By now we have heard how important it is to get enough quality sleep, but what if you are still struggling? Insomnia is extremely common and can take many forms. Maybe you can’t fall asleep, or you wake through the night, or you are sleeping but still wake feeling tired or groggy?
People with chronic insomnia have up to a 3 times greater risk of overall mortality! Lack of sleep impacts all aspects of your health and life – affecting your hormones, thyroid, adrenals, weakening your immune system, impacting memory and cognitive function, and even increasing risk of cancer and heart disease.
So How Can You Get Great Sleep? Try these tips:
1. Keep A Regular Sleep Schedule
Our hormones, brain, and adrenal glands are all programmed to keep a circadian rhythm, which follows light and dark. Sleeping ideally before midnight, and waking 7-8 hours later, on a consistent schedule helps maintain the natural rhythms our bodies are designed for. This also means sleeping more in the winters and less in the summers, as the daylight hours change.
2. Maintain A Dark Bedroom
The bedroom should be completely dark when you sleep. This may mean closing blinds, putting up blackout curtains, turning off all lights, or sleeping with a sleep mask to block all light. This also means avoiding televisions, computer, or phone screens in the 1-2 hours before bed. If you do look at screens, consider blue light blocking glasses that will filter the strong lights emitted from the screens. We naturally go through deep and light sleep cycles through the night. If the room has any light, or electronic brightness it signals your brain to wake and be alert.
Here is a link to blue light blocking glasses:
https://www.amazon.ca/Blue-Light-Blocking-Glasses-Registered/dp/B010B5GUH0/ref=sr_1_3?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1501793846&sr=1-3&keywords=blue+light+blocking+glasses
3. Remove Electronics From The Bedroom
Do you have a phone, cell phone, wifi, alarm clock, TV, and computer in your bedroom? All electronic devices emit frequencies that can affect people differently. For many people these frequencies interrupt sleep.
Consider trial of turning off all electronics at night. Unplug the wifi internet router, turn off phones or charge them away from your bed. Move the alarm clock away from the bedside table. This can significantly improve the quality of your sleep, increasing the time spent in deeper sleep.
4. Keep The Room Cool
Keeping the room at 20 degrees or lower helps your body sleep deeper. This may mean adding a fan, keeping a window open, or sleeping with a lighter blanket.
5. Have A Relaxing Routine
Take a bath, read a book, have a relaxing tea like Chamomile or Kava, or meditate. Any of these activities, which are calming help to wind down the mind and ready the brain and body for sleep.
6. Avoid Excess Stimulants
Too much coffee, or caffeinated tea can keep you up at night. As can eating too much food too close to bed. If you are hungry close to bedtime, try a small serving of protein that contains the amino acid tryptophan that can aid sleep. Consider a handful of nuts or seeds, lean protein (like chicken, turkey, or fish), or dates with a little nut butter.
7. Exercise Regularly
People who exercise regularly report the best sleep (National Sleep Foundation’s 2013 Sleep Survey). Aim for at 30 minutes of movement during the day, most days. Exercise can vary from a walk outside to an intense interval workout, do what works for you and vary your activities. Some people find exercise close to bedtime can help them sleep, but for most exercise is stimulating and better to do earlier in the day.
8. Check Your Mattress
You spend a lot of time in bed, having good quality bedding is so important! How old is your mattress and pillow? If your mattress more than 10 years old it is time for a new one. Consider a memory foam mattress with no metal springs. Pillows can be washed 1-2 times a year and replaced if they are no longer supporting you.
9. Aromatherapy
Try an essential oil diffuser in your bedroom. Oils like lavender, chamomile, ylang ylang, orange, bergamot, sandalwood, and cedarwood can be relaxing. Choose a scent that appeals to you.
10. Avoid Stimulating Supplements After Lunch
Are your taking B Vitamins, multi-vitamin, adrenal support, ginseng? These and other supplements can be stimulating and make it more difficult to sleep at night. Take these at breakfast or before noon.
People with chronic insomnia have up to a 3 times greater risk of overall mortality! Lack of sleep impacts all aspects of your health and life – affecting your hormones, thyroid, adrenals, weakening your immune system, impacting memory and cognitive function, and even increasing risk of cancer and heart disease.
