Dear sleep, I’m sorry we broke up this morning. I want you back!”
— Anonymous
How is your sleep lately? Are you one of the the lucky ones who experiences deep refreshing uninterrupted sleep?
Or maybe you fall asleep immediately but now wake up in the middle of the night at midnight or 3 am.
Or perhaps you're head is so full of with what has happened in the day and you struggle to sleep!
Trouble sleeping leads to trouble doing just about anything else. The consequences of not getting enough rest or sleep deprivation is linked to a variety of serious long-term health consequences, including obesity, heart disease, a weakened immune system hormonal imbalances and many more chronic illnesses.
To improve our “sleep hygiene “, there are a few simple changes which if we put them together can make a big difference!
Avoid the use of caffeine in the afternoon.
Create good habits around bedtime: In a study conducted on insomniacs, the participants were not allowed to go to the bedroom to sleep unless & until they were really sleepy. What gradually happened was that the participants associated the room with sleep and were able to sleep much quicker than before.
Optimize your space: I am getting more and more convinced that the population at large is getting generally more sleep deprived because we allow our laptops phones etc into our bedrooms! We are creatures of habits and if we intentionally create zones for different activities to take place, the brain very easily responds. Studies have shown that the brain helped by the intentional designing of the space around, will encourage certain behaviours. Retailers for example, use just these methods to entice us to buy or eat more! We can do the same to encourage better sleeping habits.
Vitamin D is involved in the pathways of production of Melatonin, the hormone involved in the regulation of human circadian rhythms and sleep. So going outdoors for a walk or in the winter months supplment with Vitamin D may be a good idea.
Magnesium: Most of us are not getting enough magnesium from our diets. Magnesium deficiencies are common and may result in anxiety, depression, brain health symptoms and definitely sleep issues.
Hormonal Imbalances: For women as we go into our 40s and beyond, progesterone starts dropping very quickly (quicker than estrogen). This imbalance may bring about anxiety and lack of sleep and it is worth considering diet and homeopathy to bring you back into gentle balance.
Dark Room: Studies show excess light in the bedroom can affect sleep quality, disrupting the body's natural circadian rhythm so make sure you have blinds or curtains that are thick enough to create a dark room.
Long term pineal calcification may contribute to melatonin deficiency and circadian timing irregularities. Calcification may be caused by toxins overload such as fluoride *. British scientist named Jennifer Luke discovered that fluoride accumulates to strikingly high levels in the pineal gland. It may therefore be worth considering a flouride free tooth paste.
Other Useful Practices
Bring nature into your bathroom and bedroom. I love using aromatherapy.
Lavender, Chamomile & Neroli * are useful in calming the adrenals which is why they have been blended together in sleepy head roll.
Practice Vagus nerve stimulation: human beings have practiced forms of vagus nerve stimulation for centuries. Meditation, yoga, chanting, and mindfulness are all practices that provide indirect stimulation to the vagus nerve and will bring about a slower heart rate which induces a state of relaxation, and ultimately sleep.
The reason why many of us don’t sleep is because there is an underlying fear, insecurity, grief or restlessness that hasn’t been dealt with. Talking therapies and homeopathy may help you shift the trauma and bring about calm and balance.
While you deal with underlying causes Quiet Sleep blend may help you quieten the mind.
Did you know that Quiet Sleep Blend Is packed with homeoherbals such as Chamomile, Lemonbalm & Passion flower, that work Synergestically to
To relax the mind
Calm the body & Spirit
Decrease the time it takes to fall asleep
References:
*Luke J. (2001). Fluoride deposition in the aged human pineal gland. Caries Res. 35(2):125-128
*Effects of lavender on anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysisg in common. Have a community around them. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31655395/
*Research on Chamomile: In 2014, a randomized clinical trial was carried out which included 152 participants, all of whom were identified as requiring an Endoscopy, with endoscopy related anxiety known to affect results. The participants were divided into an intervention and control group. The intervention group inhaled German Chamomile (Matricaria recutica), whilst the control group inhaled a placebo (Sesame oil). The results indicated that the essential oil effectively reduced the anxiety of patients awaiting the medical procedure (Gholami, Tabaraei, Ghorat, & Khalili, 2014).
*The Effectiveness of Neroli Essential Oil in Relieving Anxiety and Perceived Pain in Women during Labor: A Randomized Controlled Trial. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35206980/