Are you getting enough sleep?
Karen Morris
Sleep is nature’s cure for many things which is why as a naturopath, more sleep is something I highly encourage if you’re not feeling your best. If you’re finding that some of your health concerns include the below signs and symptoms and you are struggling with a lack of good quality, deep sleep, it is possible that you have fatigued adrenals.
- Memory loss
- Loss of appetite
- Craving for sugar or carbohydrates
- Irritability
- Yawning
- Reduced sex drive
- Constant need to reach for energy drinks or coffee
If any of these sound like you, it’s time to give your adrenals a rest and some nourishment. There are measures you can implement today to ensure that by the time bedtime rolls around, you’re ready for a restorative, deep sleep.
Limit Caffeine
Caffeine can stay in our bodies for up to 6 hours, sometimes more. Try and limit your caffeine intake to one cup of naturally sourced caffeine (avoid energy drinks) per day and no more than 6 hours before bed. Caffeine also stresses our adrenals. It might give you a short boost but often you find you are more tired after 20 minutes of consuming your coffee. Always follow your coffee with a full glass of water to rehydrate.
Screen times
Being on our phones or watching TV just before bed doesn’t allow our brains enough time to wind down after a busy day. If you’re still on your phone while in bed, then there’s little chance you will be getting a good night’s sleep. Turn off screens 1 – 2 hours before bed and focus on activities like reading, meditating or journaling, so that you go to sleep feeling calm and relaxed. Try to charge your phone in another room to the one you are sleeping in.
Nutrition
What we eat before bed can significantly impact our quality of sleep. Avoid large meals before you turn off the lights, as this will cause your digestive system to still be working away at processing the food instead of healing and repairing. Try to eat a few hours before bed time. Avoiding things like sugar and dark chocolate is also a good idea, as sugar will spike your insulin and dark chocolate contains caffeine, which can keep you awake. A supplement like our Magnesium Carbonicum Homeopathic Remedycan also help to improve your sleep qualities by helping your muscles to relax and by calming any uneasy nerves.
Stress
If you’re under a lot of stress, then a good night’s sleep will certainly be difficult to achieve. And your adrenals will most certainly be depleted. Deep breathing exercises like Box Breathing can help to improve your stress levels in the moment, by slowing down your heart rate and allowing your mind to focus on the breath. This is a great strategy to lower cortisol levels and help calm our adrenals. Our Rescue Remedy Sleep – Bach Flower is another great option if a restless mind is keeping you up at night. This popular flower remedy helps to provide relief caused by stress and repetitive thoughts and includes a gorgeous combination of 5 Bach Flower Remedies – Rock Rose, Impatiens, Clematis, Star of Bethlehem and Cherry Plum plus the Bach Original Flower Essence of White Chestnut, which has traditionally been used to switch off the mind.
Anxiety
Much like stress, anxiety has a way of keeping our minds racing when all we want to do is switch off. Chronic anxiety can cause the mind to stay wired, regardless of how exhausted the body is. Our Ziziphus Stress Sleep Aid includes a combination of Ziziphus seed, Hops flower, Schizandra fruit, Vervain herb and oats seed powder and is a popular choice for those suffering from anxiety related, unrefreshing sleep.
If you would like to read more about the power of sleep and how an improved night’s sleep really can change your life, I recommend reading Arianna Huffington’s best seller The Sleep Revolution
As always, herbsonlineshop.com offers free advice, so please do get in touch if you’re not feeling your best, I can have the correct herbs and supplements for your individual needs sent out to you today!