LET’S TALK ZZZZZ’S…Learning Techniques To Better Sleep

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I am not a doctor and this information should not be considered medical advice. This post is for informational purposes and is my own personal experience. If you need medical help, seek this from your own medical professional.

Learning how to get better sleep will improve your overall health. Our bodies undergo a tremendous healing process during our sleep cycle. We can struggle with getting enough sleep due to our busy schedules, stress, anxiety, too much caffeine and just plain burning the candle at both ends!

STAGES OF SLEEP

During sleep, God designed our bodies to go through an amazing regeneration process. When we begin to understand this healing miracle, we realize how important it is for us to get good, solid sleep. There are two (2) cycles our bodies go through when we slumber. The first is NREM (non-rem) and the second is REM. REM stands for rapid eye movement. We’ll talk more about rapid eye movement in a little bit.

NREM

NREM sleep has four (4) stages:

• Stage 1 – Awake / Light Sleep
• Stage 2 – Light Sleep
• Stage 3 & 4 – Deep Sleep

These NREM stages account for approximately half of our night’s sleep. During stages 1 & 2 our heart rate and body temperature drop. This prepares our body for the following phases. In stages 3 & 4 our bodies and brains go through a healing reset.

REM

During REM sleep we have more eye movement which is why it’s called Rapid Eye Movement. REM is the most dream-filled part of our sleep phase. Our brain wave activity actually increases during REM. Some interesting occurrences that take place during this phase are that our brains utilize this time to give us “emotional first aid”. Our amazing brains take the day’s activities, including stress, and files it away appropriately to help us manage the day ahead. We also experience a creativity boost and are able to solve existing problems better. It has been said that our brain activity in REM sleep can be as active as when we are awake…amazing!

WHAT IS CIRCADIAN RHYTHM?

Circadian rhythm (CR) is another important part of our sleep cycle. It is our “sleep/wake pattern” over a 24-hour day. Every living creature is affected by it. It is affected by light, dark and also our environment. Using CR, our cells signal to our brain whether to be asleep or awake. Other things that are affected are our natural melatonin and cortisol levels. These two hormones can help prepare us to be awake or asleep. Our metabolism and body temperature also affect our CR.

Babies don’t have a CR and have erratic sleep patterns, but usually achieve stable sleep. Teenagers can have problems with their CR. Their phases can be delayed meaning they are not tired at night. This can be caused by hormone changes.

Some other life occurrences that affect our CR:

• medications
• late night lifestyles / working midnights
• jet lag / traveling between different time zones
• stress / overworking
• brain or head injuries / dementia
• mental health conditions
• poor sleep habits

HOW MUCH DO YOU NEED?

So how much sleep is enough? Each person can say they require more or less and still feel rested, but the average requirement to achieve optimum body healing is 7-9 hours of sleep each night. When we learn how our bodies are affected by sleep it can help us understand why it is so valuable to us.

BENEFITS

The benefits of sleep are numerous and are much needed for our bodies to function properly. Get enough sleep, this will keep our cortisol levels at a healthy level which helps our stress level remain lower. Healthy cortisol levels also help to maintain healthier blood sugar levels and stronger heart function. Sleep also helps us maintain a healthy mood and proper appetite.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DO NOT GET ENOUGH SLEEP?

When we do not get enough, many of our body functions suffer. We can become moody, have poor memory and concentration and lack of sleep can increase anxiety.

There are many factors that can contribute to poor sleep:

• HIGH CORTISOL LEVELS (STRESS)
• LOW VITAMIN D LEVELS
• LOW MINERAL LEVELS
• LOW VITAMIN B12 AND B1 LEVELS
• POOR BEDROOM ENVIRONMENT

There are other factors that can attribute to a poor night’s sleep but we will start off with just a few and give some helpful suggestions to give you better choices to reset so you can feel better!

NAPS…ARE THEY GOOD FOR YOU?

Another question that is asked….are naps good for you? Naps can be great for you if they are utilized as needed and taken occasionally. There are different lengths of naps:

Naps can be beneficial as long as we’re not depending on them to supplement an incomplete night’s slumber. What I mean is that if you’re not getting enough rest at night, then we need to determine the causes and go from there to correct it. Our bodies need to complete both NREM and REM phases to properly support our health. So if we are not getting a complete night’s rest and then rely on napping the next day to “catch up”, it can start an unbalanced cycle of poor sleep. Something to keep in mind is that you can’t make up for lost sleep. Another tip: If you’re feeling under the weather, a nap can be a tremendous boost for your immune system.

PROBLEM CONDITIONS

Some other conditions that negatively affect us are sleep apnea and insomnia. Sleep apnea is a condition of stopping and starting breathing while sleeping. This creates a shortage of oxygen to the brain which, over time, can cause complications. Maintaining a healthy weight can sometimes help resolve this issue.

Many factors can cause insomnia. One of the sneakiest culprits is caffeine. Even though you may think that consuming your java early in the day will be a safe choice…caffeine has a half life. This means that you may only burn off half of the caffeine within a few hours, but the remaining caffeine can last in your system for a longer period. Some other factors that can contribute to insomnia are anxiety and adrenal deficiencies.

