Another sleepless night? You lie there staring at the ceiling, tossing and turning, hoping to just get a few hours of sleep before the alarm goes off. Or you go to bed exhausted, fall asleep the minute your head hits the pillow and then suddenly you are wide-awake at 3 AM.
Not getting a good night's sleep does more than just make you tired the next day and cause you to have dark circles under your eyes. It also:
* Accelerates ageing, causing wrinkles and sagging skin
* Causes ageing on the inside of your body, resulting in heart disease and immune disorders.
* Disrupts the production of the hormones gherlin and leptin, which regulate appetite, thereby leading to obesity.
* Creates sleep deprivation, which is a leading cause of accidents on the road and at work.
So what is keeping you up at night? The most common factors are:
Stress
If we don't deal with the stress of the day our bodies and minds are too "wound up" to sleep restfully. Stress hormones are still surging within the body and prevent sleep. You may have issues on your mind that have not been dealt with and lay awake running scenarios in your brain. Learn to let it go by practicing meditation and other emotional release techniques such as the ones I teach my clients, or deal with the issue during the day, whenever possible, so it doesn't disrupt your sleep and ruin your health.
Diet
Excess sweets could cause an imbalance in blood sugar. If your blood sugar drops during the night, your adrenal glands excrete adrenaline to raise your blood sugar. This adrenaline surge is what wakes you up with a start at 3AM. You are wide-awake and cannot go back to sleep. To avoid this, do not eat a heavy meal within 2 hours before bedtime. If you have a blood sugar problem, eat a small protein snack, such as a handful of almonds, before bed.
Nutrient deficiencies can also cause insomnia. The body needs adequate magnesium and calcium found in leafy greens. Almonds are also a good source of magnesium. Vitamin B6 is also needed to produce melatonin, which regulates your sleep rhythms. This nutrient is found in bananas, fish, and tart cherries.
Incorrect balance of light
Another way your body produces melatonin is to get some sunlight every day. Sunlight in the morning is optimum for melatonin production. At least 30 minutes before bed in the evening dim the lights and turn off all electronic devices. This will produce the correct amount of melatonin for optimum sleep. Melatonin supplements are available, but must be used with caution, and only when necessary. Check with your doctor and use the lowest dose possible.
Exercise
Getting some type of exercise during the day will also help you get a good night's sleep. Besides relieving stress and anxiety, moderate exercise will increase your circulation and lower weight, which reduces pain. However, over exercising will have the opposite effect on pain levels. Be sure to get your workout in at least 3 hours before bedtime though, as it will raise your body temperature and keep you awake.
Sleep is needed to restore all the cells in our body. It is needed for our brains and immune system to work properly. So eat a healthy diet, dim the lights, stretch, take a few deep breaths, and let go of the tensions of the day. Goodnight!
Ruth Sanders is a Certified Holistic Health Coach. She helps people with fatigue,insomnia and an uncontrollable craving for sugar and carbohydrates, break the cycle and get more restful sleep and have plenty of energy the next day. Find out if a sugar addiction could be disrupting your sleep and causing other problems such as weight gain and anxiety. Get your free Sugar Buster Kit with quiz, report and audio athttp://www.simplebalancedhealth.com
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