Sleep

If you want to win the day, you have to win the night first”

When was the last time you got a good night’s sleep? Undisturbed sleep often turns into a rarity for individuals, especially those who’ve been under a lot of stress lately or struggle with insomnia. This not only messes up their sleep patterns, but also affects other aspects of their lives. Individuals who have trouble falling asleep are likely to feel tired and fatigued during the day, and have difficulty concentrating.

Lack of sleep negatively affects immune function by slowing production of disease-fighting white blood cells and impairing the activity of natural killer cells. During deep, restful sleep, the body releases powerful immune-enhancing compounds.

Read below for homemade remedies and healing sleep meditation strategies that improve your sleeping pattern and align your circadian rhythms.

Get in touch with our team in Chicago today for more details about our meditation, yoga & nutrition services.

Ailment: Trouble falling or staying asleep; insomnia

The best way to improve your sleep is to reset & align your circadian rhythms. Below are some strategies to implement

Home-made remedies: 

  • Get indirect sunlight into the eyes the first 30 minutes of waking up. Do some light stretches outside or walk outside. If it’s winter or gloomy, I recommend a Light Therapy Device, which will deliver the recommended 10,000 lux (light level) intensity of full spectrum light & mimic a natural sunlight 

  • Get enough sunlight throughout the day, not just in the morning.

  • Consistent bed time & wake up time

  • Meditation - is a great way to channel the restless energy at bedtime.

    • Loving kindness - This technique involves silent repetition of variations on the phrases "May you be healthy; may you be happy; may you be at ease.”

    • visualization/guided imagery

  • Dawn simulator machine - instead of abruptly waking up to an alarm clock, wake up naturally to a dawn simulator machine which gets brighter and brighter within a certain amount of time to wake you up slowly & as natural as possible, just like back in the “olden days” (as my kids say it)

  • Dark out curtains in your bedroom

  • Wear blue light blocker glasses at least one hour before bedtime. These glasses also block green light which is why they are RED. It could be weird wearing at first, but it significantly helps with your sleep

  • Don’t snack before bed - Make your last meal at least 3 hours before going to sleep

  • Get amber colored bulbs for your lights where you spend your evening: living room, bedroom etc.

  • Decrease house temperature while you sleep and start cooling your house down 1-2 hours before bed

    • Turn the heat down to 62-68 degrees F at night

  • Take a hot bath with Epsom salts

  • Turn your phone on AIRPLANE MODE before bed while you sleep to protect against EMFs

  • Chili Sleep Pad - I have not personally tried this one yet, but I hear it’s great for cooling off your mattress while you sleep

  • Vagus nerve stimulation - gargle … intensely to stimulate the vagus nerve for a parasympathetic response

  • Self massage or professional massage to stimulate blood flow

  • Journal

    • brain dump of your day. write out your worries, concerns, lessons you’ve learned in your day. As you put your day in words, there is a less powerful charge behind them and you are able to sleep in peace

Food

  • Foods high in amino acid tryptophan makes serotonin which converts to melatonin

    • turkey

    • seafood

    • nuts & seeds

    • veggies & fruits

  • Foods high in MAGNESIUM will help relax

    • leafy greens

    • fish

    • avocados

    • bananas

  • Calcium rich foods help you FALL asleep & STAY asleep; helps manufacture melatonin from tryptophan

    • dark green leafy vegetables

    • sardines

    • broccoli

    • snap peas

    • okra

  • Vitamin B6 helps covert tryptophan into melatonin

    • fish/meat

    • sunflower seeds/pistachios/flax seed

    • bananas

    • avocados

    • spinach

    • kiwis

  • Foods that are NATURALLY high in melatonin are:

    • tart cherries - drink tart cherry juice

    • pistachios

    • grapes

    • strawberries

    • tomatoes

    • peppers

    • mushrooms



Herbs:

  • Sleep supporting herbs. Best to choose non-alcoholic herbal tinctures

    • Kava - muscle relaxant, could be a little bit sedating, so time this herb towards the evening

    • Valerian - turn the volume of stress down

    • Chamomile - great as a tea

    • Hops - calming, sleep-inducing, so this would be perfect for sleep anxiety. Helps to fall asleep AND stay asleep

    • Lavender - great as a tea

    • Lemon Balm - would make a great tea if you could grow or buy fresh lemon balm or you can buy a tincture

    • Passionflower - helps you stay asleep, reduces anxiety

    • California poppy seed - has natural opiods, great for pain & sleep

Supplements:

  • Magnesium - known as “the relaxation mineral,” magnesium also plays an important role in soothing tension—both in the body and the mind. When you’re relaxed, your body and brain can focus on attaining better quality sleep.

  • PharmaGaba - GABA is an important neuro transmitter that aids in anxiety & sleep

  • CBD oil - Scientists have some biological explanations for how CBD may affect both sleep and anxiety. Recent studies have shown that cannabis compounds interact with receptors throughout the body—endocannabinoid system—including in the brain.

  • Glycine - this inhibitory neurotransmitter is an important component in maintaining healthy sleep patterns & detoxing the liver

Essential oils:

  • Lavender - Probably THE most studies oil for sleep & relaxation is my go-to. In one study “Researchers monitored their sleep cycles with brain scans and found that lavender increased slow-wave sleep, instrumental for slowing heartbeat and relaxing muscles”

  • At Peace - calming fragrance blends Sandalwood, Lemon, and Vanilla oils in a base of Fractionated Coconut Oil.

  • Clary Sage - has a medium‐strength musky, herbal, sharp, and warm aroma presenting a middle-base fragrance note. One study found that out of all the oils tested, clary sage oil had the most potent anti-stress effect. The researchers concluded that clary sage oil could be an effective treatment for people experiencing depression

Exercise/Yoga/Movement:

  • It’s important to have consistent movement throughout the day without being stuck in a seated position all day long

  • Restorative yoga - a calming practice towards the end of the day is the perfect way to signal your body into rest

Breathing Exercises:

  • Alternate Nostril Breathing - here is a video explaining the technique and guiding you through the practice.

    • this is my GO TO breathing technique for anxiety & stress & to settle down for sleep

  •  4-7-8 breathing technique

    • Inhale for 4 seconds

    • Hold for 7 seconds

    • Exhale for 8 seconds

      • If the holding the breathing for 7 seconds is too much, then work your way up to it, starting with 2 or 3 seconds and slowly increasing the hold

  • Diaphragmatic breathing

    • Lie on your back, knees bent

    • One hand on your belly, one hand on your chest

    • Allow your belly to rise & fall while keeping the chest steady

    • Slowly start to slow the breath down while taking deeper breaths into the belly

Mantras:

  • I sleep in harmony with nature’s rhythms

Acupressure:

sleep point.jpg

  • Points B62 & K6 - located on the ankle on the outer and inner foot. Stimulate these points TOGETHER for a synergistic effect on sleep

heart 7.jpg

  • Heart 7 aka Spirit Gate - this point is a great point for calming the mind and for physical agitation. It heals fears, palpitations and stress.

EFT:

Preventative:

  • incorporating recharge night rituals to REDUCE chronic stress outlined above in the home remedies

  • address nutrient deficiencies

  • daily practices of breathing & movement

  • daily practice of meditation & letting go practice

  • journal

What else can we help you treat holistically?