Do you struggle with good quality sleep? Wake feeling tired? Reach for the caffeine and sugar to keep you going? Wine at night to wind down?
At some stage in our lives the majority of us have suffered from some form of sleep deprivation. The causes are myriad, from self-inflicted late-nights socialising, long hours at work, shift work, the influence of young children in the house or the neighbour’s barking dog. While individual requirements vary, our parents were generally right: Approximately 8 hours represents a healthy goal. I am frequently surprised by the number of people who present in my clinic with disorders associated with a lack of sleep. The effects over the short term may for most be insignificant, however it doesn’t take long for more serious consequences to manifest.
Effects on the body:
Depression
Fatigue
Poor Memory and concentration
Poor glucose metabolism
Headaches
Loss of appetite
Delayed reaction time (research has shown some of the same hazardous effects as being drunk)
Weakened immune system
Weight problems (there is information now to show that a hormone important to weight regulation is produced when we get enough sleep)
Of all the cases presenting with Insomnia, it is those suffering from stress, and menopausal women who form the largest groups. Simply assessing the driving factors and providing support via nutrition and herbal medicine can turn this around reasonably rapidly in the majority of cases. Any time there are significant hormonal changes can bring on insomnia also e.g. puberty, pregnancy, breastfeeding etc. Males are not excluded from this category either, as hormonal fluctuations are not only the domain of females. Diagnostic testing may be useful for some chronic cases of insomnia. This is used to assess various chemical and hormone patterns e.g. cortisol, melatonin, estrogen etc.
Here is a toolkit for you to try!
I’m here at pH clinic to help you or your loved ones with any and all sleep issues. Here’s to peaceful, restorative sleep!
- Establish a routine around bedtime so that your body remembers the cues
- Reducing stimulation in the form of media (television and other noise/visual stimuli) at least an hour before bed
- Try to eat before 7pm so the body is not busy digesting food or giving you digestive problems when you re lying down (e.g. reflux, bloating etc).
- Blood sugars: it is helpful to ensure that your blood sugars are under control (to prevent your body waking you at night for sustenance)
- Stress: many of my patients report the cause of insomnia as an overactive mind. The inability to “turn off”. I recommend a journal by the bed for recording thoughts on paper…ensuring that nothing gets “forgotten” and your mind can rest.
- Try to have your fluids before 6pm each evening, to reduce the need to get up during the night
- Avoid all stimulants, such as tea, coffee, alcohol and chocolate. While alcohol can induce sleep, it reduces REM sleep and causes fitful sleep in the early hours of the morning
- Try to get some physical exercise each day. Aim for something that raises the heart rate for at least 20 minutes
- Foot massage is an effective way of drawing energy away from a busy head.
- Consult your Naturopath for a tailored approach to your sleep condition. There are many useful foods, nutrients and herbs that come with good supporting evidence for sleep health. They form part of a very safe and effective programme for managing insomnia, and your Naturopath will want to assess whether there is any other underlying cause for the condition, and confirm that there are no other medications or supplements that would alter their effect. Establishing a healthy sleep pattern can be life-changing.
Blog post written by our epically talented and highly experienced Naturopath Tracey Loughran. To book an appointment with Tracey click on the link here.
