/>AN Important Principles For Staying Young:
Are You Getting Good Sleep?
Ok....I been getting asked about sleep from alot of patients lately. So I have to address it in this weeks blog. Here we go....
Our basic premise is that your body is amazing: I want you to know how much control you have over your quality and length of life
We talk about personal hygiene in a lot of contexts, obviously, "SPINAL HYGIENE," but most people don't talk about sleep hygiene-that is, creating the perfect sleep environment. The truth is that you need to set the perfect environment for sleep.
A cool, dark room is the ideal environment. The temperature and darkness signal the pineal gland to kick up melatonin production and knock you out.
There should be no laptops, no TV, and no food in bed. Ideally, the bed is used for sleep and sex only; it's not an office or a restaurant.
Add white noise. Use a fan for background noise, or one of those machines that lets you pick sounds, from the rain forest to the ocean. This drowns out other noises that might keep you up.
Dim your lights a little while before bed to avoid the stimulation caused by artificial light pollution.
Don't store your cell phone under your pillow or near your bed. You'll wake with every text message buzz and never get any quality sleep. More important, the radiation from the phone may cause abnormalities in your brain DNA.
Be consistent. Your body clock loves it when you follow a predictable schedule. Even on the weekends, try to rise within an hour (at most, two) of when you have to get up on weekdays, even if that means you need a power nap later.
Other interrupters of quality sleep include caffeine and alcohol, with the interruption of the sleep cycle contributing to the "hangover" that many experience. Don't forget about nicotine, which is another long-acting drug. Cigarettes or chewing tobacco used anytime in the day can still keep you awake at night.
Now, a quick tip - What you choose to eat today affects your sleep tonight! For the best sleep, focus on foods that increase your tryptophan and have cinnamon. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that converts to serotonin in your brain. Serotonin helps to regulate your mood and enhances your sleep. You can get tryptophan in lean meats, such as turkey and chicken breast (skip the skin), soybeans and fish (not fried). You'll also want to add cinnamon (it fosters sleep) and avoid foods that may disrupt your sleep cycle, especially saturated fat (yes, forego cheesy fries, hamburgers and wings), as these take longer to digest and may decrease your likelihood of getting plenty of ZZZs.
Twenty-five percent or so of North Americans say sleep problems inhibit their work performance, and they want medication to help. If you are suffering from insomnia not related to poor sleep hygiene or food choices, ask me first about possibly taking a melatonin supplement to help get you on the right track. Other medications are available, but this seems least habit forming, and may work for you.
Good Night!
"Watching Your Back,"
Your Health Coach,
Dr. Ross Coccimiglio
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