient sleep and insufficient sleep was correlated with increases in chronic conditions such as cancer, arthritis, diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, depression, asthma, and more.

For some of us, insufficient sleep is the result of overly-busy lifestyles that prohibit our getting enough hours of sleep. But for others there are no clear reasons as to why it's impossible to fall asleep, why you're waking four times a night, or why you wake for hours and can't get back to sleep.

The good news is that there are a number of mechanisms that help! Of course, I typically use acupuncture and herbs to address sleep problems, but at-home therapies can definitely help as well. Here is a list of lifestyle approaches and supplements that can improve your sleep quality and re-set your circadian rhythm.
 

Lifestyle Modifications

- Exercise. We know that getting regular exercise is key for "wearing yourself out" and helping to manage stress. Aim for 3-4 times a week for at least 30 minutes.

- Caffeine. As I mentioned in my last newsletter, caffeine has a quarter-life of nearly 12 hours, meaning that if you have midday or afternoon caffeine 25% of it is still coursing through your system when you're trying to sleep and may impact your ability to get deep enough sleep.

- Alcohol. Again, alcohol is a sedative in the near-term, but can disrupt your sleep cycle prohibiting you from getting all the necessary phases of sleep.

- Morning sunshine. Sleep researchers tell us that in order to properly set our circadian rhythm (which governs our sleep/wake cycle) we should be outside for 10-20 minutes in the morning when the sun is low in the sky. Can you modify your morning so that you're taking your morning tea/coffee or breakfast outdoors, or at a minimum next to an open window? Ideally you'll also get outside when the sun is low in the sky at the end of the day.

- Sleep regularity. We know that going to bed and waking around the same time every night (including weekends!) helps to improve your circadian rhythm and enable better sleep.

- Light. Sleep researchers and neuroscientists focusing on ophthalmology know that evening light has a huge impact on our ability to wind down and get sleep. Aim to turn off all overhead lights a few hours before bedtime. Use small reading lights or overall dimmer lights for your evening activities, and by all means, avoid screen time for those last few hours before bed. Some people swear by blue-blocking glasses, but from what I understand, those may not actually help enough to enable proper sleep.

- Limit naps. Daytime naps should not be longer than 30 minutes to avoid interfering with nighttime sleep.

- Cool and dark bedroom. We're designed to sleep in cool and dark places. Cover up any electronic lights in your room, considering investing in blackout curtains, and keep the bedroom cool with plenty of blankets as needed.

- Calming practices. There are now quite a few free tools to help you calm your brain waves. Both non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) and yoga nidra can be streamed on YouTube. Just listen with your headphones so you're not stimulating yourself by looking at the screen -- either before bed or when you wake in the night. There is also a new free science-based app called Reveri that supports self-hypnosis for nervous system relaxation. You can use Reveri three times a week at any time of day to promote relaxation and support easier passage into sleep at night.
 

Supplements

As I mentioned in a previous newsletter about fatigue, you can increase your consumption of certain foods to enable improved sleep. You can also consider using the following supplements 30-60 minutes before bedtime -- start with one before determining if you need to add more:

- Magnesium threonate (145mg) or magnesium bisglycinate (200mg). (Note - magnesium citrate is the form used for concentration. Threonate and bisglycinate have been shown to be more effective for promoting sleep.)

- Apigenin (50mg). Apigenin is the sedative compound in chamomile. If you prefer a supplement to chamomile teas or tinctures, apigenin is a good choice.

- Theanine (100-400mg). This is an amino acid found in green tea and helps to lower anxiety and promote relaxation.

If possible, avoid using sleep medications, as sleep researcher Matt Walker notes that they do not provide the natural sleep we need, only the sedation that makes us feel that we are getting adequate sleep. To learn more, check out his book Why We Sleep or this delightful podcast from NPR.

Do you need more help sleeping? Come in for acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, and we will set you right!

With love,
Janet