Various natural protocols can help improve sleep. We spend about one-third of our lives sleeping, so it is crucial to do it well.
Researchers found that if people slept less than 7 hours a night or more than 8 hours a night, they had an increased risk of death. For short sleep women, that increase was 21% (men: 26%) and for long sleeping women, the increase was 17% (men: 24%). If the participants reported using sleep medications, their risk for death also increased. Women using them had a 39% increase in risk while men had a 31% increase.
During my 25 years as one of America’s busiest alternative medicine family doctors, I observed several solutions for better sleep:
Don’t eat anything more than a light healthy snack 3 hours or less before you go to bed because digestive activity particularly by
the stomach, can disrupt sleep habits .
Invest in best mattress and pillow you can find.
Make sure you both rotate and flip your mattress at least seasonally.
If your sleep difficulty stems from unwanted thoughts, keep a paper and pen handy near your bed. Place those thoughts on paper and out of your head. Deal with those thoughts another time. You may want to consider doing this routinely by starting a diary or journal, making entries each evening. It’s no coincidence that a high percentage of historically great people kept diaries.
Rearrange the furniture around in your sleeping quarters, particularly your bed position. I don’t know why this works but
many sleep strugglers report that shifting the position of the bed can improve their insomnia disorder.
Avoid taking naps during the day. Naps can be refreshing but they generally just steal time from your regular night’s sleep.
Many chiropractic patients report more restful sleep after receiving chiropractic adjustments. The treatment not only relieves pain but calms the nervous system.
Pay attention to your sleeping posture. Your head needs to be level with your spine in all positions.
One nutritional supplement that commonly helps insomnia is magnesium. Take 300 mg before bedtime. It is a mild relaxant and can be used during the day also for nervousness and anxiety. It is non-addictive and has no side effects but check with your pharmacist for conflicts with any of your medications .
Remain in control over the situation. Don’t watch TV or read until you fall asleep. Have a regular bed time and give it a lot of priority. Always set an alarm clock even when you can sleep later than usual. Having a regular, consistent wakening time is much easier on your wellbeing.
Get more exercise, both mentally and physically. Do it to a point when you feel the need for rest. Lack of exercise is the single most common cause of poor sleep. If you have become quite sedentary, remember that everyone needs to have goals and challenges every day. Keep at least your mind active if not your body.
-an excerpt from the book Whole Health Healing – The Budget Friendly Natural Wellness Bible For All Ages by Dr. Tom Potisk, www.wholehealthhealing.com
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This post was written by assistant on May 1, 2011
