 |
| thedementiaqueen.com |
Sleep habits, routines and the sleep environment
1.
The bedroom is for sleeping
Your bedroom should be a relaxing, quiet environment that
should be for sleep and obviously sex. It shouldn’t be an office, or a study
area, or a storage space for the newspapers you’ve hoarded over the years. Nor
should it be the place where you watch TV. Keep it a serene place of relaxation
and enjoyment, not a place of mental stimulation and stress.
2.
Pre bed routine
Get your body in the habit of being ready for sleep with a
pre-bed routine. Start winding down an hour or so before you go to bed by
reading a book, turning the lights out or doing another relaxing activity.
Follow the same routine every night, as practice makes perfect for us, it also
does for the body!
3.
Don’t just lay there staring at the clock
4.
Set the routine of waking up and going to bed at
the same time each day
Give your body a routine to work to, 10.30 bedtime, 6.30 get
up (feel free to adjust times to suit your lifestyle). Your body should soon
adapt and get used to this habit.
5.
Get sunlight during the day and darkness during
the evening
It seems a bit strange to suggest getting sunlight during
the day and darkness during the evening, it seems like it should be the natural
order. The biggest problem here though is that we’re often inside and under man
made lighting both day and night. Our body’s
natural rhythms and hormones are guided by our exposure to light. It’s how our
bodies know where we are in the 24 hour cycle. Our bodies produce melatonin, a
sleep hormone, at night, when it’s dark. The exposure to bright light during
this time can affect our melatonin production and reduce sleep. Similarly we
naturally have less melatonin during the day, because under natural light, the
body knows it’s daytime and does not need to produce it. Try getting a bit of
sun during the day and using less lighting in the evening.
Exercise and sleep
6.
Exercise early in the day
Exercise gets the endorphins and happy hormones going, that’s
one of the reasons we love it. It’s also one of the reasons that it can keep
you awake. Everyone is different here. Some people have no problem training
late at night and going to sleep within a few hours, others find the
stimulation too much. If you’re having trouble sleeping, it’s definitely worth
trying to exercise earlier and see if its helps. If you’re not exercising at
all, do so. It’s a great stress reliever and helps burn off excess energy, two
things which should make it easier for you to drift off. You don’t have to run
a marathon in order to get the sleep benefits, just half an hour a day could
make the world of difference.
7.
Avoid stimulants
Liming your intake of stimulants such as coffee and energy
drinks can dramatically improve your sleep. I think we all know this logically,
the problem however lies in the exhaustion we feel when we’re not sleeping
well, and that desire to have enough energy to get through our day. If you’re
having an ongoing or even recent issue with sleep, as hard as it may be to get
through the day, try doing so without the use of caffeine as it will inevitably
make the problem worse. If you must have something, try having your caffeine hit
before 12pm and limit it to one cup. That way you’ve got plenty of time to burn
it off before bed.
8.
Fluid intake
Who likes getting up in the middle of the night to pee? Not
me. In all honesty I’m a good sleeper, but I drink a lot of water and if I’m
not careful I will have to get up to let it out! Try reducing your intake of
water 2-3 hours before bed. It is ok to have a small amount during this time,
but don’t go overboard. If you still find you’re getting up to go to the
bathroom, you may want to eliminate fluid all together in those last few hours.
9.
Herbal teas like chamomile and lemon balm
Herbal teas such as these have a calming and soothing effect
on the nervous system. Drinking a warm herbal tea just feels relaxing,
particularly on a cold night.
10.
Don’t eat huge meals before bed
Certain foods are more prone to giving you heart burn or
reflux which can have a drastic effect on your sleep. Steer clear of rich foods
or meals with a large amount of fat right before bed. If you already have
reflux or heartburn, make sure you eat a good few hours before going to bed to
ensure you don’t bring on symptoms.
Tryptophan is an amino acid (a building block of protein)
that is eventually used in the production of melatonin. It’s the reason it’s
suggested to drink a warm glass of milk before bed to aid sleep. Milk is high
in tryptophan. Eating protein foods and ensuring we eat enough tryptophan also
helps with stress and depression management as it involved in the production of
serotonin and other happy hormones. Anyone who is stressed or depressed knows
that it will affect sleep. These high protein and tryptophan rich foods are
important for our general wellbeing. For this purpose, the best foods to
consumer are dairy (yoghurt and milk), poultry such as chicken and turkey, and
fish like cod, perch and salmon. You can also find tryptophan in egg whites,
sesame seeds, some cheeses, oatmeal and banana’s.
Recent research has shown that eating a high GI carbohydrate
meal before bed (with a tryptophan rich food) is also a great way to aid sleep.
It’s not completely understood but it’s believed that the high GI foods allow
for a better amount of tryptophan to be in the blood stream compared to certain
other amino acids. It’s suggested that the higher the blood concentration of
tryptophan, the greater production of melatonin which improved sleep.
12.
Consume foods high in calcium and magnesium
Foods high in the minerals calcium and magnesium can also be
a great way to improve sleep as they’re both relaxants for the nervous system
and muscles. Generally speaking, people who wake up a lot will benefit from
additional magnesium, whether it be through diet or supplemental. If you’re
trying magnesium supplements without success, switch to a calcium. IT can be
hard to distinguish between which you need. Great calcium foods to improve
sleep include dairy and sesame seeds (also high in tryptophan remember) and
dark green leafy vegies like kale. Magnesium rich foods include nuts and seeds
such as sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, Brazil nuts and almonds, oats,
and cacao. The bran (fibrous part) of grains also contains magnesium, which is
why whole grains are important, the bran is intact.
13.
B vitamins
Vitamins B6, B9 and B12 are involved in the production of melatonin.
Eating a varied diet that includes animal protein from fish and poultry as well
as red meat, and plenty of dark green leafy vegies like kale, spinach and silver
beet, will ensure you get adequate amounts of these important B vitamins. If
you don’t eat red meat or are vegetarian or vegan, have your B12 levels checked
by your doctor to see whether you need to supplement.
Example of meal for better sleep
Dinner
Chicken or turkey and quinoa, with a side of steamed kale,
broccoli and carrot, drizzled with olive oil and topped with sesame seeds.
Dessert
Small bowl of yoghurt with fresh raspberries
sprinkled with cacao or cocoa powder.
Doesn’t sound too bad now does it?
Let me know if you find relief from any of these tips.
Sweet dreams,
Chris
love your post...May I added to my web page and I will mention that it is coming from your site?
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Patrick
Hey Patrick, that shouldnt be a problem, as long as the mention is there. I'd appreciate it :) Thank you
DeleteThanks for the great tips! They sound very useful.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Linda, its such a common problem! Glad you liked it :)
Delete