Can’t Sleep… Try this!

Sleep is vital for our overall health and well being. If you struggle with sleep in any way this guide is for you!

I prepared a video going over each step in detail for further explanation!

https://www.facebook.com/461566280677045/videos/859029657881695/

The Ready to Sleep Checklist

Key concepts

Sleep and Rest provide our body with dedicated healing and recovery time.

Consequences of poor sleep: decreased memory, decreased learning, decreased athletic performance, decreased creativity, diabetes, obesity, cancer, blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, pain, osteoporosis, ulcers, emotional regulation, depression, anxiety, PTSD, premature aging….

•          Not too little, Not too much… 7-8 hours
  •    Too little increases ALL RATES of Mortality
  •    Too much increases cardiovascular disease, anxiety, and depression.
•          “The greater the divergence from the recommended duration of sleep, the greater the association for cardiovascular harm and mortality.”

Awake during the Day and to Sleep at Night Pretty Simple… is it though?!?
30 million insomnia, 25 million sleep apnea

• Stress balance – do you want to sleep if there is a bear in the room?!? No, you want to Fight or Run
• Melatonin Drives sleep cycle. It also has interactions with serotonin, dopamine.
• Light Anchoring – 30-60 min outdoor light between sunrise and solar noon
• Indoor lights are commonly not bright enough for this effect
  • Solar Gazing
    • Looking at the sun within minutes of sunrise, watching the sunset
• Light exposure at night decreases Melatonin significantly – dim the lights

The Room Setup

• Complete Darkness, COMPLETE… get your black electric tape out.
  • Alarm clocks, windows, phone, blackout shades/ sleep mask
  • Don’t turn lights on even for the bathroom at night
• Cool 60-68 degrees
• Consistent body temp – sleep naked ?
• Electro-Magnetic Fields – disrupt pineal gland production of serotonin and melatonin, also decrease memory and learning
  • Wifi, Alarm clocks, any electronics,
    • Faraday cage (extreme cases to block fields) ex. if your bedroom was next to powerlines or 5g tower.
  • Keep phones and electronics away from the bed, out of the room if possible.`
• Reserve bedroom for sleep – no tv, no work
• No distractions – people and pets

Preparation

• Early bedtime – used to be sunset
• 9-10 pm bedtime is ideal. Sleep hours between 11 pm-1 am are vital for adrenals, gall bladder/liver
• Consistent timing- even on weekends – promotes fast fall asleep times
• Routine – reading, smell EO, breathing, prayer, meditation, gratitude (decrease stress)
  • Breathing exercise:
    • Inhale (4)-pause (2) – exhale (8) – pause (2) or other lower ratios
  • Listen to relaxing cd or Relaxing reading no page-turners
  • Journaling
• Decrease fluids hour before bed, and go to the bathroom right before bed to decrease the need to go to the bathroom at night.
• No food 2-3 hours before sleep
  • Blood sugar up-down (stress), causes mitochondrial damage.
• Dim lights – after dinner start winding down
• No screens 1-2 hours before bed (especially blue light)
• Socks – skin temp, cold feet, or unequal skin temperatures (hot or cold) decrease rest.
• Eye mask
• No tv or work
• Reduce Prescriptions as much as possible Many alter sleep
• Decrease alcohol – impairs full rest, promotes ‘unconsciousness’ but then alertness when fully metabolized, depletes melatonin, and serotonin.
• Exercise but not right before bed – first half of the day is best
• Excess weight – apnea
• Food sensitivities – diet section
• Adrenals and hormones – Full Nerve Power & Mental Health Pillars