Sleep like a baby with these simple tips!
Sleep like a baby with these simple tips
If you are reading this article, you or someone you know might be suffering from insomnia. Well, you are not alone.
People around the world have chronic insomnia that affects not just their energy levels, but overall health.
As a results, people that sleep less than 7 hrs:
-increase their chances of obesity by 41%
-decrease productivity & concentration
-lower motivation to exercise
-have a 13% higher risk of heart disease
-have a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes
-struggles with mental health issues such as depression
-have an impaired immune system
Just to name a few!
How can we fix that?
Below are some tips that we commonly recommend to our patients in order to improve their sleep hygiene & overall health.
#1 Digital sunset
At least an hour prior to going to sleep, avoid any screens that give off fake light.
The light tells your brain that it is still day time and prevents melatonin from getting released. Melatonin is a hormone the body produces that plays a major role in our sleep cycles.
Many patients supplement with melatonin in order to sleep better and even though it is a great short term treatment (like when jet lagged) it’s not ideal to use long term.
#2 Watch your caffeine intake
If you have trouble sleeping, avoid caffeine at least 8 hours prior to bed time. Some people process caffeine slower than others which can be the reason for their insomnia.
Keep in mind that not just coffee contains caffeine. Chocolates & soft drinks also contain caffeine therefore eliminating those would be best, at least in the later part of the day.
#3 Room temperature
Make sure your room temperature is not too warm. It’s been shown that cooler temperatures help people sleep better so maintaining 15.6 to 19.4 degrees Celsius would be ideal for optimal environment to sleep in.
#4 Stress reducing activities
Stress is another invisible threat that can keep us up at night therefore, incorporating stress reducing activities will help manage it better and improve sleep.
Exercises is my favorite followed by meditation. These two simple yet extremely effective techniques help me and many of my patients sleep better.
Try signing up at a local gym, yoga studio, Pilates or anything that you will enjoy doing to move your body.
#5 Your room is for 2 uses ONLY
a. Sleep
b. Intimacy
Those are the only reasons you should be in your bedroom. Avoid working, watching movies or reading while in bed.
If you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night, get out of bed and sit in a separate room until you feel tired enough to sleep again. This will associate your bedroom only for sleeping, and of course intimacy.
Give these tips a try for a month or two because as mentioned above, your sleep can dictate your overall health.
Written by Dr. Dimitri Boules Doctor of Acupuncture
Dr. Dimitri Boules is an accomplished acupuncture clinician, professor, author and lecturer. He is the co-owner of Boules Acupuncture Clinic in Larnaca (Cyprus) and treats people with a wide range of health concerns like muscularskeletal pain, depression, anxiety, fertility and more. For more info, visit boulesacuclinic.com