SLEEP SOLUTIONS

Are you ready to get into some solutions to help improve your sleep? Me too…let’s go!

• EXERCISE: Physical exertion allows our bodies to use energy in a purposeful way; this can tire our bodies, help us get to bed faster and stay asleep longer. Lounging on the couch all day would likely have a negative impact on a good night’s rest.

• TRY TO FOLLOW A SET SLEEP PATTERN EACH DAY: By going to bed and waking at approximately the same time each day, our bodies can get into a healthy circadian rhythm.

• GET BRIGHT MORNING LIGHT INTO YOUR EYES WITHIN THE FIRST HALF HOUR UPON WAKING: The morning light helps to set our CR in a healthy manner and lets our body/brain know that it is time to get going. Many parts of the world don’t get consistent bright light, so a great help is a device called a light therapy light. This can mimic the bright morning light to jumpstart your CR. You may like this one or this one.

• GOOD SLEEP ENVIRONMENT: Choose a “clean” mattress/pillow that are made of materials that don’t “off-gas”. A great company to look at is Birch Living. Also, keeping your bedroom dark and at a cooler temperature guarantees a better night’s rest. Additionally, if you can open a window at night, this allows great circulation and fresh air in.

• REMOVE ALL ELECTRONIC DEVICES FROM THE BEDROOM: Electronic devices emit electromagnetic frequencies (EMF’s) that can negatively affect our sleep. Another very helpful tip: If you must use your cellphone as an alarm clock or as a white noise app to help you wind down, make sure to set your phone to airplane mode—this reduces harmful EMF’s. We even choose to unplug our WI-FI router each night and shut off our electronic devices. There is nothing wrong with using an “old-fashioned” alarm clock to wake you up! Our phones should not be the first thing we look at in the morning, anyway

• NO CAFFEINE: This can be quite a culprit to poor sleep. If you can consume a small amount earlier in the day and still slumber well, then carry on. Caffeine however, has a half life which means that it may not all “burn off” by the time you are ready for bed. Try an alternative like medicinal mushrooms in decaffeinated coffee/tea. We also love lemon balm tea, hot or cold; it is delicious and decaffeinated!

• KEEP A CALM ENVIRONMENT THROUGHOUT THE DAY, BUT ESPECIALLY AT BEDTIME: Avoid things like stressful phone calls, the news and social media before bed.

• A HOT BATH: A good soak in the tub using magnesium (epsom salts) and essential oils (such as marjoram, bergamot and lavender) can greatly relax your muscles and prepare you for a more restful night. Hint: Before adding the salts to your bath water, to ensure they mix well, make sure to sprinkle your oils on them so the oils don’t just float in your bath water.

• ESSENTIAL OILS: You can utilize essential oils in a warm cup of tea or even massage some on your neck and shoulders to help relax you before bedtime. Read more here about essential oils and how they can help improve your sleep. Check out this blog post on essential oils!

• REDUCE BLUE LIGHT BEFORE BEDTIME: Either turn off electronic devices at least an hour before bed or use blue light blocking glasses. Blue light can inhibit the natural production of melatonin which helps our bodies prepare for the night.

• AVOID OVER-THE-COUNTER SLEEP AID MEDICATIONS: While you may think these help you sleep better, they actually prevent you from getting into the deep sleep (REM) which you need to complete a healthy sleep cycle.

• USE A SLEEP MASK: Wearing a sleep mask can help your body produce more of its own natural melatonin by maintaining a dark, conducive environment.

• FOAM ROLLING: This can help relax your muscles and improve circulation.

• WHITE NOISE MAKER: A background noise is beneficial because it allows you to stay asleep with minor noises around you. I actually use my air purifier as my noise machine. 😊

• OCCASIONAL USE OF SLEEP SUPPLEMENTS: We like to utilize a few natural supplements if we need a little extra help to relax before bedtime. Valerian, kava kava and melatonin are examples that we have had success with. We also utilize this mineral supplement to boost our mineral levels which assist in better sleep. Here are a few vitamin D, B1 and B complex suggestions and we also love this additional mineral supplement. Please do your own research for which supplements are best for you and your family, but my husband and I have loved adding the above supplements to aid in a more restful sleep.

• DON’T NAP IN BED: Only use your bed for overnight sleeping and having fun with your spouse. 😉 When our bodies and brains identify our bed as a signal for bedtime, it assists with getting us ready for bed.

• A WEIGHTED BLANKET: This can help give you a feeling of security and safety which allows your body to relax more and prepare for bedtime.

• READ BEFORE BED TO UNWIND: Setting our eyes on a good paperback book versus an electronic device is always a better choice before bedtime.

YOU CAN HAVE BETTER SLEEP!

Start small and choose just a few suggestions from above. Remember, small changes now lead to better future health for you!

I am on a mission to help you achieve better health and that definitely includes great sleep. There are small changes we can make to improve it. You deserve a great night’s recharge and that will definitely result in better overall health.

Blessings,

Becky

P.S. Check out the post on “How to Kickstart Your Health Journey”, click HERE!