Tossing & Turning

Tired Of Tossing And Turning?

Do you remember my recent article: Three steps to a healthier lifestyle? There was a fourth step, but I decided to dedicate an entire article to the topic. Good sleep is one of the building blocks to good health.

Did you know that there are over 90 official sleep disorders?! Stress is the main culprit. When we are mentally amped up at night our bodies pump out the stress hormone cortisol, which acts like a Starbucks espresso shot.

Many Americas think it’s acceptable to sleep four to five hours per night. They justify their claim with their super productive day. Starting their day with an early morning workout, then an hour of prayer/meditation time, a 10 hour work day, a few hours of emails and then a few hours of unwinding. Sounds reasonable, right? Wrong.

According the National Sleep Foundation, “Sleep is vital to our health and well-being, and is just as important as diet and exercise. Sleep regulates mood and is related to learning and memory functions. Not only will getting enough sleep help you learn a new skill, stay on task or be productive, it may also be a critical factor in your health, weight and energy level. Although individual needs may vary, adults typically need between seven and nine hours of sleep per night. It is difficult to make up for lost sleep because each time you don’t get enough sleep, you add to your sleep debt (the accumulated sleep that is lost due to poor sleep habits, sickness, awakenings due to environmental factors or other cause). As a result, the sleep debt may make you feel sleepier and less alert at times.”

When we skimp on sleep we stop our bodies from repairing cells, rebuilding bone muscle, consolidating memories and storing up energy for the days ahead. Habitually skimping on sleep can contribute to chronic health problems including cancer, type 2 diabetes, depression and heart problems.

Here are tips for getting better sleep.

Cut the caffeine

“Any kind of caffeine, even the small amounts in hot chocolate and candy bars, can impair your sleep if ingested after 2 p.m.,” says James Maas, Ph.D., co-author of Sleep for Success! Everything You Must Know About Sleep But Are Too Tired To Ask.

We are all guilty of having the occasional afternoon coffee, pop or dessert. Before I researched this subject, I wouldn’t think twice about having an afternoon coffee, but now I ask myself, “Is it worth it?”

Create a sleep-friendly bedroom

Walk into you your bedroom. Do you feel relaxed? If not, that could be the reason you are not sleeping well. Clutter and dirt are the biggest contributors to a chaotic atmosphere. Dedicate time this week to clean, organize and makeover your bedroom. Your bedroom should be clean, well-organized (with no clutter) and inviting. Make your bedroom more inviting with color and candles. I personally prefer warm colors in my bedroom, because oranges, reds, and browns relax me.

Keep all work related items OUT of your bedroom, including lap tops and TVs. The artificial blue light stimulates your brain. For better sleep close down all electronic devices at least one hour before bedtime.

Throw out your worries

I know several people that swear by this method. Keep a notebook on your nightstand and before you go to sleep write down all the things that you are worried about. Tear the page out of your notebook and throw all your worries in the trashcan where they belong. When you get back in bed visualize what the perfect day would look like and drift off into dreamland.

Several months ago, my husband and I were taking on care about a situation that we were dealing with. Our friend Nicholi Wozniak suggested that we read the Serenity Prayer. I didn’t know what the Serenity Prayer was, but I googled it right away.

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” By Reinhold Niebuhr

After Ryan and I read this, we didn’t have a care in the world! Thanks Nicholi!

The National Sleep Foundation recommends several books if you’d like to take a deeper dive.

Exercise

Studies have shown that regular exercise contributes to quality sleep. The best time to work out is in the morning, however anytime is good for your body except three hours before bed. I recently became a fan of Yoga and I find that it has helped me become more flexible, eliminate most of my back pain, and it forces me to reflect. In fact, yoga has done my body so good that I have joined a gym, which is huge because I used to be totally against even the idea of going to the gym. I completely fell in love with the yoga classes during a “free trial membership” and have been attending the class religiously. I can now have my cake and eat it too, I get to work-out and relax at the same time!

Positions and pillows

I have made two major sleep adjustments that have contributed significantly to the quality of my sleep. The first, I replaced my old, flat pillow (I will not admit how old it was) for a Tempurpedic pillow. It took me several weeks to get comfortable sleeping on such a supportive pillow, but now I wake up feeling excellent with no neck and back pain. The second, which my chiropractor recommended, was switching from sleeping on my stomach to sleeping on my back or side.

Sleeping on your back is the best sleeping position. It helps prevent neck and back pain, reduces acid reflux, minimizes wrinkles and maintains perky breasts. According to Dee Anna Glaser, M.D., a professor of dermatology at Saint Louis University, “Back-sleeping also helps prevent wrinkles, because nothing is pushing against your face. And the weight of your breasts is fully supported, reducing sagginess.”

If you snore you should sleep on your side because it keeps your spine elongated, which minimizes snoring. Breathe-Right strips also help minimize snoring.

Routine, routine, routine

This is a hard one for me, because I am by nature a night owl. The evening is my favorite time to blog, read, write, and surf the Internet. On most nights Ryan and I have made it a habit to get in bed by 9pm and read for a while before we go to sleep in order to quiet our minds. I’ve found that establishing a regular sleep and wake time and sticking to it helps me fall asleep quicker, which is usually my issue.

I encourage you to take Action. You have the power to sleep well. Take steps toward better sleep so that you can live longer and stronger.

Written by: Jessica Zirbes. To find more articles written by Jessica, check out her blog at http://healthnutblogg.wordpress.com/