Importance of sleep in treating and preventing diseases, herbal solutions to aid sleep, what avoid before sleep time
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Importance of sleep in treating and preventing diseases
Promoting Deep and Restful Sleep
Not getting enough sleep at night gradually changes the brain and the neuro-endocrines system in a similar way to that seen in stress-related disorders such as depression. Lack of sleep directly or indirectly causes increases in HPA activity and cortisol release. By acting on stress systems, insufficient sleep may sensitize people to stress-related disorders. This can easily become
a self-perpetuating cycle, in which reduced sleep predisposes you to stress
responses and the stress responses impact sleep quality.
Lack of sleep is also associated with an increased risk of developing breast
cancer. A study involving 35,000 women over 2 years found that women who
slept an average of 9 hours per day had a two-thirds reduced risk of getting
breast cancer, compared to women who slept 6 hours or less. The longer sleep cohort also had an average of 42 percent higher levels of melatonin-a hormone that is synthesized in the brain in response to duration and intensity of daylight and is released from the pineal gland during the dark of the night. It is estimated that nearly 25 percent of the adult population in the UK is sleep deprived, so it's reasonable to assume that this is contributing to some significant health risk.
Circadian Rhythms
Disruption of circadian rhythms (sleep-wake cycles) by shift work, regular
travel across time zones, or lifestyle choices (such as staying up late or falling
asleep with the TV or lights on) leads to an increased risk of breast cancer.
This may be partly attributed to the fact that light exposure at night suppresses
the nocturnal production of melatonin that inhibits breast cancer growth.
In a groundbreaking study of circadian rhythms, researchers at the
University of Haifa in Israel overlaid satellite images of Earth onto cancer registries and found that women who live in neighbourhoods with large amounts of nighttime illumination, where melatonin is disrupted, are more likely to get breast cancer than those who live in areas where nocturnal darkness prevails, even after controlling for other factors such as pollution in a city.
Epidemiological studies of nurses, flight attendants, and others who work
at night have found breast cancer rates up to 60 percent above normal, even
when other factors, such as differences in diet, are accounted for. On the
basis of such studies, the International Agency for Research on Cancer now
classifies shift work, especially a swing shift, as a "probable carcinogen." That
puts nightshift work in the same health-risk category as exposure to toxic chemicals such as trichloroethylene, vinyl chloride, and polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs).
There are numerous ways in which people encourage relaxation and sleep, but one of the most valuable techniques is developing a set of habits, or a presleep routine, that gives your brain very specific signals that you are winding down to rest, and allows it to act accordingly
Good Sleep Hygiene
Below you find tips how to establish good sleep routine.
1. Unwind. Schedule an hour at the end of the evening for bedtime preparation. This will allow you time to unwind, relax, and get yourself in the mood for sleep. Have a warm bath with lavender or chamomile, light a candle, listen to soft music; make it a ritual. Avoid watching TV for a couple of hours before bed and
don't read thrillers or scary books in the evenings. Don’t do vigorous exercise within 3 hours of bedtime, as it is stimulating and invigorating and will keep you awake.
2. Set a regular bedtime. As much as possible, go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Up to 30 minutes variance can be okay but try not to deviate by more than that. The body usually responds well to a routine like this. It doesn’t preclude the occasional party but know that you will probably pay for it the next day and will need a few days to reestablish the routine.
3. Ensure that your bed is really comfortable. Sleep in the biggest bed you can, so that you never feel crowded. Get a good mattress and box spring. The mattress should be firm; you can top it with an egg-crate foam pad or a sheepskin cover, if you have sensitive places that press in the night. Use cotton flannel sheets for immediate warmth when you get in at night. Use a hot-water bottle it you are chilly (not an electric blanket because of e electromagnetic frequencies), Make sure you have the best pillow you can buy; try the contoured ones that are available from chiropractors or medical stores. Use a long, firm pillow between your knees when you lie on your side, or under your knees when you lie on your back. This supports and protects the sacroiliac joints.
4. Stay cool. Keep the bedroom cool, with some fresh air.
Consider using a humidifier if you live in a dry climate. Use aromatherapy to scent the room; lavender, orange blossom, and rosewood are especially relaxing.
5. Turn down the lights and listen to soothing sounds. Prepare to sleep by turning out all the electric lights and using candles for the last hour before you go to bed. This will slowly adjust the brain chemistry to night mode. Be sure to sleep in absolute darkness. Use heavy curtains or wear an eye mask. Do not use digital bedside clocks and avoid night lights. If you must have a night light to see the way to the bathroom, position it low on the ground and do not look at it when you get up in the night. If there is a lot of noise, wear earplugs or listen to soft, instrumental music or sounds of nature.
6. Move your clock. If possible, don't keep clock in the bedroom same with mobile phone. If you must see the time in the morning, or be woken by the alarm, then keep your clock in a place where you can’t see it from the bed. Resist the urge to check the time when you wake in the night and can't go back to sleep. This just creates stress and tension.
