Can't Sleep?--Here's Help
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June 30, 2009, Last Updated December 26, 2012
By Susan M. Callahan, Health Editor and Featured Columnist
Why can't I sleep? Poor quality or restless sleep is one of
the most common complaints in America, Europe and
industrialized countries. The latest 2008 Sleep Study
reported that nearly 50 million of us have some form of
sleep problem. But lack of sleep can have serious health
consequences. Too little sleep increases your risk for heart
disease. A 2008 study from the University of Chicago led by
Dr. Diane Lauderdale found that losing out on even an
hour's sleep builds up calcium in your arteries which can
lead to heart disease.
Sleep deprivation can put you at a higher risk for
developing high blood pressure, according to a 2012 study
from the University of Pisa School of Medicine in Italy. And,
depriving yourself of sleep of just one night's sleep can
also cause cold hands and feet.
You need at least 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night.
The University of Chicago study examined 495 men and
women and found that 27% of us who get less than 5
hours sleep a night have calcium plaque (blockage) in our
arteries, while only 6% of us who get 7 hours or more of
sleep have such blockage. "
Update:
Sleep can also help if you have cancer, a new study has
found. One of the best ways to support your health if you
have cancer -- in addition to getting treatment from your
doctor of course -- is to make sure that you get high
quality, uninterrupted sleep. Good sleep promotes your
body's ability to manage stress. Cortisol, a natural
hormone, falls to its lowest levels during sleep and rises as
your body prepares to wake up. In a sense, cortisol helps
to wake you up. The pattern of elevated cortisol during
daytime and lowered cortisol during sleep is a part of a
normal 24-hour circadian rhythm. A 2012 study from the
University of Louisville, James Graham Brown Cancer
Center discovered that, among lung cancer patients, those
who had normal circadian patterns of cortisol secretion and
sleep, and followed the normal circadian rhythms, had the
highest survival rates. As the study concluded, there is
"growing evidence that circadian disruption accelerates
tumor progression".
Sleep interrupted by sleep apnea or heavy snoring has also
been linked to stroke. So, it's clear that you need to make a
good night's sleep a priority, for the sake of your health.
(Read more about sleep apnea causes and cures.)
Most if us think of sleep as a luxury which we can
"manage" with little or no cost to our health. Got a big
project? Cut down on sleep. Need more time to party? Cut
back more time on sleep? But we humans can't survive
without sleep. In fact, sleep deprivation is used in some
countries as torture for a good reason. We actually become
psychotic if we are deprived of sleep continuously for too
long a period.
The Quality of Your Sleep
When you think about it, our sleep has always had to
achieve a balance of two competing goals. We have to
sleep deeply enough to give our bodies a rest. But we can't
sleep too deeply that nothing will rouse up. For us cave-
dwelling humans, sleep had to be restful enough to restore
us from our days of heavy labor but not so restful that we
couldn't hear the approach of a saber-tooth tiger outside
the cave.
Many factors influence the quality of your sleep. If you are
waking up too many times at night or waking up tired, ask
yourself a few questions. How is your general diet--- are
you eating late at night? Are you drinking caffeine -- sodas,
coffee? Are you waking yourself up snoring without
realizing it?
Are there any natural remedies to help you get a good
night's sleep? To help you sleep, establish a pattern of
what you do just before bed. Here are 10 tried-and-true
tips to help you sleep.
1. Turn Off The TV. Turn off the TV a half hour before and
don't watch TV in your bedroom. Avoid listening to the
news for awhile. Your brain can become stimulated and
dwell on the news for hours into the night.
2. Skip the Java. Don't drink coffee or caffeinated sodas.
Even a small amount of added caffeine can interrupt the
delicate patterns of your sleep.
3. Eat Tiny Carbs. Stop eating big meals at least 2-4 hours
before sleeping. A little --very little-- bit of carbs
can help you to relax into sleep more easily.
4. Eat Turkey. If you must eat, make it a cracker and a
slice of turkey. Turkey contains tryptophan, a compound
that makes us sleepy. It's the reason we all get sleepy after
Thanksgiving dinner.