So How Can You Get Great Sleep? Try these tips:
1. Keep A Regular Sleep Schedule
Our hormones, brain, and adrenal glands are all programmed to keep a circadian rhythm, which follows light and dark. Sleeping ideally before midnight, and waking 7-8 hours later, on a consistent schedule helps maintain the natural rhythms our bodies are designed for. This also means sleeping more in the winters and less in the summers, as the daylight hours change.
2. Maintain A Dark Bedroom
The bedroom should be completely dark when you sleep. This may mean closing blinds, putting up blackout curtains, turning off all lights, or sleeping with a sleep mask to block all light. This also means avoiding televisions, computer, or phone screens in the 1-2 hours before bed. If you do look at screens, consider blue light blocking glasses that will filter the strong lights emitted from the screens. We naturally go through deep and light sleep cycles through the night. If the room has any light, or electronic brightness it signals your brain to wake and be alert.
Here is a link to blue light blocking glasses:
https://www.amazon.ca/Blue-Light-Blocking-Glasses-Registered/dp/B010B5GUH0/ref=sr_1_3?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1501793846&sr=1-3&keywords=blue+light+blocking+glasses
3. Remove Electronics From The Bedroom
Do you have a phone, cell phone, wifi, alarm clock, TV, and computer in your bedroom? All electronic devices emit frequencies that can affect people differently. For many people these frequencies interrupt sleep.
Consider trial of turning off all electronics at night. Unplug the wifi internet router, turn off phones or charge them away from your bed. Move the alarm clock away from the bedside table. This can significantly improve the quality of your sleep, increasing the time spent in deeper sleep.
4. Keep The Room Cool
Keeping the room at 20 degrees or lower helps your body sleep deeper. This may mean adding a fan, keeping a window open, or sleeping with a lighter blanket.
5. Have A Relaxing Routine
Take a bath, read a book, have a relaxing tea like Chamomile or Kava, or meditate. Any of these activities, which are calming help to wind down the mind and ready the brain and body for sleep.
6. Avoid Excess Stimulants
Too much coffee, or caffeinated tea can keep you up at night. As can eating too much food too close to bed. If you are hungry close to bedtime, try a small serving of protein that contains the amino acid tryptophan that can aid sleep. Consider a handful of nuts or seeds, lean protein (like chicken, turkey, or fish), or dates with a little nut butter.
7. Exercise Regularly
People who exercise regularly report the best sleep (National Sleep Foundation’s 2013 Sleep Survey). Aim for at 30 minutes of movement during the day, most days. Exercise can vary from a walk outside to an intense interval workout, do what works for you and vary your activities. Some people find exercise close to bedtime can help them sleep, but for most exercise is stimulating and better to do earlier in the day.
8. Check Your Mattress
You spend a lot of time in bed, having good quality bedding is so important! How old is your mattress and pillow? If your mattress more than 10 years old it is time for a new one. Consider a memory foam mattress with no metal springs. Pillows can be washed 1-2 times a year and replaced if they are no longer supporting you.
9. Aromatherapy
Try an essential oil diffuser in your bedroom. Oils like lavender, chamomile, ylang ylang, orange, bergamot, sandalwood, and cedarwood can be relaxing. Choose a scent that appeals to you.
10. Avoid Stimulating Supplements After Lunch
Are your taking B Vitamins, multi-vitamin, adrenal support, ginseng? These and other supplements can be stimulating and make it more difficult to sleep at night. Take these at breakfast or before noon.
Looking For Extra Support?
Make an appointment and we can create an individualized sleep strategy. There are many supplements that can improve sleep, depending on your specific concern. You can also try IV Vitamin therapy.
The IV’s contain a specialized combination of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids to have you relaxed and calm so you can get those ZZZ’s.
Visit the clinic website to make an appointment: pure5wellness.com or phone 604.428.8682
Make an appointment and we can create an individualized sleep strategy. There are many supplements that can improve sleep, depending on your specific concern. You can also try IV Vitamin therapy.
The IV’s contain a specialized combination of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids to have you relaxed and calm so you can get those ZZZ’s.
Visit the clinic website to make an appointment: pure5wellness.com or phone 604.428.8682