Sleep disorders run rampant in our society. Also they
become more commonplace in women as they hit
perimenopause due to various hormonal influences.
While the stress/cortisol imbalance accounts for what I
believe is the majority of the sleeplessness we as a
society experience, here are some helpful tips if
getting a good solid 7-9 hours of deep sleep is
elusive.
Getting proper sleep is extremely
important to ones health as lack of sleep exacerbates
psychiatric imbalances (anxiety, depression, bipolar
disorder, mood disorders), depresses the immune
system and increases the risk of mistakes and
accidents while driving. Overall, lack of sleep impairs
performance much in the same way that having a few
alcoholic drinks impairs cognitive and motor
performance. Of course sometimes poor sleep
cannot be avoided as when caring for a newborn , but
then the mothers who are breastfeeding get the
added protection of oxytocin which helps offset the
lack of sleep one gets when caring for a baby.
1.
Manage your stress. If life is throwing a lot of
challenges your way be sure to find healthy ways to
destress. Yoga, meditation, exercise, massage
therapy are often helpful tools to keep your
neurotransmitters firing optimally. Which brings me to
...
2. GABA , gamma amino butyric acid is a
neurotransmitter that is naturally secreted by the brain.
GABA has a sedating effect on the body and is
available in supplement form. This can be taken at
bedtime but be sure to check with your practitioner for
proper dosages.
3. Warm milk and turkey contain
the amino acid tryptophan which increases seratonin
production. Seratonin is a mood elevator as well as a
relaxer. Unfortunately tryptophan is no longer
available in the United States as a supplement but its
precursor 5-HTP is widely available.
4. Avoid
reading the news or watching TV or movies before
bed. This can also stimulate the brain in ways that are
not conducive to sleep.
5. Perimenopausal
women who are experiencing sleep difficulty should
also look at their relative estrogen/progesterone
balance. Women with too much relative estrogen and
not enough relative progesterone often experience
sleep problems especially premenstrually. Natural
progesterones are more effective and have less side
effects so consider a visit to your health practitioner if
warranted.
6. Try and keep your bedroom
exclusively for sleeping and sex. Reading, TV
watching, working, computing in the bedroom can
make it difficult to feel like you are retreating when you
do everything else in that room as well. Also an
uncluttered soothing atmosphere can also improve
sleep.
7. A healthy diet lower in carbs and higher
in proteins may also help to balance blood sugar and
neurotransmitters as well as a lifestyle that includes
regular exercise is also conducive to better sleep.
8. If you must work the night shift, please keep it to
a minimum and try to find a better job as the nighttime
is the time of the liver which aids in cellular repair and
detoxification. Patients of mine who work the night
shift almost always find that their health worsens even
if they get their sleep during the day.
9. Sleep
well my friends. Nighty -night!!!!
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