SLEEP AND INSOMNIA – HOW TO GET THAT RESTFUL SLEEP!

We all want to live a healthy and happy life. But sometimes that is disrupted by the dreaded insomnia! Trouble falling or staying asleep can have numerous health consequences including

-memory deficits because we store our memories when we sleep.

-It can cause pain to be worse because your body isn’t able to recover.

-It can kill sex drive

-medical problems including heart disease and diabetes

-depression

The causes can be numerous from stress and anxiety to your smartphone and tv

I’ve seen too many patients put on medications to help with sleep without actually checking their sleep pattern or helping to address their stress from a natural standpoint

One of the first things that I ask when a patient complains of poor sleep is what is their sleep hygiene. You might ask, hygiene. Yes! If you don’t sleep well and you don’t have a method to get your body ready to sleep, that is a simple change you can make at home. What does that include…

-turn off all electronics at least an hour prior to when you want to go to sleep

-don’t eat or drink sugary or caffeinated products for at least 6 hours prior to sleep

-meditate or do yoga to calm your mind

-read a calm book

-you can even try some supplements such as melatonin every night which is what your body releases anyway to help prepare your body. You can also get on magnesium at night as a natural relaxant to calm your mind and your nerves

-look at your bed, have you thought about the number of hours you sleep, it’s important to have a nice comfortable bed

-make sure the room isn’t too warm or too cold

-and sometimes the most important can be as simple as go to bed around the same time everyday to get your internal clock ready for sleep

Now go out there and SLEEP!

If you’d like more information or would like to setup a consultation contact us.