Importance of Good Sleep

Whenever I suggest sleep, this doesn’t mean you were in bed for 8 hours tossing and turning throughout the night.

I am looking for quality sleep of 6-8 hours because without that you’re body isn’t healing and getting the health response needed.

Sleep is used for two things that the body absolutely needs which is time to restore and detox.

Just by changing night time routine and daily behaviors we can obtain better sleep.

We all have a biological time clock that is known as a circadian rhythm. This is a 24 hour cycle that is in synchrony with earth’s rotation and the cycles of night and day. The true keys to good health is staying connected to the natural rhythms of the earth. What this means is minimizing exposure to light once the sun goes down and waking up with the sun in the morning.

Melatonin is our sleep hormone that rises at night in response to darkness and is inhibited by light. Whereas cortisol is a stress response hormone rising during the day and declines at night responding when appropriately demanded. When melatonin is not being released at night you may find it difficult to fall asleep and over time this lack of sleep will lead to chronic health conditions. At night time when there is exposure to light this activates cortisol levels which are stimulating not allowing the brain, specifically the hippocampus to rest. This can lean to disoriented thoughts, forgetfulness, difficulty processing new information, staying focused and may lead to early forms of dementia.

Things you can begin doing at home to help regulate your circadian rhythm to get better sleep.

1. Try getting to sleep by 10pm and Waking up at 6am. Down with the sun and up with the sun.

2. At night once the sun goes down, do not have all the lights turned on in the house. Try using dimming lights, lamps or   candles to dim the lights and lessen exposure to eyes.

3. Start using blue light glasses at night if you decide to watch television, surf the web or while playing videos games. These can be found on Amazon.

One of the first things I assess when patients come into my office with chronic illness and inflammation is their sleep pattern. This provides vital information moving forward with care.