Lack
of sleep (insomnia) is gently creeping into the lives of the work force of the
economy. There are so many causes of insomnia. Let’s start like this; there is
a process in the brain called the circadian cycle which is responsible for our
sleep and wake pattern. Insomnia can begin when we upset this cycle. For instance,
not sleeping at night will lead to sleeping during the day. Trying to cheat the
body by denying yourself of rest both day and night will only make the body
switch on what we call “negative feedback mechanism” which could come in
different forms, like; not been able to sleep naturally, gaining weight, weight
loss, memory loss, lack of mental focus etc.
There
is a theory I came up with after reading a research that proves that sleeping
before midnight is far healthier than after midnight. The theory is based on the
quest for the natural sleep order. I took a deep look at the life we lived
before the invention of electricity and discovered some basic activities. We ate
dinner early probably around 5:30pm (which Nutritionists are advising us to go
back to), children played, adults talked, then probably a story with lessons
before going to bed (or mat as at then). But my point is they slept as early as
7:30pm. I can bet that some people have never slept that early since they
stopped been children. The result of this early sleeping made them wake up so
early for farm work and other occupations. To be pragmatic, that couldn’t work
now, but the message is to reinforce the research that healthy sleep is better
before midnight.
Stimulant
substances like caffeine (found in coffee, analgesics and bitter kola), cocoa, and
sugar can make natural sleep difficult to achieve. Some lager beer contain hops
which is good in helping to relax and achieve natural sleep but alcohol causes
increased urination which could lead to continuous break of a normal sleep.
Having
a television in the bedroom could compound sleeping issues. I prefer a radio or
a music player. The kind of mattress can also make sleep un-revitalizing. The bulb
in the room can be helpful too.
If
you wake you at night and find it difficult to sleep back, I advice you to try
reading something boring, it could be helpful. There are some genres of music
that can be helpful to induce sleep e.g. jazz, slows, old school, instrumentals,
classical etc.
I
prefer if we try as much as possible to get natural sleep before going to drugs
for solace. There are situations when medications are necessary, see your
physician to confirm.
The
natural products that help maintain a good sleep pattern are whole grain oats,
hops and valerian (both hops and valerian are available as combination in drug
form called “Kalms”)
Some
tips to help sleep by Dr Mercola:
·
Sleep in complete darkness
·
Keep your bedroom at room temperature (25 degrees centigrade)
·
Move alarms and other electronic devices away from your bed
·
Avoid using loud alarms
·
Reserve your bed for sleeping
·
Get to bed as early as possible
·
Establish a bed time routine
·
Don’t drink any fluid within 2 hours of going to bed
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