3 Simple Ways to Ensure Good Sleep

3 Simple Ways
To Ensure
Restorative Sleep!

APRIL, 2017

A good night’s sleep is essential for so many cognitive and health reasons. When looking at the obvious ones you realize that without good sleep you have a foggy mind, lack of energy or you feel more easily irritated. Meanwhile, research shows that missing out on deep restorative sleep has a negative impact on so much more: on digestion, hormones, weight problems, stress response, etc. In other words, when you’re well rested, you are more alert, able to process new information more efficiently, and you make better decisions. When you’re sleep deprived, you are more likely to make mistakes and it takes longer to complete tasks.

So what are some simple ways how to ensure restorative sleep for greater health & efficiency?

1. Sleep Length

For many years people have tried to achieve more by cutting down on sleep. As a result energy giving drinks, pills or foods became highly liked. But it turns out sleep deprivation is one of the worst things you can do for your health and your performance/efficiency at work. Sleep deprivation starts for most people if they sleep less than 7 hours, and yet, because it is a personal measure, a person might need up to 9 hours of sleep to perform at their best! It can really vary that much.

On top of this, in 2013 the first studies came out proving that a lack of sleep could make you fat. The lack of sleep slows down metabolism which causes the body to burn fewer calories. “We used to think you needed a significant amount of sleep deprivation for it to have an effect on weight. It turns out that’s not true,” says Michael Breus, PhD, a sleep specialist and author of The Sleep Doctor’s Diet Plan: Lose Weight Through Better Sleep. Just 30 minutes of sleep loss could make you more likely to gain weight! In other words, this put sleep just in the same impact category as eating a good diet and exercising several times a week!

So how do you fix sleep deprivation?

Well, everyone normally has a fixed time when to get up. Take that number, let’s say 6am, and count backwards the hours (7 or 8 or 9 hours) you need to go to bed. That’s your “lights out” time! Let’s say that you need 8 hours to feel fully rested and you need to get up at 6am. Your usual “lights out” time is then 10pm. Keep in mind that the body likes repetition; keeping the same or similar hour makes it so much easier to fall asleep AND get up.

2. Paleo Sleep or the best Waking/Sleeping Pattern

The National Sleep Foundation has recently conducted a large 2-year study (you can read their results here) about how many hours of sleep we really need. They readjusted their recommendations for every age group, meaning that Adults (26-64 years), for example, need between 7 to 9 hours of restful sleep each night. Even though they make no claim regarding which time frame of sleeping is the most beneficial for us, practical observation still tells us that when one sleeps eight hours between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., most people feel more rested than if they had slept eight hours between midnight (12a.m.) and 8 a.m. No one really knows for sure why this feels true. Maybe it comes from those ancient times, when we did not have modern convenience of lights and electricity, but had to rely on the sun light. There used to be a saying of ‘Go to bed, when the sun sets’ or also ‘Rise and Shine.’ Maybe we still have a deep sense of this age-old waking/sleeping pattern. The claim, however, that every hour of sleep before midnight counts double, is unfounded and considered a myth!

“Sleep like a baby” is what many adults are looking for. The less we worry, the more it is possible!

3. Practice Good Sleep Hygiene

Good sleep hygiene has become more and more important in the past two decades. It is a conscious way to establish a restful and uncluttered sleeping environment and goes far beyond how many times you wash bed linens or pillow cases. If you have developed a good sleep hygiene, you have actually made sleep a priority in your life. So let us explore some of these good sleep practices and see where you might want to make some changes to get the most restorative sleep possible! Since lights at night have a great impact on our inner ‘waking/sleeping’ clock, let’s start with them.

7 Useful Tips for Good Sleep around Electronic Devices

Don’t use a computer (or bright screen) for 2 hours before going to bed.
Use dim red lights for night lights. Red light has the least power to shift circadian rhythm (waking/sleeping cycle) and to suppress melatonin.
If you work a night shift or use a lot of electronic devices at night, consider wearing blue-blocking glasses or installing an app that filters the blue/green wavelength at night.
Use blackout shades to block out ambient light from streetlights or lights from your neighbors’ windows/patios.
Turn off (or cover) all digital devices that flash, glow or give off any type of light.
If you can’t do these things for some reason, use a sleep mask.
Expose yourself to lots of bright light during the day, which will boost your ability to sleep at night as well as your mood and alertness during daylight.

