Importance of Sleep

Poor sleep is a modern phenomenon with over 50% of adults failing to get enough sleep.  Did you know that for adults to remain healthy you need on average of 7 hours sleep a night?

Possibly with additional hours required after long-haul flights, long distance travel, illness, infection, surgery, stress and exposure to the cold.

Insomnia is classified as receiving less than 4 hours sleep for more than 3 nights per week. The impact of sleep disorders, including insomnia or poor quality sleep affects many people on a day to day basis leading to reduced capability and function both at work and home.

Common symptoms of poor sleep

complications of insomnia

  • impaired reflexes
  • excessive clumsiness
  • increased irritability
  • mood swings
  • reduced work capacity
  • poor concentration.

However, we now know that the implications of chronically poor sleep to our health are far reaching including elevating the risk of developing a new disease such as diabetes, heart disease, depression, obesity and even reducing lifespan.

There are many factors that can impact on sleep including stress, snoring, sleep apnea, blood sugar imbalances nightmares, vivid dreams, stress, and diseases like hyperthyroidism.

Unfortunately for some, insomnia and poor sleep quality have just become a way of life.

What are the different forms of sleep?

  • 15% is the hypnotherapy (in-between) stage
  • REM – 35% dream, sub-conscious relaxation.
  • Non-REM  – 50% dream, conscious relaxation.

If we do not reach a REM phase we don’t get deep relaxation and this leads to a lack of the feel-good hormone “serotonin” which makes melatonin.  There are remedies to support this using orthodox and naturopathic approaches.

Naturopathic Support

Enjoy a lighter meal in the evening, avoiding very starchy foods (beans, potatoes, pasta) or carbonated drinks in the evening as they can cause flatulence and digestive disturbance

Avoid sugary food before going to bed. It contributes towards blood sugar imbalances (called hypoglycemia)  – this includes waking between 2:00 am-4:00 am and can cause nightmares

Remember smoking and caffeine increase blood pressure which reduces  REM sleep.

Don’t go to bed hungry – a light snack one hour before is good – e.g rice cakes with mashed sardines. If you eat at 6 pm you will need a snack at 9-10pm.

Prepare Your Environment

  • Make sure you are sleeping on a comfortable mattress
  • A quiet time for relaxation and meditation
  • No TV, laptop or paperwork for at least 30 minutes before going to bed.
  • Use the bedroom for sleeping not for TV or work.
  • Ensure that the room is a comfortable temperature – no higher than 65 degrees.
  • Establish a normal sleeping time
  • Take a pre-bedtime bath to relax your muscles.

This helps to shift the nervous system into the parasympathetic state and shifts your brain into sleep mode. Take a bath before about an hour before bedtime.

Drink a cup of herbal tea

  • Chamomile flowers provide soothing relief for the nervous system.
  • Oatstraw gives us balance.
  • Valerian and hop flowers help us to relax and induce a deep, restful sleep.
  • Passionflower is believed to bring a sense of calm

So what are the contributory factors in sleep disorders and what can be done to overcome them?

A recent study has linked the importance of dietary nutrients with short and long-term sleep duration.

This study highlighted the crucial link of diet and sleep to long-term health.

For nutritional support to support sleep, we recommend a consultation with a qualified naturopath or nutritional therapist.

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