98
Escarpment Magazine Harvest & Holiday 2013
While statistics indicate that upward of 58% of
adults experience bouts of insomnia at least 3 times
each week, I find that only seldom do people tell me
they are happy with their sleep. Insomnia is poor
quality sleep described by any of the following:
4
difficulty falling asleep
4
waking frequently during the night
4
waking too early in the morning
4
not feeling well rested, even after sleeping 8
hours at night
The underlying cause of each of these challenges
is often different for each person.
By SHELBY WORTS
BSC, ND
Would you like to feel more rested and refreshed in the morning?
There are many factors that influence your sleep, including...
Mental stimulation -
studying long hours, playing video games, watching television, etc. can create
difficulties falling asleep. Studies have also shown that the blue light emitted from TV and computer mon-
itors can inhibit the secretion of melatonin, a hormone essential for good sleep..
Physical stimulation -
vigorous cardiovascular exercise raises your cortisol level, a hormone that
should be low in the evening to support restful sleep and body tissue healing.
Eating -
within 2 hours of bedtime.
Food choices -
consuming stimulants (ie. caffeine, sugar, additives) after 2pm can inhibit sleep.
Meal size -
make dinner a lighter fare and put more emphasis on a larger mid-day meal
Stressors -
an active mind at night is no friend to sleep. Helping your body adapt to stressors is key for
a quiet mind.
Hormone dysregulation -
waking in a sweat is not always a sign of menopause… both men and
women can experience this symptomwhen their blood sugar is not well regulated. Avoiding carbohydrates
in the evening can often resolve this.
Bedroom ambient light -
cover your windows and ensure your room is dark as possible, to stimulate
your natural sleep hormone melatonin.
Are you one of the 58% not sleeping well? Then be sure to speak with your naturopathic doctor about
finding the cause… and solutions.
Did you know? Each hour of sleep before midnight is worth 2 hours of sleep after midnight. Meaning,
you will get a better quality of sleep from 10pm-6am than you will from 1am-9am, even though they are
both 8 hours of actual sleep time.
|E|
8 Reasons You
May Not Be
Sleeping Well.
ESCARPMENT WELLNESS
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insomnia
