6 Ways to Improve Your Quality of Sleep
by Sam Visnic, CHEK III, CHEK NLC II, NMT, LMT
1. Do not drink caffeine after 3pm!
When caffeine is ingested into the body it stimulates the sympathetic branch of
the nervous system (a.k.a., "fight or flight"). Upon sympathetic activation, the
adrenal glands begin to release cortisol, which is a low-grade
adrenaline. It is also the same hormone that wakes you up in the morning in response
to light. Cortisol has a half-life of 6 hours in the body, which means that drinking
caffeine at 3pm will cause elevated cortisol levels until about 9pm. This will make
it very difficult for you to either fall asleep or stay asleep. Some people may
need to cut their caffeine intake back to no later than 12pm.
2. Decrease the quantity of carbohydrates you eat before bedtime!
Late night carbohydrate snacks and sweets such as ice cream, cookies and so forth
will create a sharp rise in blood sugar levels. If you eat these foods and then
fall asleep, you will most likely create a blood sugar crash during your sleep.
This can disturb your normal hormonal rhythms, create difficulty staying asleep or
make you feel like flat-out crap in the morning when you wake up. Eat light,
preferably protein and a small amount of fat, and curb your nighttime eating about 2
hours before bedtime.
3. Resolution of emotional or stressful situations will improve sleep!
If you are having problems falling asleep or staying asleep and are experiencing
nightmares or disturbing dreams, this may be an indication of emotional disturbance
or unresolved emotional issues. I frequently find that once emotional issues are
resolved by means of simple processes such as Neuro-Linguistic Programming or dream
analysis, there is a remarkable improvement in sleep quality.
4. Eliminate electromagnetic stressors near your bed!
Electromagnetic stress can come from electronic equipment that is powered on near
your bed. Make sure televisions and computers are turned off. Devices such
as a Q-link (electromagnetic attractor) can be useful in absorbing electronic stressors
on the body, thus improving sleep quality.
5. Make sure your room is completely dark!
As mentioned earlier, the body naturally responds to light. Artificial
lighting from computers or televisions can cause an increase of cortisol which can
keep you from falling asleep. Keep your lights as dim as possible before bed and
make sure your room is as close to pitch-dark as possible when you sleep.
6. Exercise!
Yep, that's right! Regular exercise will improve your hormonal rhythms and improve
the quality of your sleep. Choose the right type of exercise for your level of stress.
Yoga, Tai Chi, or other types of energy exercises are good for those who
are stressed out, and vigorous exercise for those experiencing low stress. Also,
if possible, exercise in the morning when cortisol is highest. Intense exercise
increases cortisol, which will not be helpful in the evening if your goal is to
improve your quality of sleep.
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