While Shakespeare's Hamlet was dancing with ideas of death and its possible similarities with sleep (and his own deep restfulness away from thoughts of revenge) when he spoke his famous soliloquy, most of us want "To sleep, perchance to dream..." to simply mean a good night's rest! Especially when sleep seems to allude us, and since we all know how important it is to our overall mental and physical health.
First off, sleeping is a general term for what we all consider a time for lying down, closing eyes, and (presumably) resting - however, there are parts to sleep we can't control directly and are autonomic responses of the body. Restful sleep refers to a progressive time in the 5 stages of sleep, with the deepest "rest" being the time we spend in REM. While all stages are important, the deeper stages (4/5) are where the magic happens - some cellular regeneration (especially brain, bone, and organ tissues), lean muscle repair, neurotransmitter and hormone transport, etc..., which means that we really can self regenerate and heal to a degree. Now, while we can't necessarily directly control those processes, we CAN control what we do to facilitate the body's work through deeper and more restful sleep. Remember, the thinking "you" might not be in charge of the parts, but you steer the ship.
Here are some organic FAQs for better/deeper sleep:
1. WHEN YOU EAT: While there is still debate about specific times of the day we "should" eat, there are some food facts that we know will effect our sleep. Alcohol, caffeine, highly processed foods, large amounts of foods, and other substances (like nicotine) can keep us from getting a deeper sleep. The body will process things it needs to break down and digest before it focuses on taking us into the healing parts of our REM state. Limiting these substances, or keeping windows of time between drinking, eating, and sleeping can help the body process everything well. Caffeine, only before noon (if your bedtime is after 8pm); alcohol (limit to 1-2 drinks a day), at least 2 hours before bed; food, keep to small portions (at least 2 hours before bed) and limit highly processed foods in general*. The right amounts of carbs and protein around our exercise window can also decrease late night levels of cortisol, which can effect sleep. Check out this article from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition for a study on sleep duration and energy intake.
*While these times are flexible, they are a good guideline.
2. WHAT YOU EAT: Foods containing L-tryptophan can help the body produce serotonin (the mood modulator neurotransmitter), which helps the body produce natural melatonin (the sleep inducing neurotransmitter). Supplemental melatonin can also help in certain cases, and there are other vitamins and minerals that can help promote sleep as well, but check with your Doctor if you think minerals or vitamins might interfere with medications or health conditions. For a list of foods high in dietary tryptophan, you can read a medically reviewed article from HealthLine, here.
3. TEMPERATURE: A cool room is conducive to sleep as it helps your body regulate temperatures in order to help you reach deeper levels of sleep. A fan can also help some people create the "white noise" effect which drowns out some other external noises and helps the brain "unplug" from the conscious thinking we do that can make sleep difficult. If the fan is distracting, you can also find an app with white noise to help your brain tune out distractions and focus on resting. While the research on white noise is still ongoing, there is evidence to show how it can help, such as shown in this study on background noise from the Sleep Research Society.
4. ENVIRONMENT: Unplug electronics/TV and Journal - on paper, with a pen! The brain is an amazing organic machine and can multi-task quite well when called to do so, though it can also hyper-focus and be a poor friend when thinking "you" is trying to disconnect and sleep. Writing by hand can stimulate parts of the brain that are highly active on both creative and rational sides, so writing out your feelings and thoughts can actually help the brain slow down those parts so that you can rest and sleep. It will turn them back on in dreams for some of us, which is why waking up and writing out your dreams in the morning while they are fresh is also a good processing tool - as it allows your brain to re-connect the logical side with the creative, especially if you learn the symbolic "code" your brain uses to process through unconscious emotion/cognition. When you are done writing, turn off the lights and get the room as dark as you can.
5. INTERNAL MENTAL REGULATION: Meditation and mindfulness exercises can help the brain "unwind" as well by lowering heart rate and blood flow and allowing our body to prime itself for sleep. You don't have to turn into a Yogi or listen to a ton of New Age music in order to do either of these things - just a quiet space to sit, lowered lighting, soft music or neutral noise (remember the fan), and a willingness to "let go". If you start to think of things - work, kids, money, stress, how ridiculous you feel... just consciously acknowledge the feeling, and let it pass. Meditation and mindfulness are a "practice" and not a procedure because they take time and practice to do well. For more info on Mindfulness, Harvard has put together this website.
