How to Sleep Like a Pro

You need to get 6-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night. If you find it difficult to so, here are small changes you need to make in your daily routine to set it right!

Sleep should be your priority

When you have not had enough sleep you are in one crazy mood! You over-react to small things, and begin to feel irritated and stressed out throughout the day. What’s worse is that sleepless nights result in serious effects on your hormones and regulates your appetite making you gain weight causing depression and even risking a high blood pressure! Try as much to get the right amount of sleep every night.

Coffee – only for breakfast

It is alright to have a cup of coffee in the morning but not after noon. The half-life cycle of coffee is about 5 hours and the system needs to clear the caffeine before bedtime. So to give it enough time, do not have coffee after noon. Otherwise, your sleep would be disrupted with the increase in urination during the night.

Sweat it out- but at the right time!

There are contradictions in studies regarding exercise and sleep. Experts say that exercising in the evening does not give adrenaline enough time to settle down before sleep. Thus, remaining activated and keeping you awake. On the contrary, other research studies show that sleep is improved with exercise. As a conclusion, if you find that exercising at night gives you a good sleep, then go ahead and sweat it out. If not, try exercising in the morning.

Ladies, say no to booze at night

This goes especially to women since men sleep soundly even after a drink but it is not the same with women as women who drink before sleeping, wake up frequently and sleep less.

Give yourself some time to relax

After you are home post your day’s work, make it a point to take a few minutes of quality time for yourself and relax. Take a shower or have a hot cup of chamomile tea or sit alone for a few minutes quietly. This will calm you down from the stressful day and free your mind.

Single? Then, this is not for you!

Oxytocin, a hormone released during an orgasm, in both men and women, cause you to sleep immediately after intercourse. This hormone is higher in women than in men and it is also referred to as the cuddle hormone.

Your phone needs some rest too!

Melatonin, the hormone that makes you sleepy is supressed by the waves that are generated by mobile phones, iPods, iPads, Laptops and other similar gadgets that result in poor sleep. So, ensure to set aside these gadgets and then get into bed.

Meditate

The best way to clear your mind completely, put all your thoughts away and relax to the fullest is to meditate. Meditation works well for insomniacs.

Smell roses

Aromatherapy is therapy that is done by smelling essential oils. Aromatherapy oils or just the rose itself will do. If using oil, drip a small amount on a tissue, hold it to your nose and inhale 10-15 times. This is one nature’s best therapies which will calm you down and enhance your sleep.

Yoga poses

Try a few really easy yoga postures like the corpse pose, forward bends, happy baby pose, etc. to relax and restore a good sleep.

What Is Sleep Hygiene?

Sleep hygiene refers to our lifestyle practices and general behavior that determines the quality of our sleep. The term sleep hygiene may sound a bit odd to you, believe me it initially raised my eyebrows too, but since “hygiene” really entails a summation of the activities we subscribe to in a bid to preserve our health then the idea is not too far fetched. So what then is your sleep hygiene? What are some of the the things that you routinely do before going to bed? Do you have specific times when you wake up or go to bed? These are important factors that can determine whether you snooze in bliss or you stay wide awake in the wee hours of the morning. You are probably thinking, well I have never really thought of that before, I simply go to bed whenever I feel sleepy.
What then constitutes good sleep hygiene?

Establishing a set time for bedtime and when you get up seven days a week.
Never sleep during the day if you are struggling with sleeplessness.
Have a consistent exercise regime.
Be sure to do your exercises at least five to six hours before you retire (preferably early mornings).
Eat light meals before bed and do not consume snacks at nights.
Eliminate caffeine, sodas and dark chocolate from your diet.
Reserve your bed for sleeping and avoid mentally stimulating activities once there.
Your bedroom should be conducive to sleep.
Get enough sunlight
Ensure that you are in a good frame of mind before climbing into bed.
Make note of your lifestyle and sleep pattern in your sleep diary so that you can determine what is affecting your sleep pattern.

You will be more likely to witness changes if you implement all of the following but be mindful that this a gradual process and you will see changes over time.

The Drawbacks of Sleep Hygiene

One of the problems with sleep hygiene is that it gives you a list of things to do but it does not really systematically take you through the process of getting them done. For example it recommends that you achieve a good frame of mind before climbing under the covers but it falls short of telling you how to achieve that.

