Sleeping well

Quality sleep is an important contributor to optimum health and longevity. For a variety of reasons, many individuals encounter significant difficulties in this area. In today’s highly pressured world, insufficient sleep is likely to result in strained relationships, emotional instability, and poor decision making. Fatigue is frequently a contributing factor in vehicle, and workplace accidents.

Over time, poor sleep patterns will compromise the immune system and may eventually result in chronic health problems. Substantial funding is now allocated to the medical and scientific investigation of sleep disorders, and there are reliable sources of professional help for those affected. In addition to general medical practitioners, expertise in the area of sleep is encountered amongst professionals and therapists from a range of health related disciplines. Psychologists, nutrition consultants, hypnotherapists, naturopaths, and acupuncturists can all assist with the analysis and individual treatment of sleep disorders.

The importance of sleep

Deep, unbroken sleep is beneficial to the human nervous system which determines the capacity to effectively reason and act. Sleep enables memory and the various patterns of learning to be consolidated each night. It also provides an opportunity for brain and nerve cells to replenish their store of the enzymes and other compounds which facilitate the synchronised biochemical signals of a complex communications network. The importance of a strong and resilient nervous system cannot be underestimated, particularly when considering its role in relation to other major systems of the body. The digestive, respiratory, endocrine, and circulatory systems must all be functionally regulated by the nervous system.

Most healthy individuals will function optimally given approximately eight hours sleep each night. This amount will vary depending on levels of physical activity, dietary considerations and other life circumstances including temporary illness, medications, and stress. Children younger than ten years of age generally require more sleep than adults. When encouraged, some children will be more comfortable with a brief nap around lunchtime or later in the afternoon. This alternative can be more attractive than an extended sleep at night.

Remedies

There is a broad selection of remedies and approaches for improving the quality and duration of sleep. In the first instance, treatments of any sleep difficulties are best approached from a holistic perspective. This approach always requires an extended consultation which includes the patient’s detailed medical history along with the lifestyle and social factors which may contribute to their situation. The most important and influential areas of treatment can be broadly categorised as functional nutrition, circulation and metabolism, psychological wellbeing, and strategies for relaxation.

Functional nutrition

Functional nutrition involves providing the body with the complex proteins, essential fats, vitamins, and minerals that promote normal brain function, including the regulation of mood and sleep cycles. The protein building block known as L-tryptophan is required by the body to produce serotonin which is a hormone released to calm the entire nervous system in preparation for sleep. A balanced diet with a moderate protein intake should provide the body with sufficient stores of L-tryptophan. Some recommended foods for increasing L-tryptophan stores are fish and seafood, eggs, whole grain oats, and soy or dairy milk. An additional benefit with these foods is their ability to provide readily absorbable calcium, which is one of the key minerals for maintaining the adequate function of cells within the nervous system. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) is also required for the synthesis of serotonin. Dietary sources of Vitamin B6 include brewer’s yeast, eggs, molasses, and animal protein such as lean beef.

Circulation and metabolism

Promoting good circulation and an efficient metabolism is highly recommended for those with diagnosed or unspecified problems in the area of sleep. A healthy circulation will help to ensure adequate blood supply to the sleep centres of the brain. A combination of regular exercise and sensible eating build the foundation for good circulation.

For healthy individuals, the recommendation is to engage in at least four half hour sessions of moderate intensity exercise each week. Moderate intensity encompasses activities such as tennis, swimming, jogging, fast walking, cycling and horse riding. When attempted correctly, professional gym or fitness classes in aerobics, circuit, boxing, and martial art techniques can be described as moderate to high intensity.

A disrupted metabolism can reduce the quality of sleep. One of the symptoms of disrupted metabolism is a tiredness and lack of energy which tends to persist, even when the amount of sleep seems reasonable or excessive. In populations of the developed west, there is an increasing rate of metabolic illness diagnoses, such as diabetes mellitus and those linked to hypothyroidism. While ongoing research suggests the likelihood of a genetic susceptibility, much of the increased prevalence can probably be attributed to lifestyle changes over the previous few decades.

Many health therapists believe the contemporary western lifestyle has exposed a significant percentage of the population to metabolic disorders and related illness. Excessive consumption of refined and processed foods can cause extreme fluctuations in blood sugar. This in turn, is most likely to affect the quality of sleep.

High levels of sugar, for example, will stimulate the nervous system and create a restless mood. Elevated sugar levels can also create a symptomatic itching of the skin and may contribute to poor digestion and bloating, all of which can upset the normal patterns of restful sleep.

Stimulant drinks such as coffee, black tea, and cocoa, should be strictly avoided during the few hours prior to retiring at night. Relaxing herbal infusions of chamomile, lemon balm, or warm milk with cinnamon are preferable although these should be measured in small quantities and taken slowly. It is not advisable to consume alcohol immediately prior to sleeping although some individuals discover that a glass of wine taken with dinner helps them to relax throughout the evening.

Stress and anxiety

Anxiety has become an increasingly prevalent symptom for individuals living in the commercial and competitive societies of the modern era. Whether experienced as a clinically diagnosed disorder, or as an occasional psychological discomfort, anxiety usually produces a range of physical symptoms that prevent or disrupt the normal patterns of sleep. Muscle tension, elevated heart rate, shallow breathing, increased blood pressure, headaches, and sensory disturbances are frequently reported. In addition to these physical symptoms, there is the significant likelihood of experiencing some psychological barriers against sleep. Once sleep is affected, an increasingly negative pattern of thoughts can emerge. These may include prolonged restlessness, compounding fears or worry, poor concentration, intrusive thoughts, negativity, and emotional instability.

Clinical research indicates the actual cause of anxiety tends to be poorly understood and often wrongly attributed by those affected. It is also understood that many potential causes of anxiety cannot be readily removed or adjusted from the daily experience of modern life. Given these considerations, the most effective remedies tend to be focused on internal coping strategies of the affected individuals rather than efforts which aim to alter external or environmental factors.

There are several techniques and exercises which can assist many individuals to control their physical and mental states, in order to secure the considerable benefits of deep relaxation. Most of these are directly borrowed or derived from the Eastern traditions of Yoga, Meditation, and Tai Chi. Guided relaxation programs are constantly promoted by alternative and mainstream publishers. DVD and audiotape copies are popular with business people and achieve high volume sales through airport retailers, health shops, book outlets, and the internet.

The progressive relaxation technique

One of the earliest programs is based on developing a state of deep relaxation through the deliberate release of muscle tension. Originally known as the progressive relaxation technique, it is both convenient to perform and effective in preparing the body for quality sleep.

The progressive relaxation technique requires only a quiet, comfortable location and approximately fifteen uninterrupted minutes. Lie down, back against the floor with the arms relaxed, palms facing upward. Breathe slowly and deeply into the abdomen for several minutes, watching the belly rise and fall. Tense both feet, hold for ten counts then relax for another ten counts. Now tense the calf muscles for ten counts, relax for ten. Moving up the body, continue with ten counts of tension followed by relaxation in the proceeding order. Knees and thighs, buttocks, abdomen, shoulders, upper arms, lower arms, hands, neck and throat, face and scalp. Return the breath to the abdomen and observe the rise and fall of the belly for several minutes. Beginning with the feet again, repeat the sequence of tension then relaxation for each body section. This time, use the mind to clearly focus on the release of tension at each location. Visualise each muscle as a sponge that releases waste and environmental toxins with each contraction. Once relaxed, the sponge renews itself by absorbing fresh oxygen and nutrients.