Consider yourself blessed if you are able to fall asleep easily and get a good night’s rest! For the majority of people, however, this is just a pipe dream, and sleep (or the lack thereof) has become their worst nightmare.
Why is the lack of sleep such an issue? First, the body requires rest in order to heal and process the energy of the day. Lack of sleep has now been scientifically proven to be connected to heart disease, post traumatic stress syndrome, obesity, ADHD and autism, among other health issues. At a minimum, your body needs seven hours of sleep every night.!
What are some things that disrupt your sleep cycle? A full bladder is one of the major complaints that wake people up at night and disturb their rest. But did you know that light can do this too? Especially the light emitted by the LEDs on digital clocks. In fact, these lights also put out frequencies that can impact your circadian rhythm, and not in a good way. While not scientifically proven, it is also thought that electric devices that have an A/C adapter can also emit EMF that disrupts your sleep.
What can you do to improve your rest and support your body? First, remove anything in the bedroom that can potentially alter your circadian rhythm – your smart phone, television sets, PC, digital clocks are all good examples. Your bedroom should be a temple for sleep, not a place to work, watch TV or be distracted. Next, allow your evening to be a path to sleep. You can do this by reducing stimulation after the dinner hour. Be discriminating with what you watch on TV and eliminate shows that evoke strong response in your nervous system. Cut out caffeine after lunch. Some of us need to cut it out after our morning coffee actually! Don’t forget—chocolate is LOADED with caffeine. Empty your bladder before bed.
This one may sound counter-intuitive, but before you go to bed, drink a glass of roomtemperature (or even warm) water. If your kidneys are working properly, this shouldn’tcause your bladder to be over stimulated. On the other side, cut back on heavy intake of liquids in the evening—moderation is the key here.
The nutritional supplement melatonin has been proven to be a God-send for those with sleep issues. It’s a hormone produced by the pineal gland. As we age our pineal glands produce less of it, and some chemicals such as fluoride had been shown to slow the production of it even in children. It regulates the sleep cycle, and it doesn’t take much. It’s an inexpensive, natural solution. The recommended dosage is 1 – 3 mg taken an hour before bedtime. Melatonin has other positive effects including potential anti-aging abilities.
If, after all these are tried and you still have trouble either falling asleep or getting back to sleep in the night, be sure not to lay in bed and fret. Get up, go to another room and read or work on a project (not watch TV) until sleep comes naturally for you. Best not to allow sleep issues to become associated with your bed!
Finally, fall in love with sleep. What we resist persists, so when you fight sleep, you just prolong the problem. Sweet Dreams!
Jean Adrienne is the developer of the InnerSpeak Breakthrough Coaching Method. She’s an author, teacher and talk radio host. Find out more at
www.JeanAdrienne.com.