Secondly, behavior really speaks to a collection of habits that you would have cultivated over time and so it may require a significant amount of time to change how you do things. Most people will not follow through if they see no tangible improvements within weeks. Lastly, you can implement all of the measures and still suffer from insomnia because the causes can be quite diverse. Your insomnia could be as a result of sleep anxiety,over stimulation of the nervous system, habitual worrying or a range of other things.

Therefore adherence to sleep hygiene may not be a comprehensive solution for insomnia but it is a good place to begin and you will beat it if you always remain positive because insomnia can be cured and that gives a ray of hope.

Adrenal Fatigue And Insomnia

Adrenal Fatigue – A Common and Curable Source of Insomnia

Due to today’s fast paced lifestyle and busy schedules, more and more people are developing some form of sleeping disorder. While there are over the counter medications readily available for those who are suffering some insomnia taking these drugs may cause some negative side effects.

Dangers of Dependency to Sleeping Medications

It is important for people to understand that these sleeping pills are merely short term solutions and it will require something drastic to truly cure insomnia. Sleeping medications are prone to side effects and constant use will make the individual heavily dependent on the drug, in short, sleeping pills are habit forming. There is also the fact that the body will eventually gain some form of immunity from the drug making it ineffective in the long run. In order to treat insomnia it is vital to first know what the cause of the sleep disorder is. By finding out the root of the problem we would be able to develop a fool-proof plan to treat insomnia. Based on cases of insomnia there is an underlying connection between the sleep disorder and blood sugar imbalances, specifically the body’s adrenal function.

Adrenal hyper function will cause an individual difficulty in sleeping due to the higher cortisol production. Cortisol helps in triggering adrenaline and while that is helpful on certain occasions it is dangerous when produced often and at a high rate.

Insomnia Caused by Adrenal Fatigue

Adrenal fatigue on the other hand means that you can still pretty much fall asleep but staying asleep for the recommended duration to recharge the body is a different story. This can cause the body to have difficulty maintaining sleep. If left unchecked, adrenal fatigue will lead down to insomnia.

Our body needs at least 8 to 10 hours of sleep to fully recharge. During this period cortisol helps keep the body’s blood sugar at a balanced rate as you sleep. The problem is if the body fails to produce cortisol the body will shift to another hormone called epinephrine which will jump start your body leaving you wide awake in the middle of the night.

This can be a huge problem as these sorts of conditions usually occur quite often. Simply put, your body will actively prevent you from going to sleep during a certain point at night or early morning which in turn leaves you drowsy throughout the day. Adrenal fatigue can drive your sleep pattern into disarray which will mostly develop into a type of insomnia in the long run.

A Proper Mind Set is Needed to Treat Insomnia

As stated earlier, there are several factors that should be looked at in order to help determine the appropriate response to sleep disorder. There is no single magic cure all for insomnia, in order to treat this condition we must have a comprehensive strategy for our lifestyle, eating habits as well as a positive outlook in life.

In conclusion, if you consult a doctor regarding your insomnia and they immediately prescribed you with sleeping medications it is recommended you take a second opinion. For insomnia caused by adrenal fatigue, simply throwing in supplements or medication at it will not work. Every aspect of your sleeping disorder must be looked at and specific questions about your daily lifestyle must be scrutinized. The first step in stopping insomnia is asking the right questions so that you will get the right answers.

Treating Insomnia With Acupuncture

Acupuncture is now being hailed a viable alternative to conventional medicine. Acupuncture involves needles, fortunately however, it is not a painful ordeal and the benefits are tremendous. The role of Acupuncture in treating insomnia can be traced back to ancient times and probably has its origin in China. The Chinese however, have managed to perfect it even further, largely drawing from ancient Chinese Medical practices to strengthen benefits.

In order to understand the nature of acupuncture, you must comprehend the concept of “qi” which really means life force or life energy. Qi travels through the body via what is considered “meridians.” You are diagnosed as being healthy if the “qi” flows unobstructed. Wherever there is blockage it will manifest itself as either a condition or a disease. Acupuncture remedies this by freeing the “meridians” and removing the blockage. This is achieved by sticking very small and slender needles into the body. It is believed that there are 2000 “meridians” points in the body and insomnia may account for twelve or more.

