A main compliant I hear from clients is difficulties with consistent healthy sleep. Sleep is crucially important for managing any stress and promoting health yet is far overlooked by many! Sleep can dictate how we think, focus, regulate emotions, problem solve, critically think, synthesize hormone levels, repair and rejuvenate our body.
Identifying circadian rhythm and how to sync it. Our circadian rhythm is our sleep and wake system. Our natural inner clock to help us go to sleep and wake up! Our body releases hormones to naturally relax our body for bed and to naturally wake our bodies up! Think, before alarm clocks, phones, people went to bed when the sun went down and woke up when the sun came up! It was their natural clock! Our society has long gone with the natural alarm clock. We stay up late, we sleep in on the weekends, etc. This had slowly (with other factors) knocked our circadian rhythm off! How to get it back on cycle:
Get up earlier. Start with 15min at a time to get up earlier. No nap during the day. Go to bed 15mins earlier. Keep moving those times by 15mins until at a desired and healthy bedtime and wake up time.
Turn off electronics! We have all heard this but seriously, turn the tv off, put the phone down! At least 1 hour before bed. Try reading! Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson is a great start!
Sleep in a cool room. Studies have shown that sleeping in cooler temperatures at night between 60-68 degrees is ideal. Cooler temperatures stimulate the production of melatonin, encouraging our bodies to fall and stay asleep.
Decrease caffeine and sugar during the day. This may be difficult because during the time it may take to regulate our sleep-wake cycle we may feel groggy and tired so caffeine is a go to stimulate that helps. But caffeine highly effects the ability to fall asleep and reduces the amount of deep sleep that is needed. I encourage clients to work on decreasing caffeine by switching to decaf, enjoying herbal teas, increase water intake and enjoying mid-afternoon walks to stimulate the mind and body throughout the day. When it comes to sugar, it should be no surprise that sugar can hijack our overall health, including our sleep! It disrupts and confuses our body and system causing imbalances making it difficult to sleep soundly, deeply and consistently.
Increasing Vitamin D and Calcium: Vitamin D in it’s natural form, sunlight, first thing in the morning and throughout the day can help decrease melatonin levels and increase cortisol levels to help our sleep-wake cycle to regulate and have a more peaceful time falling asleep. Not to mention, Vitamin D plays a significant role in regulate and managing depressive symptoms. Research has show that Calcium is the highest during our REM cycle (rapid eye movement). Meaning, if you don’t get REM or limited time in this phase then it may be due to calcium deficiency. A nice warm cup of goat-milk kiefer before bed helps increase calcium and magnesium both which are best when consumed together for absorption and release of melatonin.
Increase Magnesium: Studies have shown that higher magnesium levels correlates to deeper sleep. Incorporating magnesium in a form of a drink such as Natural Vital Calm Powder or have occasional Epsom salt bath can be a relaxing and helpful part of your bedtime routine. Don’t have a bathtub? Try Ancient Minerals Magnesium spray. Spray before getting in the shower and allow it to absorb for 20mminutes then rinse off. Taking magnesium with calcium can help the body with absorption. Here are a few snacks to consume before bedtime: goat-milk kiefer, banana, almonds, crackers with almond butter, gluten-free oatmeal with honey and dark cherries, cherry chamomile smoothie (see sleep recipes post for recipe), chamomile, Valerian, passion flower tea.
Use of Essential oils and other natural herbal resources can be helpful to gain deeper and sound sleep. Essential oils like lavender, frankincense, bergamot, sandlewood can be sprayed on your pillow, rubbed on the bottom of your feet, or diffused in the air before and during sleep. Natural herbs and roots such as Passion flower, Valerian root and St. John’s Wart have shown significant improvements with sleep and anxiety and depression symptoms.
I have been recommending these strategies to my personal clients for years. These simple strategies will immediately help even those the struggle the most with sleep.
Sleep is the crucial and first step to regulating anxiety, depression and mood symptoms. For adults, 7-9 hours of sleep is essential for the repair and rebuild of the body and mind. Keeping a sleep journal is a great way to track and determine what works for you! Prioritize sleep, your mind and body depend on it!