Natural Sleep Remedies
If You're Struggling with Sleeping,
Here are Seven Viable Solutions
In April of this year, the Institute of
Medicine issued a report that confirmed definite links between sleep deprivation
and increased risks of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, depression, heart attack
and stroke.
Some scientists are also investigating connections between insufficient sleep
and depressed immune function.
 Sleep can work to activate or inhibit hormone production in the hypothalamus,
which is the part of the brain that gives the body signals regarding when to
adjust temperature, blood pressure, digestive secretions and immune activity.
Insufficient sleep also inhibits the pancreas from producing insulin, the
hormone required for the digestion of glucose.
A groundbreaking 1999 study showed that after six days on only four hours of
sleep, healthy volunteers would fall into a pre-diabetic state. Sleep also gives
the heart a chance to slow down, and those who slept less than six hours a night
had as much as a 66 percent greater prevalence of hypertension.
The largest study of sleep duration and mortality followed over one million
participants for six years. The results are significant. Those who slept about seven hours had the highest survival rate,
and those who slept less than 4.5 hours had the worst. Nine hours of
sleep or more each night was also associated with a higher mortality risk,
however.
In general, a good night's sleep seems to be as important to good
health as a nutritious diet and regular exercise. Experts tend to agree
that the majority of people require about eight hours of sleep each night.
However, roughly 40 percent of Americans get fewer than seven hours of sleep on
weekdays, and 71 percent get fewer than eight hours of sleep. As a result, most
Americans accumulate two full weeks of "sleep debt" each year. The two main
causes for sleep debt were long work hours and long commutes.
If you're struggling with sleep, it's likely that your health is
fundamentally impaired. Fortunately, you can solve your sleep problem and boost
your health in the process without the need for a health-harming drug, by taking
advantage of some of the practical solutions outlined below:
- Avoid before-bed snacks,
particularly grains and sugars. This will raise blood sugar and inhibit sleep.
Later, when blood sugar drops too low (hypoglycemia), you might wake up and not
be able to fall back asleep.
- Sleep in complete darkness or as close as
possible. If there is even the tiniest bit of light in the room it can disrupt
your circadian rhythm and your pineal gland's production of melatonin and
serotonin.
- No TV right before bed. Even better, get the TV
out of the bedroom or even out of the house, completely. It is too stimulating
to the brain and it will take longer to fall asleep.
- Wear socks to bed. Due to the fact that they
have the poorest circulation, the feet often feel cold before the rest of the
body. A study has shown that wearing socks reduces night wakings.
- Get to bed as early as possible. Our systems,
particularly the adrenals, do a majority of their recharging or recovering
during the hours of 11PM and 1AM.
- Keep a low temperature in the bedroom no higher
than 70 degrees F. Many people keep their homes and particularly the upstairs
bedrooms too hot.
- Eat a high-protein snack several hours before
bed. This can provide the L-tryptophan need to produce melatonin and serotonin.
- If all else fails try melatonin. Avail in 2 or
3mg doses at any drugstore for about $5. for 60 tabs.
The Non-habit Forming All Natural
Sleep Formula for a Restful Night’s Sleep
Healthy Choice Naturals
SleepWell Naturals
Related Topics
|
