9 Tips For Healthy Sleep and Beauty Rest

If you’re tired of tossing and turning, these simple solutions can help…

Dear Health Enthusiast,

Imagine waking up refreshed and energized each morning. For many of us, that idea is a dream! The experts agree that a minimum of seven hours of sleep per night is vital for daytime alertness. And eight to nine hours per night is required for optimal health. 

The steps listed below can help you make the most of your bed time by decreasing the time it takes you to fall asleep and permitting a deeper, more restful slumber. 

Recommendations for healthy sleeping patterns:

1. Exercise regularly.   A half hour of moderate, daily activity decreases the amount of time needed to fall asleep and the frequency of nightly awakenings.
2. Get on a schedule:   Start making a habit of going to bed and rising at the same time every day.
3. Do something relaxing every night before bedtime like reading or listening to beautiful music.  Calm your nerves and relax your muscles with a nutritional supplement like Osticare, with a balance of premium calcium and magnesium. Once you have established a routine, your body will respond to the pre-bedtime cues and you will feel drowsy.
4. Use your bed for sleep and sex only.  Do not read, eat, or watch television in bed.
5. Avoid substances which interfere with normal sleep including caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate, and soft drinks), alcohol, and nicotine. 
6. Maintain a dark, quiet, sleeping space between 55 and 75 degrees F.  If your bedroom is too bright even with window coverings, a sleeping mask can make a huge difference!  If noise is an issue, try silicone earplugs usually sold for swimming.  Silicone earplugs form a near-tight seal that is unbeatable for blocking air-conducted noise.  In fact, you should check to be sure you can still hear your alarm!  If the earplugs aren’t enough, adding the drone of a fan or a white noise generator may help.
7. To maximize nocturnal growth hormone release and ensure the most recuperative sleep possible, avoid high glycemic load carbohydrates for at least two hours before your bed time.  Instead, have a high protein snack such as nuts, chicken or turkey, milk, fish, or eggs 30-60 minutes prior to retiring.
8. For at least four hours prior to bedtime, avoid consuming foods containing high concentrations of the amino acid tyramine which can cause agitation.  These include: pork, cheese, wine, potatoes, tomatoes and spinach.
9. In contrast, foods containing high concentrations of the amino acid tryptophan can cause drowsiness.  If you are prone to insomnia, try consuming these foods in the evening:  turkey, bananas, yogurt, milk, and tuna.

I hope this helps…and remember, if you suffer from chronic, prolonged, or recurrent sleeplessness, contact your health care provider. 

Yours for Better Health,

Chris Lydon, MD

Contributor and Editor

The Healthy Herald