6. INTERNAL PHYSICAL REGULATION: While we all know that exercise makes the body work better, we can also use breathing to do some of the same things for the mind. Use deep breathing techniques and sit up nice and straight, then breathe from the belt buckle and not from the chest. When you take shallow breaths from the chest, it tells the body that you are in distress mode - even if you aren't. Your body will respond by releasing epinephrine and nor-epinephrine (adrenaline) into the system and you'll end up raising your heart rate and speeding up your thinking. Instead, breath deeply - put a hand on your lower gut and feel your breathing - in through the nose, out through the mouth. Rather than triggering your distress response, you will trigger your parasympathetic system to release serotonin and to create melatonin, to lower your heart rate, and to allow your body and mind to relax. Sitting up straight will allow the neurotransmitters to move from the gut to the brain/vice versa through the spinal column (the brain's communication line with the body), and will help the sleep process flow. UCLA provides some free guided meditation and breathing techniques, here.
While these are only a few ideas to help you get more restful sleep, remember that our health is a process that involves more than just a simple list of tips and tricks. It can be very overwhelming to try and do every little thing to improve the function of our brains and bodies, so pick small goals each week/month to work on and change.
For example, if you want to improve your sleep quality, you might follow this schedule, adding a skill each week:
Week 1, get your room nice and dark and keep the temperature 68F-72F.
Week 2, turn off the electronics an hour before you want to go to bed.
Week 3, eat some things that will help you sleep and minimize things that won't.
Week 4, add in some meditation and breathing before bed.
You'll find, before you know it, you will be mastering better sleep - and *perchance* better able to conquer those daytime dreams you have for success!
For a free consult and more information on how you can work directly with me to improve your mental and physical health, hit me up at jonnifitkhat.com and like my Facebook page!
<3, Jonni
For Further Info On Sleep:
National Sleep Foundation
Association between Reduced Sleep and Weight Gain in Women
Precision Nutrition Sleep Infographic
First off, sleeping is a general term for what we all consider a time for lying down, closing eyes, and (presumably) resting - however, there are parts to sleep we can't control directly and are autonomic responses of the body. Restful sleep refers to a progressive time in the 5 stages of sleep, with the deepest "rest" being the time we spend in REM. While all stages are important, the deeper stages (4/5) are where the magic happens - some cellular regeneration (especially brain, bone, and organ tissues), lean muscle repair, neurotransmitter and hormone transport, etc..., which means that we really can self regenerate and heal to a degree. Now, while we can't necessarily directly control those processes, we CAN control what we do to facilitate the body's work through deeper and more restful sleep. Remember, the thinking "you" might not be in charge of the parts, but you steer the ship.
Here are some organic FAQs for better/deeper sleep:
1. WHEN YOU EAT: While there is still debate about specific times of the day we "should" eat, there are some food facts that we know will effect our sleep. Alcohol, caffeine, highly processed foods, large amounts of foods, and other substances (like nicotine) can keep us from getting a deeper sleep. The body will process things it needs to break down and digest before it focuses on taking us into the healing parts of our REM state. Limiting these substances, or keeping windows of time between drinking, eating, and sleeping can help the body process everything well. Caffeine, only before noon (if your bedtime is after 8pm); alcohol (limit to 1-2 drinks a day), at least 2 hours before bed; food, keep to small portions (at least 2 hours before bed) and limit highly processed foods in general*. The right amounts of carbs and protein around our exercise window can also decrease late night levels of cortisol, which can effect sleep. Check out this article from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition for a study on sleep duration and energy intake.
*While these times are flexible, they are a good guideline.
