Don't Lost Sleep Over it!
11:47 AM PST on Monday, February 2, 2004
All too often we focus on insomnia as the symptom to be treated. This
approach often misses the "cause" and therefore misses the sustainable
solution. Sleeplessness may occur when you are trying to "solve the
world's problems" at the same time as you are trying to fall asleep or
working on getting back to sleep. Insomnia may also result from an
energy imbalance, which may be created during the day: stress, dietary
challenges, a lack of restorative exercise can be the reason behind your
nighttime obstacle.
According to research conducted by the National Sleep Foundation:
- 47% of workers in the United States have trouble sleeping
- 48% of them said it was primarily due to stress and/or anxiety
- Costs of sleep deprivation on the economy
- Decreased productivity, increased absenteeism, medical costs of $93 to
$107 billion dollars
- Greater than 100 million Americans fail to get a good night's sleep
- Women are twice as likely as men to have difficulty falling asleep or
remaining asleep due to hormonal fluctuations (menstrual cycle,
pregnancy, perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause)
- Within the course of a year up to 30% of the U.S. population suffers
from insomnia
- Yearly – roughly 10 million people in the U.S. receive prescriptions
for sleep medication
Could it be that our lack of adequate sleep is also affecting our
waistline? Articles published in the Journal of the American Medical
Association and The Lancet suggest that lack of sleep may enhance hunger
and affect the body's metabolism, making it more difficult to maintain
or lose weight.
Quality is definitely as important as quantity when it comes to sleep.
When you experience deep restorative sleep in the form of slow-wave
sleep there is actually a 10 to 30% decrease in blood pressure,
respiratory rate and metabolism. Lowered amounts of slow-wave sleep have
been associated with reduced levels of growth hormone, a protein that
helps control the body's proportions of fat and muscle during adulthood.
A lack of quality sleep can make you feel hungry even when you are full.
Sleep loss has been shown to affect the secretion of cortisol, a hormone
that regulates appetite. As a result, individuals who lose sleep may
continue to feel hungry despite eating enough during the day.
Inadequate sleep may get in the way of the body's capacity to metabolize
carbohydrates, which leads to increases in blood sugar. Excess glucose
in circulation can encourage the overproduction of insulin, which can
lead to increased storage of body fat and insulin resistance, putting
you at risk for developing diabetes.
Traditional means to treat sleep disorders include sleeping pills,
antihistamines and benzodiazepines. The problem is that most of these
medications are not designed for long-term use. They treat the symptom
and not the cause. They are addictive, have numerous side effects, and
can cause abnormal sleep patterns. Here are a few alternatives to these
methods:
Eat foods rich in:
Tryptophan: Oatmeal, Peanuts, Granola, Raisins, Wheat germ, collard
greens, whole wheat, sweet potato, yogurt, spinach
Serotonin, melatonin – See above (same as for tryptophan)
Magnesium: Soy, buckwheat, whole wheat, soy (tofu), almonds, wheat germ,
cashews, brown rice, nuts, Swiss chard, kelp, chocolate (and cocoa
powder), banana, avocado, baked potato (with skin), oat bran, millet,
molasses, spinach, milk
Calcium: Cheese, turnip greens, Sardines, collard greens, rhubarb,
yogurt, milk, spinach, oatmeal, Fortified rice milk, orange juice, soy
milk, broccoli, molasses, almonds, beans, nuts, halibut, kale, tahini
(sesame seeds)
B1 (thiamin): Brewer's yeast, sunflower seeds, soy, wheat germ, navy
beans, kidney beans, oats, brown rice, salmon, cornmeal, garbanzo beans,
whole wheat, collards, asparagus
B2 (riboflavin): Organ meats, yogurt, broccoli, almonds, Brewer's yeast,
Brie, Camembert, and Roquefort cheese, soy, ricotta, Swiss cheese, wild
rice
B3 (niacin): Liver, tuna fish, chicken, swordfish, salmon, halibut,
peanuts, brown rice, sunflower seeds, almonds, soy, egg, cod
B5 (pantothenic acid): Turkey (dark meat), Brewer's yeast, peanuts,
chicken (dark meat), egg, brown rice, sweet corn, lean beef, sweet
potato, cashews, soy
B6 (pyridoxine): Watermelon, banana, salmon, avocado, turkey and
chicken, rainbow trout, tomatoes, sunflower seeds, soy, halibut, sweet
potato, oats, tuna, brown rice, broccoli, beef, garbanzo beans,
pineapple, walnuts, Brewer's yeast, hazelnuts.
Avoid eating refined carbohydrates since they can increase the risk of
nocturnal hypoglycemia
Other tips for a healthy nights rest:
Don't eat sugar at night. Avoid eating right before bed but don't go to
bed hungry. If you find that you are hungry and it's getting close to
bedtime, have some cottage cheese or a piece of whole grain toast with
almond butter.
Exercise during the day and try to get outside into the fresh air.
Avoid caffeine, alcohol, tobacco and sugar, especially late in the
evening.
Take a warm bath with calming essential oils such as lavender, rose, and
chamomile.
Drink a cup of soothing herbal tea such as chamomile or valerian.
A rest-filled night sleep can be the foundation for creating a life of
Optimum wellness. Open yourself to the possibility. Hold the vision
and experience the peace.
