A night or two of poor sleep is incredibly frustrating, but did you know that poor long-term sleep can be disastrous for your health? Consistent inadequate sleep will damage every cell, organ and system in your body.
Do any of the below interest you?
Improved Immunity.
Reduced Stress.
Better Trauma Release.
Emotional Regulation.
Obtaining a better sleep routine can give you these and much more!
Whether you fall asleep easily or are more of an insomniac, it's good to have proper sleep aids on hand that are effective. You never know when jet lag, stress or an irregular period in your life may pop up.
Here are some essential sleep tips that can benefit your health right away!
ROUTINE
View sunlight within 30-60 minutes of waking up - your body is primed to wake up and fall asleep through light coming in through your eyes and stimulating the production of neurotransmitters. Get morning and afternoon sun for 10 minutes on bright, clear days—cloudy days for 20 minutes and overcast days for 30 minutes.
Wake up the same time each morning and go to bed when you're sleepy - your body craves routine and rhythm. If you can create a strong rhythm around sleep, your body will thank you!
Limit naps - keep naps to 90 minutes or less.
ENVIRONMENT
Avoid bright lights - viewing bright lights between 10 pm - 4 am will confuse your brain and reduce melatonin production.
Sleep in a cool and dark room - your body needs to drop in temperature by 1-3 degrees to fall and stay asleep properly.
An increase in temperature signals the body to wake up, so keep your room cool.
SUBSTANCES
Avoid caffeine within 8 hours of bedtime - clearing the body of caffeine can take up to 10 hours. If it still circulates during bedtime, it will disrupt sleep.
Avoid alcohol and sleep meds - they will mess up your sleep. We want to encourage your body to get you to sleep, not rely on other substances. Some sleep medications contain "black box warnings" of harm, including death!
Chamomile - there is a strong reason that chamomile is associated with winding down, relaxation and sleepiness. Research conducted on postpartum women experiencing fatigue and depression found drinking chamomile tea significantly improved sleep and reduced depressive symptoms (2).
NUTRITION
The Truehope Protocol - melatonin production depends on the body's ability to produce serotonin, and most people suffering from depression also have significant sleep issues.
To make serotonin, the body needs 7 crucial nutrients. If you lack those ingredients, you will not make enough melatonin, as serotonin is required to produce it.
A lot of the time, simply introducing EMPower Plus will help correct sleep issues. But to encourage top-quality sleep, we have other products that work beautifully in synergy with EMPower Plus.
We recommend EMPower Plus throughout the day to ensure all neurotransmitter pathways have the nutrients they need to produce those brain chemicals. Freeminos will also improve your sleep quality by providing the necessary tryptophan to make melatonin. BMD helps enhance sleep quality because 5 of the 7 minerals within BMD are proven to help people fall asleep and stay asleep. Inositol provides the secondary messenger molecule that allows melatonin to work more effectively. When your melatonin levels increase at night, you need Inositol to help the melatonin do its job better.
Increase Vitamin D - adequate Vitamin D intake is essential for over 1,000 known genetic processes. Research shows that people deficient in vitamin D have an increased risk of sleep disorders (1) and are associated with poor sleep quality. Consult a health practitioner and supplement accordingly.
Help your body help you.
Your body has an innate wisdom and intelligence, and sleep will find a way if you provide it with the necessary circumstances. Place some of these recommended steps into your life today.
Simon Brazier. Dip HN, NNCP
REFERENCES
Qi Gao, Tingyan Kou, Bin Zhuang, Yangyang Ren, Xue Dong, Qiuzhen Wang. The Association between Vitamin D Deficiency and Sleep Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2018 Oct 1 ;10(10). Epub 2018 Oct 1. PMID: 30275418
Shao-Min Chang, Chung-Hey Chen. Effects of an intervention with drinking chamomile tea on sleep quality and depression in sleep disturbed postnatal women: a randomized controlled trial. J Adv Nurs. 2016 Feb ;72(2):306-15. Epub 2015 Oct 20. PMID: 26483209