Acupuncture should be professionally done

This is a holistic alternative method that takes your general medical history into account. If you are suffering from insomnia, it is important to determine the type of insomnia, your sleep schedule or lack thereof, your overall mental and physical health. Be prepared to have your tongue checked ( since it can be used as an indicator of your overall health) and your overall dietary practices will also come under scrutiny.

You may not be fully able to relate to the philosophy behind acupuncture but I would recommend that you try it because Western medicine tend to treat the symptoms (focuses on releasing happy hormones in the case of insomnia) but acupuncture tries to determine the root cause and this really is something remarkable and it is a practice we should consider adopting.

Acupuncture; An Insider’s View

Many people who have experienced acupuncture, attest to feeling a sense of relief at the initial stage. In fact must people report a unprecedented and inexplicable sense of peace. There is usually a flood of warmth in the affected areas and this really does indicate that acupuncture has some level of effectiveness and it would be in your best interest to try it in the treatment of insomnia.

Is acupuncture for you?

Acupuncture may be used to treat most types of insomnia but if you suffer from sleep anxiety then you will need another type of treatment but it is a safe bet for all others.

Finding a Good Acupuncturist

Whether or not you find an acupuncturist within a reasonable time frame depends on where you live. The best way to go would be by referral from someone you know and whom you trust. Another way would be to ask someone in the medical field; a physician, a physiotherapist etc. You may also browse online and sites such as Acupuncture Today, American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine are good places to begin. Lastly you may simply use the telephone directory and research that person’s credibility. It is worth a try!

Essential Vitamins For Insomnia Prevention

Essential Vitamins to Treat Insomnia

Insomnia is a disorder wherein an individual will experience difficulty sleeping. This can lead to several health problems as lack of sleep will severely decrease your body’s immunity and will also affect you mentally as it can dull your senses and reflexes. Caffeine, stress and alcohol are the common causes for this disorder and by avoiding these and having a healthier lifestyle you can avoid developing sleep disorders. In order to further help prevent this disorder from affecting you there are vitamins that you can take as well.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is an essential vitamin for our body as it helps promote healthy teeth, skin, bones and mucous membrane. Studies have also shown that Vitamin A is a major factor in healthy brain functions such as sleep quality and memory. We can obtain Vitamin A by eating meat, eggs and milk to name a few. Vitamin A supplements are available in drugstores but it is important that you do not exceed the proper dosage as it can lead to some unwanted side effects.

Vitamin B12

When it comes to our body’s red blood cell production and metabolism it is Vitamin B12’s time to shine. It has been proven in studies that Vitamin B12 deficit can lead to sleep disorders, weakness and anemia.

Doctors recommend 3mg of Vitamin B12 daily will help improve sleep, mood and concentration. Vitamin B12 can be obtained by eating shellfish, eggs, meat and milk.

Vitamins C and Vitamin E

Vitamins C and Vitamin E are essential to the body as it helps boots immunity and are effective antioxidants to help flush out free radicals from inside our body. Vitamin C helps relieve a person of oxidative stress which is found in sleep apnea patients. Vitamin C and E supplements can help improve the quality of sleep a person gets and assist in balancing a healthy sleep pattern. However, it is important to keep in mind that overdosing on Vitamin C can cause diarrhea and stomachache while excessive intake of Vitamin E may be fatal. Vitamin C is naturally obtained by eating citrus fruits and leafy vegetables. Vitamin E can be found in nuts, corn and wheat.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is an important vitamin that helps promote growth and strengthen bones. Lack of proper Vitamin D in the body can lead to sleeping disorders. In order to prevent this from happening it is important that we include dairy products and sea foods to our diet. Our body can also produce Vitamin D from being exposed in sunlight. For those who do not have the luxury of enjoying the sun’s rays as often as they want there are Vitamin D supplements available in health and drugstores.

Keep in mind that as is the case with other vitamins, over dosing can lead to side effects such as muscle pains and kidney stones.

Insomnia can be avoided by eating healthy and proper exercise. These are the essential vitamins our body needs and it is important that are able to maintain healthy levels to not only prevent insomnia but also stop other ailments from developing.