Sleepy Time Tips
Dear Friends and Readers,
Daily exercise helps to keep the body in hormonal balance. Melatonin is a hormone that promotes sleep, and to relieve stress and depression. Doing vigorous exercise early in the day and mild stretching before bedtime will help to fall asleep and stay asleep all night.
Hydrate well during the day to keep your brain alert and body cleansed. You can slow down your drinking your fluids after dinner so you won’t interrupt your sleep by getting up to go to the bathroom.
Make sure that you have your last food intake at least three hours before bedtime, so your body and brain will be able to rest; repairing itself and converting new information in the brain. and not to be disrupted by the digestive process.
After dinner, dishes done, kitchen cleaned; now get yourself ready for bed. It is now the power-down-hour, 20 minutes for hygiene, brush teeth and other bedtime rituals, then RELAX. Turn off the computers, and other electronic devices, for these disrupt brain function for sleeping. Keep the lights low and allow your melatonin levels to rise naturally. Meditate, drink your banana tea, keep the conversations at a calm level, nothing stimulating.
It is best to go to bed earlier, say 8-9:00 while the melatonin levels are up, so you can get your 8 hours of sleep before these levels drop. We do need at least 8-9 hours of good sleep a night for optimal health and proper body and brain functioning. Retrain and go to bed earlier, 10 minutes or so for several nights until you reach a healthier bedtime. When the light/sunlight appears the melatonin will decrease and your body is ready to get up or you will feel groggy.
When you retire to sleep for the night, make sure all lights are covered, keep your room as dark as possible, otherwise the lights will decrease your melatonin levels. Have the room temperature kept cool 60-68 degrees rather than warm so you can sleep comfortably. If you do open the window but need to keep the noise level down, use foam earplugs to have a quiet sleep.
Alcohol, caffeine, and some drugs interrupt your REM sleep, and so do the sleeping pills, please refrain from these drugs if you want to have a good night sleep. I have taken to include one tablespoon of MCT Oil (medium chain triglycerides which has 60% coconut oil) at lunch. I found that I sleep great at night and dream a lot…so I know I am sleeping when I dream. Sugars are a brain stimulant and also hinders the proper function of the sleep hormones so best to avoid them.
Pleasant Dreams!
Marie
