Tips for Better Sleep

by | Sep 27, 2021 | Healthy Diet | 0 comments

Think about it. It has been a long day. Stressful perhaps. A late start in the am. No breakfast, traffic on the road, you are running late, the train is late, the kids won’t cooperate, problems at the office, long commute home. Phew! Can you picture it? We have all been there.

Next, we have not had a chance to go food shopping and there is nothing to eat. You are too tired to go out and get some food, so you order in something not so perfect and that comforts you in some way. Homework for the kids, laundry to do, checking in on Facebook and Instagram, read some emails that have been piling up or maybe just playing a mindless game on your device, catch up on a few of your favorite taped TV shows. I’m sure you get the picture.

Finally, …Bedtime

 I always say, getting into bed and going to sleep are two very different things.

BUT…Now it is time to sleep and nothing happens.

Your head starts to spin. You are thinking about what happened during the day and what you are going to do tomorrow. You replay over and over all of the things that still need to get done and beg to just fall asleep. The thing is that the more you fight sleep, the more it pulls you in to that place of desperation and still no sleep.

So how can you break the cycle and catch some zzzz’s?

 1)    After you have shut off your devices, turn off the TV…put in your ear plugs and listen to some meditation sleep music. There are several apps that you can download to your phone and they are really great.

 2)    Breath. Integrative expert Dr. Andrew Weil swears by this breathing pattern to shed anxiety and drift off to sleep. 4-7-8 pattern.

Exhale out of your mouth, making a “whoosh” sound as you breathe. Then, inhale through your nose for four counts. Hold your breath for seven counts, then breathe out to a count of eight. Repeat three more times, or until you fall asleep. The pattern helps relieve physical stress, which can help your body slip into slumber.

 3)    Stress and sleep go hand in hand.

Stress Control: Set a regular schedule for your day. That means consistent bed time, waking time. Make sure not to work out for at least 4 hours before you head to bed.

Avoid caffeine late in the day.

Stressful situations can keep you up at night and tiredness and irritability can make daily tasks more stressful. High stress also causes a spike in cortisol further triggering food cravings, especially for high-calorie carbohydrates. This constant increase in appetite can make it difficult to resist unhealthy snacks and grazing between meals.

 Lack of sleep has bigger consequences than tiredness. Research shows that sleep influences the hormones that regulate appetite, preventing weight loss and often resulting in weight gain. There are three main appetite hormones – ghrelin, leptin, and cortisol. Ghrelin and cortisol stimulate appetite giving you the urge to eat more. Leptin suppresses appetite signaling fullness. When you don’t get enough sleep ghrelin and cortisol production increases and leptin production decreases. This results in increased cravings and hunger which can lead to a higher calorie intake that causes weight gain.

 The sleep struggle bus is real—and a whopping 50 to 70 million U.S. adults have a sleep disorder, according to the American Sleep Association. These are just some tips to help, but if your sleep issues persist, it might be time to ask your doctor for their recommendations.

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