2. WHAT YOU EAT: Foods containing L-tryptophan can help the body produce serotonin (the mood modulator neurotransmitter), which helps the body produce natural melatonin (the sleep inducing neurotransmitter). Supplemental melatonin can also help in certain cases, and there are other vitamins and minerals that can help promote sleep as well, but check with your Doctor if you think minerals or vitamins might interfere with medications or health conditions. For a list of foods high in dietary tryptophan, you can read a medically reviewed article from HealthLine, here.
3. TEMPERATURE: A cool room is conducive to sleep as it helps your body regulate temperatures in order to help you reach deeper levels of sleep. A fan can also help some people create the "white noise" effect which drowns out some other external noises and helps the brain "unplug" from the conscious thinking we do that can make sleep difficult. If the fan is distracting, you can also find an app with white noise to help your brain tune out distractions and focus on resting. While the research on white noise is still ongoing, there is evidence to show how it can help, such as shown in this study on background noise from the Sleep Research Society.
4. ENVIRONMENT: Unplug electronics/TV and Journal - on paper, with a pen! The brain is an amazing organic machine and can multi-task quite well when called to do so, though it can also hyper-focus and be a poor friend when thinking "you" is trying to disconnect and sleep. Writing by hand can stimulate parts of the brain that are highly active on both creative and rational sides, so writing out your feelings and thoughts can actually help the brain slow down those parts so that you can rest and sleep. It will turn them back on in dreams for some of us, which is why waking up and writing out your dreams in the morning while they are fresh is also a good processing tool - as it allows your brain to re-connect the logical side with the creative, especially if you learn the symbolic "code" your brain uses to process through unconscious emotion/cognition. When you are done writing, turn off the lights and get the room as dark as you can.
5. INTERNAL MENTAL REGULATION: Meditation and mindfulness exercises can help the brain "unwind" as well by lowering heart rate and blood flow and allowing our body to prime itself for sleep. You don't have to turn into a Yogi or listen to a ton of New Age music in order to do either of these things - just a quiet space to sit, lowered lighting, soft music or neutral noise (remember the fan), and a willingness to "let go". If you start to think of things - work, kids, money, stress, how ridiculous you feel... just consciously acknowledge the feeling, and let it pass. Meditation and mindfulness are a "practice" and not a procedure because they take time and practice to do well. For more info on Mindfulness, Harvard has put together this website.
6. INTERNAL PHYSICAL REGULATION: While we all know that exercise makes the body work better, we can also use breathing to do some of the same things for the mind. Use deep breathing techniques and sit up nice and straight, then breathe from the belt buckle and not from the chest. When you take shallow breaths from the chest, it tells the body that you are in distress mode - even if you aren't. Your body will respond by releasing epinephrine and nor-epinephrine (adrenaline) into the system and you'll end up raising your heart rate and speeding up your thinking. Instead, breath deeply - put a hand on your lower gut and feel your breathing - in through the nose, out through the mouth. Rather than triggering your distress response, you will trigger your parasympathetic system to release serotonin and to create melatonin, to lower your heart rate, and to allow your body and mind to relax. Sitting up straight will allow the neurotransmitters to move from the gut to the brain/vice versa through the spinal column (the brain's communication line with the body), and will help the sleep process flow. UCLA provides some free guided meditation and breathing techniques, here.
While these are only a few ideas to help you get more restful sleep, remember that our health is a process that involves more than just a simple list of tips and tricks. It can be very overwhelming to try and do every little thing to improve the function of our brains and bodies, so pick small goals each week/month to work on and change.
For example, if you want to improve your sleep quality, you might follow this schedule, adding a skill each week:
Week 1, get your room nice and dark and keep the temperature 68F-72F.
Week 2, turn off the electronics an hour before you want to go to bed.
Week 3, eat some things that will help you sleep and minimize things that won't.
Week 4, add in some meditation and breathing before bed.
You'll find, before you know it, you will be mastering better sleep - and *perchance* better able to conquer those daytime dreams you have for success!
For a free consult and more information on how you can work directly with me to improve your mental and physical health, hit me up at jonnifitkhat.com and like my Facebook page!
<3, Jonni
For Further Info On Sleep:
National Sleep Foundation
Association between Reduced Sleep and Weight Gain in Women
Precision Nutrition Sleep Infographic
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