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So tired, but you cannot sleep…!
I
don’t know who came up with the idea of counting sheep when trying to fall
asleep
...Just tried it once, when I either lost the count at 24873 or just suddenly
comes the wolf!...
I
turn around on the other side and try again with the other flock of sheep…
Too many thoughts are racing through my brain, I know my life has a lot planned for me tomorrow, and with every minute not sleeping, I know, that my chance of catching sleep diminishes
...by exactly the wasted amounts of sheep I just tried to count!
The
surprisingly common thing to do is to reach into the side-cupboard and grab
those
sleeping pills and get it over with... ... the sleep I mean…
However we are not informed how enormously impacting those side-effects of
Sleep-medications are on our health.
Studies have shown that regular intake of sleeping pills can shorten one's life
statistically by 10years.
The long term effects of sleeping pills are devastating!
Inducing sedation of your nervous system as a means to manage your sleep will and
cannot have the intended health benefit of natural sleep
Studies have shown that sleeping pills have the following side effects:
·
It triggers of Cancer to a large extent!
·
Shortens your lifespan dramatically!
·
Sleeping Pills can be habit forming and throw you into a
vicious cycle of dependency!
·
The actual benefits of sleeping pills are not worth the
risks when comparing them to the effectiveness of the natural alternatives
available.
·
Sleeping pills will impair your brain functionality the
following day. You will not be as alert and refreshed, as you are in dire need to
manage your tasks in such times.
A sleeping-hangover will stay with you for the rest of the day, as the
remaining dose of chemicals will have to be worked off by your system!!!
·
It can cause Sleep walking and even sleep driving
· It can induce abnormal thought patterns.
·
Confusion and disorientation.
·
Complete amnesia from events, even those that took place
during the day
·
Depression, lethargy, droopiness at work.
Common misconceptions about sleeping pills
I need sleeping pills!...
Everything has its place, yes even sleeping pills!
Our
brain functionality is a made up of a complex but reliable systems of chemicals
which are responsible for inducing our sleep patterns.
Only a few handful of people in this world actually need sleeping pills. In most cases they are already in consultation with a Neurologist or similar, where either the necessity of drug administration is affecting the natural sleep patterns or sleep is not induced by the normal brain functions. However, just because you are not sleeping does not mean you need sleeping pills. There is a range of hidden errors or reasons which are robbing us of our sleep inadvertently. Your Naturopath/Phytotherapist is trained and aware of them and is able to advise you.
I’ll just have a scotch for the night…
Alcohol is commonly used to fall asleep to numb the chaos in our thoughts when
trying to count the sheep.
We
must remember that alcohol is a type of sugar. Everybody knows that giving a
kid, sugar or a puppy, before going to bed, is the worst thing you can do.
Yes,
initially we will fall asleep but we are more bound to wake up in the night.
Only if we use a large amount of alcohol will we sleep through the night, just to
wake up with a hangover. The long term effects on our lifestyle and reliance on
alcohol will be horrible.
Alcohol is doing to our nervous system what an oil spillage would do to our
wonderful local beaches.
Here is a list of simple
but effective tricks to make getting into a habit of sleeping easier...
Light:
Make
sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, and cool. Noise, light, and heat can interfere
with sleep. Try using a sound machine or earplugs to mask outside noise, an open
window or fan to keep the room cool, and blackout curtains or an eye mask to
block out light.
Light
plays a major role in our bodies to manage sleep hormones
Time:
Stick
to a regular sleep schedule. Support your biological clock by going to bed and
getting up at the same time every day, including weekends. Get up at your usual
time in the morning even if you're tired. This will help you get back in a
regular sleep rhythm.
Avoid naps. Napping during the day can make it more difficult to sleep at
night. If you feel like you have to take a nap, limit it to times before
1pm.
Balance yourself.
Avoid stimulating activity and stressful situations before bedtime. This includes
important discussions or arguments; TV, computer, or video games which could
hype you up.
Use the bedroom only for sleeping and sex! Don’t work, read, watch TV, or
use your computer in bed or the bedroom. The goal is to associate the bedroom
with sleep alone, so that your brain and body get a strong signal that it’s time
to nod off when you got to bed.
Get out of bed when you can't sleep. Don't try to force yourself to sleep.
Tossing and turning only amps up the anxiety. Get up, leave the bedroom, and do
something relaxing, such as reading, drinking a warm cup of caffeine-free tea,
taking a bath, or listening to soothing music. When you're sleepy, go back to
bed.
Move the bedroom clock ...out of view! Anxiously watching the minutes tick by
when you can't sleep—knowing that you're going to be exhausted when the alarm
goes off—is a sure-fire recipe for insomnia. You can use an alarm, but make sure
you can’t see the time when you're in bed.
And those stimulants...
Limit caffeine green tea, alcohol, and nicotine. Stop drinking caffeinated beverages compleately. Yes, that’s right! ...cut out these stimmulants as they will destroy the sleep building hormones right from the morning on.
Avoid drinking too much liquid in the evening for obvious reasons.
Quit
smoking or avoid it at night, as nicotine is a stimulant.
Technique:
A variety of relaxation techniques could help you achieve the relaxation
response, including:
·
deep breathing
·
progressive muscle relaxation
·
meditation
·
visualization
Relaxation
techniques that can help you sleep
A relaxing bedtime routine. As a start to your relaxation practice, develop a
calming bedtime routine. Focus on quiet, soothing activities, such as reading or
listening to soft music. Keep the lights low.
Abdominal Breathing. Close your eyes, and try taking deep, slow breaths,
making each breath even deeper than the last. Breathe in through your nose and
out through your mouth. You can try making each exhale a little longer than each
inhale.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation. Lie down or make yourself comfortable. Starting
with your feet, tense the muscles as tightly as you can. Hold for a count of 10,
and then relax.
Continue to do this for every muscle group in your body, working your way up from your feet to the top of your head
Yes, but I have tried it all and nothing works...!
Our Bodies “sleeping system” is wonderfully complex and depending on a range of body functionalities. Within the night, the brain is maintaining its own chemical system and any imbalances somewhere within the body can kick this out action.
Sleep depends on our Emotional, Mental, setup and also on our various organs, the Gut, and many other functions of our body. Any factor can upset the whole system and sleep wise nothing will work unless your Naturopath will identify the cause and treat it accordingly. Self-medication is in most cases not effective at all, as the actual cause has not been treated and the full potential of the nightly recuperation cannot be reached.
Your Trained Naturopath / Phytotherapist knows how the body works together and will be able to address you with a range of remedies and treatments, so that your sleep pattern is going back to how it should be.
In fact many people who think they are sleeping healthy will realise that their full potential of nightly recuperation had not been reached until they have explored the remedies and treatments a Naturopath can apply to aid your wellbeing.