5. Cover the clock. Here's the answer to the mystery of
why you wake up at the same time every night. I used to
be a clock watcher. Every night I would wake up and the
clock face would say 3:33 AM. Got to be spooky. I thought
the universe was trying to give me a Sign. If you find
yourself waking up at the same hour each night, don't
panic. Here's what you should do
- Cover the clock face. The bright diode digits can be
seen through your eye lids while you're sleeping. You
may also be opening your eyes while you're sleeping
and your brain registering the time
- Put the clock on the floor. That way you are less likely
to "see" it while you are sleeping.
6. Keep your room dark. Make sure hallway
lights are also off or dimmed.
7. Screen People Off. Don't answer e-mails, return phone
calls-- issues and concerns linger and
can disturb your sleep.
8. And Screen Some More. Turn off your cell phone,
computer and
Blackberry.
9. Use Aromatherapy. Scent your room with lavender.
Studies show it helps you relax and stay asleep.
10. Stretch. Stretching is a natural way to relax
and to tell your body you are preparing for
sleep.
11. Masturbate. Masturbation has been used by
humans for centuries and longer as a natural
way to relax and to induce sleep.
12. Take Your Mind Off Yourself. A tried and true method
of inducing sleep is to think of something or someone other
than yourself. It takes your mind off your worries.
13. Melatonin. Melatonin is a natural hormone produced by
your brain's pineal gland throughout your life. We make
less melatonin as we age, which accounts in part fro why
many people over 50 find it increasingly harder to fall
asleep at night. Because melatonin occurs naturally in the
body and is found in some foods, it is the only hormone
that you can buy in the U.S. without a doctor's
prescription. Most studies suggest that melatonin should be
taken at night no earlier than 9:00PM and should only be
taken when the lights are out. Why? Light interferes with
melatonin's effectiveness. According to the Sleep
Foundation, dosages between 1 and 3 mg are believed to
be safe and effective.
Inside the US, melatonin is sold as a dietary supplement
and is therefore not regulated by the Food and Drug
Administration.
Outside the U.S., melatonin has become somewhat
controversial. There have been insufficient large controlled
studies to prove its long-term safety as a supplement and
its usefulness as a sleep enhancement. Claims that
melatonin sold is "natural" have been disputed. Indeed,
much of the melatonin sold in the US is synthetic. Over-the-
counter sales of melatonin have been banned in Europe,
Canada and the U.K.
14. Passion Flower Tea. The technical name for this herb is
"passiflora incarnata L". The National Institutes of Health
has noted that passion flower is generally considered a safe
herb, whose dried flowers have traditionally been used as
an herb for insomina. Scientists do not know exactly how
passion flower works to induce sleep, but it is believed to
have a chemical pathway similar to the drug
benzodiazapine, a sedative. Brew passion flower as a tea,
mix with a teaspoon of honey to improve the taste and
smell, for a relaxing, natural aid to help you sleep.
15. Ashwagandha Tea. This herb, also known as "withania
somnifera" is an Indian tea which has been studied for
various properties, including its potential to decrease
inflammation and to boost your immunity. A 2009 study
from the Helfgott Research Institute, National College of
Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon found broad immunity-
boosting properties from the withania herb. To aid your
sleep, ashwagandha should be brewed as a tea. Add honey
to help the taste and smell.
16. Try Valerium. Valerium is a herb which is effective in
inducing sleep. A 2006 study from the University of
California examined 16 existing studies on valerium
involving 1093 patients. This mega-study confirmed that
valerium does indeed help to induce sleep, without
significant side effects.
17. Eat Cherries. Cherries are rich in melatonin. According
to a 2001 study from the University of Texas Health Science
Center, a type of cherry called “Montmorency” has about
6 times as much melatonin as other types of cherries.
You're just getting started. Find out more tips on improving
the quality or your sleep: Snoring Tips / Shallow Sleep-
America's Hidden Problem / Foods That Stop Snoring/
Does Losing Sleep Cause High Blood Pressure?
More Related Links:
Sore Throat-Causes and Cures
Snoring Linked to Higher Risk of Stroke, Heart Disease
Sleep Study 2008 Results-Americans Are Chronically Sleep
Deprived
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