Why do so many sleep experts stress pitch dark rooms? Simply because research shows that artificial light disrupts our circadian rhythm (the natural wake-sleep cycle) and that it throws off our sleep. Just a single ‘pulse’ of artificial light at night disrupts it. Another study [click here] also showed that the blue light emitted from alarm clocks and other digital devices can significantly suppress melatonin production!

7 Additional Tips for Good Sleep

If you are occasionally or often exposed to noises, invest in a comfortable set of earplugs.
Keep the room at a comfortable temperature – many people prefer to sleep in a cooler room. Plus you have an additional advantage since research shows that you burn more calories in a cold room, improving on weight loss goals.
As a general rule eat 3 hours before going to bed to give your body a chance to properly digest the food (obviously a lighter meal lets you sleep more easily).
Reduce your intake of caffeine & alcohol.
If applicable reduce napping during the day to only 10-15 minutes.
Spend 30 minutes exercising at least 4x a week.
Drink your last cup of coffee for the day latest at 2pm since it takes min. 6 and up to 8 hours before the caffeine is losing its effect your body.

If you still feel drained & exhausted in the morning after you checked on all these tips & recommendations, then we recommend additional support with restorative natural herbs.

Let’s be clear: we do not recommend the usual over-the-counter sleeping aids, widely prescribed for relief from insomnia. It is known that they all have serious side effects. Instead. We are talking about natural sleeping aids, used since hundreds of years. These promote a state of calm for our nerve system, help us relax, and improve our overall sleep quality. Additionally, some herbs allow us to wake up feeling refreshed, energized and restored. Besides the classical Valerian, Chamomile, Passion flower & Hops for good sleep, we would like to introduce you to a formula of three Indian (Ayurvedic) herbs that we have been working with over the past years.

“The proper amount of sleep has the same impact on us as eating a good diet and exercising several times a week!”

Excellent formula to cope with stress & restore deep sleep!

Peaceful Sleep: A gentle, but powerful Ayurvedic formula to restore Good Sleep

Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera)

Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb, popular in Ayurvedic medicine with extraordinary stress relieving properties and astounding results to lower cortisol and to balance thyroid hormones. There are more than 200 clinical studies on Ashwagandha’s ability to reduce stress, adrenal fatigue, anxiety, depression, even cancer cells, and increase stamina, endurance, mood, and sleep, plus enhancing brain and immune function! This makes Ashwagandha a superstar with tremendous health benefits, especially in regards to stress, sleep, strong immune function and rejuvenation!

Gotu Kola (Centella Asiatica)

Gotu Kola is renowned for its ability to support the overall brain and nervous system. While it improves memory, focus & concentration during the day, it has a calming effect too. It relieves mental fatigue, anxiety and stress. The beauty of this herb is that it brings energy without stimulation of your adrenal glands which represent the storehouse of your energy.

Krishna Tulsi (Holy Basil)

Tulsi, or Holy Basil, should not be confused with Sweet Basil, used for culinary purposes. Tulsi is another adaptogenic herb that is highly regarded in Ayurvedic medicine for its health benefits of ensuring vibrant health and longevity. Amongst a variety of medicinal activities, Tulsi is a relaxing nervine that helps to calm the mind and assist us in recovering from the daily hustle. It significantly lowers cortisol & stress symptoms within just a few weeks, is highly anti-inflammatory and contains high antioxidants. Thus it makes a perfect addition to give us the much-desired anti-aging benefits and longevity we are looking for!

Practial Tips how to use Peaceful Sleep

This natural formula works excellent for mild to moderate insomnia when you take 2-3 capsules about half an hour before bed time for 7 days, and then stay on or reduce to 2 for a full month.
By practical experience we know that most people feel an improvement within 3-4 days, and certainly after 7 days. By following this protocol it will assist you to reset the ‘inner clock’ to restorative sleep until you no longer need it. On the other hand, some people say that they use it just occasionally, when their stress levels are high, and falling asleep can become more difficult during that time.

With a natural approach to good sleeping hygiene and the possible use of some natural herbs, you are rather focusing on finding balance than treating the symptom. Of course, you can use more approaches, like massage, yoga, aromatherapy, taking evening baths, etc. In any case, we truly recommend to find a solid & practical balance in your life since improvements are not only going to be long-lasting, but can be managed so much easier according to changes in your life.

Visit us in our shop or give us a call. We will be happy to help you find more balance in your life, specifically tailored to your life & your circumstances. After all, restorative sleep of 7 to 8 hours is considered equal in benefits to eating high quality foods and exercising. That’s how important sleep is!

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