When we don’t get enough sleep we are unable to repair our bodies and our nervous system becomes very fragile. As humans we were designed to go to sleep when it’s dark and rise when it’s light. The general sleep wake cycle starts at 10 pm and ends around 6 am. From 10 pm to 2 am physical repair happens and your bones, muscles, joints and tendons get to recover for that day.  From 2 am to 6 am your psychogenic repair happens allowing the nervous system and hormonal system to balance itself. Disturbance to this cycle can lead to any number of ailments.

​

Light is the largest external factors that effects sleep.  When we see light our bodies naturally think its time to be awake and releases hormones in the body to do so.  When it’s dark our bodies naturally releases melatonin, which signals our bodies that it’s time to rest and recover.

 

Unfortunately we live in a world that for the most part surrounds us with artificial light. Whether it is from TV, computers, tablets, smart phones, our body never gets the signal to calm down and get ready for sleep. The nervous system stays over stimulated and poor quality sleep occurs and health will start to decline. Hormones will become imbalanced and symptoms of weight gain, low energy, muscle aches, headaches, brain fog show up.

​

Sleep's number one enemy is the sugar/caffeine cycle.  When people become sleep deprived they commonly turn to sugar and caffeine to “get them through the day”.  When this happens our bodies try and balance the blood sugar imbalance and stress hormones are constantly released making us tired but wired. By time you go to bed you’re over exhausted and full of cortisol and chances of quality of sleep is small.

​

Here are some easy ways to improve the quality of your sleep and allow your body and mind to stay healthy. 

​

1. Get to bed by 10 pm and rise at 6 am to balance your circadian rhythm

2. Eat correct for your metabolic type. Balanced blood sugar levels help sleep quality.

3. Dim the lights of your house 2 hours before bedtime. This will signal the hormones in your body to slow down and get ready for sleep.

4. Try unplugging all electrical devices in your home. Put your phone on airplane mode.

5. DO NOT watch the news before bed or anything that might elicit a stress response.

6. Move your body. Try getting 50-60 minutes a day of exercise as this has been shown to help sleep quality.

7. Avoid the use of computers, tablets, phones and video games at least 2 hours before bed.

8. Make your bedroom as dark as possible.

9. Ditch the stimulants. Taking caffeine out alone can help many sleep disorders.

10. Keep the room cool. Crack a window. Keep the room at about 60-65 degrees.