7. Visualize. Use the time waiting for sleep for a meditation practice, guided visualization, imagining pleasant and happy things, or any other thoughts that are positive and creative. Try not to use the time to rehash the day or plan tomorrow; avoid worrying and fretting, as it doesn't help.
8. Make your bedroom a sacred space. Reserve the bedroom for sleeping and lovemaking. Try to make it sacred space that is tranquil and calm. Don't use it for watching TV, reading. working, making phone calls, and so on. Don't snooze in the morning. When you first wake in the morning. try to
- stay awake. Don't hit the snooze button on the alarm clock. Drifting in and out
of sleep in the morning will disrupt the wakening cue and make you groggy.
Get up, go outside, and look up into the morning sky for a minute, with no
windows, glasses, or contact lenses to filter the light. This will switch off the
melatonin production and start the e daytime boost of serotonin.
Herbs and Supplements for Better Sleep
Herbal remedies are very useful for aiding sleep. Preferably in tincture or
capsule form to avoid a large fluid intake shortly before bed. Some of these
herbs also relieve pain, so if pain is part of the cause of poor sleep, these will
be particularly effective.
Mild Sedatives and Relaxants
These herbs are suitable for teas in the day to calm agitation or anxiety, or in
higher doses in capsules and tinctures at night before bed
Catnip,
Chamomile,
Lemon balm,
Linden,
Milky oats,
Skullcap,
St John`s wort
Lavender
Medium Strength
These are best in tinctures or capsules, as water will not extract them so well.
Use caution, as they may induce drowsiness in higher doses, so you should
void operating machinery or driving after taking them.
California poppy
Hops (also good in a traditional sachet to tuck into a pillow and inhale
the volatile oils all night)
Kava
Passionflower
Wild lettuce
Strong Sedatives
These herbs are best used in tincture for precise dose calibration. They may
cause grogginess the next day. Consider premeasuring a dose before bed to
have ready to take if you wake in the night. They won't knock you out like a
pharmaceutical sleeping aid will, but they will quiet the mind and ease rest.
Corydalis
Jamaican dogwood
Valerian
Adaptogens – Ashwagandha - For people who suffer from Insomnia and anxiety, having a cup of hot milk that contains ½ teaspoon of powdered ashwagandha before bedtime is beneficial. Its Latin name, Withania somnifera, refers to the known effect of this herb for inducing deep and restful sleep. Indeed, deep sleep (delta or sleep) is a critical part of the normal circadian rhythm in the body that enables our immune system to repair itself and optimizes immune responses. So, the sleep sleep-inducing effects of ashwagandha are in fact an intricate and integral part of the apoptogenic influence of the herb.
Supplements for Better Sleep:
Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone that has multiple actions in the body. including regulation of circadian sleep-wake cycles and of seasonal rhythms and antioxidant
and anti-inflammatory effects. Melatonin also regulates immune responses as
well as cell proliferation and immune mediators. In the immune system, melatonin acts as a buffer; it acts as an immunostimulant or an anti-inflammatory
as needed to support healing. This makes melatonin a sort of "adaptogen" for
the immune system that optimizes responses and normalizes cell behaviours. A healthy adult would normally make approximately 0.5 mg +/- within
24 hours. Very young children and older seniors make less melatonin, partly
explaining why they sleep in fits and starts, on and off in short bursts not governed by day-night cycles.
A suitable supplement dose for most individuals can be calibrated by
dream tolerance. Melatonin is a tryptamine-derived molecule that contributes
in the brain to the visual content of your dream life (similar to how dimethyl
tryptamines in psilocybe mushrooms can give you hallucinations), and doses
higher than your individual tolerance will tend to cause busy. vivid, or even
disturbing dreams. Foods such as walnuts, olives, rice, barley, strawberries, cherries and cow’s milk contain melatonin.
5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) - makes melatonin - Foods containing tryptophan include bananas, figs, dates, yoghurt, turkey, milk (the evening milky drink) and tuna.
Calcium citrate - muscle relaxant
Cannabidiol (CBD)- nonpsychoactive extract from cannabis
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) - an inhibitory neurotransmitter
Glycine - sweet-tasting amino acid that calms the mind
L-theanine - calming and relaxing amino acid from green tea
Magnesium glycinate/bisglycinate - muscle relaxant
Vitamin B6 – nervine
Mandarins: in Chinese herbalism, mandarins are thought to calm the spirit and are used to aid memory recall and concentration.
What avoid before sleep:
Avoid heavy meals, caffeine-containing drinks or alcohol during the evening.
The amino acid tyramine can act as a stimulant by increasing the release of norepinephrine. Therefore, foods to avoid during the evening include bacon, cheese, chocolate (ouch), spinach, tomatoes and wine. Avoid these close to bedtime.
Don’t smoke. Although smokers experience a relaxing effect from cigarettes, nicotine is a neurostimulant.
ATTENTION: All material provided on this website is for informational or educational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of your healthcare professional or physician.