Healthy Living for Real People
Posts tagged sleep
Secrets To A Healthy Sleep
Jan 26th
In our last post, Ann shared how stress became a major factor affecting her health.
What we saved until today is that insomnia plays an important part, too!
Watch the video to see how it all works together (and how we’re finding answers the problems) — then scroll down to see Ann’s list of tips for a good night’s sleep… including the one thing almost nobody does!
Ann’s Tips For Good Night’s Sleep
- Create your own pre-sleep ritual that goes beyond your normal teeth brushing and other practical activities.
- Design your bedroom primarily to support good sleep. Keep it clean and uncluttered.
- Have complete control of the lighting in your bedroom. Be able to make the room totally dark.
- Avoid turning on the light if you have to go to the bathroom. Any bright light will shut off melatonin production.
- Listen to relaxation CDs with nature sounds such as the ocean or forest.
- Dim the lights in your house around 8:00 pm. Light stimulates the release of cortisol and shuts down the release of melatonin.
- Stop watching TV or using your computer by 8:00 pm.
- Avoid snacking just before bedtime, particularly grains and sugars.
- Keep the temperature in your bedroom no higher than 70 degrees F.
- Wear socks to bed.
- Eat a snack high in plant-based protein several hours before bed (like Hallelujah Acres’ Raw Non-dairy Blueberry Cheesecake).
- Keep electrical devices as far away from the bed as possible; their electromagnetic fields (EMF) can disrupt your nervous system’s electrical currents.
- Avoid foods that you are sensitive to.
- Don’t drink any fluids within two hours of going to bed so you won’t have to get up to go the bathroom.
- Take a hot bath, shower or sauna before bed if you have trouble falling asleep.
- Writing in a journal may be helpful if you often lay in bed with your mind racing.
- Remove your clock from view.
- Have your adrenals checked by a good natural medicine clinician.
- If you are menopausal or peri-menopausal, consult a recommended natural medicine physician. Hormonal changes at this time may cause problems if not properly addressed.
- Make sure you are exercising regularly.
- … and the tip that almost no one does: Don’t change your bedtime (ideally around 10 pm)!
Your turn…
What’s your best tip for a good night’s sleep?
Click to comment!
Counting Your Blessings Adds Up
Nov 18th
According to Robert Emmons of the University of California at Davis, people who journal the things they’re thankful for have fewer illness symptoms, feel better about their lives as a whole, and are more optimistic about the future.
The finding comes from a study of two groups of people. One group kept track of things they were thankful for. The other group described daily hassles. The thankful group felt better about their lives overall, were more optimistic about the future, and reported fewer health problems than the other participants.
A similar study of people keeping “gratitude journals” found that such people got more sleep, spent less time awake before falling asleep, and felt more refreshed in the morning.
In a related study, researchers at the University of Connecticut found that gratitude can even have a protective effect against heart attacks.
We all have challenges in our lives. How we react to those challenges measures our gratitude. Do things have to go your way for you to be grateful? Can you find the bright side of a dark situation? Do you “give thanks in all circumstances?” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
In addition to doing your best to stay on The Hallelujah Diet this Thanksgiving, stop and think about all of the things you are thankful for. According to these gratitude studies, it may benefit you just as much as choosing alternatives to turkey and gravy.
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