Sleep: Recharging Your Power

In winter, nature sleeps. If you are having trouble sleeping, (in winter or anytime of the year) you aren't re-charging your batteries like you should, and you might be feeling tired, fuzzy-headed or even sick during the day. Studies have shown that you are more susceptible to chronic health problems (cardio-vascular illness, diabetes, immune problems, for example) if you are not getting your 8 hours of sleep. Here are 33 suggestions for you to consider as you plan how to remedy your re-charging problem.

Optimizing Your Sleep Sanctuary

1. Sleep in complete darkness, or as close to it as possible. Even the tiniest bit of light in the room can disrupt your internal clock and your body's production of hormones. Light signals your brain that it’s time to wake up and starts preparing your body for ACTION.
2. Keep the temperature in your bedroom cool. Studies show that the optimal room temperature is between 60 to 68 degrees. Keeping your room cooler or hotter can lead to restless sleep.
3. Move alarm clocks and other electrical devices away from your bed. If these devices must be used, keep them as far away from your bed as possible, preferably at least 3 feet, and especially away from your head. Electrical fields in the bedroom will keep you awake.
4. Remove your clock from view. It will only add to your worry when you stare at it all night.
5. Avoid using loud alarm clocks. It is very stressful on your body to be suddenly jolted awake. If you are regularly getting enough sleep, an alarm may even be unnecessary.
6. Reserve your bed for sleeping and sex. No watching TV or doing work in bed.
7. Consider separate bedrooms. Recent studies suggest, for many people, sharing a bed with a partner (or pets) can significantly impair sleep.

Preparing for Bed

8. Get to bed as early as possible. Your body (particularly your adrenal system) does a majority of its recharging between the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., and your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. Prior to the widespread use of electricity, people would go to bed shortly after sundown, as most animals do, and which nature intended for humans as well.
9. Don't change your bedtime. You should go to bed and wake up at the same times each day, even on the weekends. This will help your body to establish a sleep rhythm.
10. Establish a bedtime routine. This could include meditation, deep breathing, or reading. The key is to find something that makes you feel relaxed, then repeat it each night.
11. Don't drink any fluids within 2 hours of going to bed. This will reduce the likelihood of needing to get up and go to the bathroom.
12. Go to the bathroom right before bed. This will reduce the chances that you'll wake up to go in the middle of the night.
13. Eat a high-protein snack several hours before bed. This can provide the L-tryptophan needed for your melatonin and serotonin production.
14. Also eat a small piece of fruit. This can help the tryptophan cross your blood-brain barrier.
15. Avoid before-bed snacks, particularly grains and sugars. These will raise your blood sugar and delay sleep. Later, when blood sugar drops too low (hypoglycemia), you may wake up and be unable to fall back asleep.
16. Take a hot bath, shower or sauna before bed. When your body temperature is raised in the late evening, it will fall at bedtime, facilitating slumber. The temperature drop from getting out of the bath signals your body it’s time for bed.
17. Wear socks to bed. Feet often feel cold before the rest of the body because they have the poorest circulation. A study has shown that wearing socks reduces night waking. As an alternative, you could place a hot water bottle near your feet at night.
18. Wear an eye mask to block out light. It is very important to sleep in complete darkness. But it's not always easy to block out every stream of light using curtains, blinds or drapes, particularly if you live in an urban area (or if your spouse has a different schedule than you do). Wearing an eye mask will help.
19. Put your work away at least one hour before bed (preferably two hours or more). This will give your mind a chance to unwind so you can go to sleep feeling calm.
20. No TV right before bed. Even better, get the TV out of the bedroom. It’s too stimulating to the brain, preventing you from falling asleep quickly. TV disrupts your pineal gland function.
21. Listen to relaxation CDs. Some people find the sound of white noise or nature sounds to be soothing for sleep.
22. Read something spiritual or uplifting. This may help you relax. Don't read anything stimulating, such as a mystery or suspense novel, which has the opposite effect.
23. Journaling. If you often lay in bed with your mind racing, it might be helpful to keep a journal and write down your thoughts before bed.

Lifestyle Suggestions That Enhance Sleep

24. Reduce or avoid as many drugs as possible. Many drugs, either prescription or over the counter may adversely affect sleep. Look up the side effects of the drugs you are taking and see if your meds are the culprit.
25. Avoid caffeine. At least one study has shown that, in some people, caffeine is not metabolized efficiently, leaving you feeling its effects long after consumption. Be aware that some medications or supplements contain caffeine.
26. Avoid alcohol. Although alcohol will make you drowsy at first, the effect is short lived and you will often wake up several hours later, unable to fall back asleep. Alcohol will also keep you from entering the deeper stages of sleep, where your body does most of its healing.
27. Make certain you get regular exercise. Exercising for at least 30 minutes per day can improve your sleep. However, don't exercise too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake.
28. Lose excess weight. Being overweight can increase your risk of sleep apnea, which can seriously impair your sleep.
29. Avoid foods you may be sensitive to. This is particularly true for sugar, grains, and pasteurized dairy. Sensitivity reactions can cause excess congestion, gastrointestinal upset, bloating and gas, or other problems.
30. If you are menopausal or peri-menopausal, get checked out by a physician. The hormonal changes at this time may cause sleep problems if not properly addressed.
31. Tell your acupuncturist if you are having sleep problems. Regular treatment with acupuncture or herbs may help you establish the correct body rhythms.

If All Else Fails

32. Increase your melatonin. Ideally it is best to increase levels naturally with exposure to bright sunlight in the daytime (along with full spectrum fluorescent bulbs in the winter) and absolute complete darkness at night. If that isn’t possible, you may want to consider a melatonin supplement. In scientific studies, melatonin has been shown to increase sleepiness, help you fall asleep more quickly and stay asleep, decrease restlessness, and reverse daytime fatigue.

(These suggestions have been derived and edited from Mercola.com)