Sleeping Through Insomnia
Do’s
- eat a small amount of carbohydrates as the last meal at least a couple of hours before going to bed. Try a small bowl of warm rice
with milk and a sprinkling of cinnamon and a teaspoon of honey, or pasta or steamed or baked potatoes – but don’t overdo it.
- eat a handful of cherries before bed – it contains a healthy dose of melatonin to help you get to sleep. Or have fennel before bed.
- eat a banana an hour or so before bed – the tryptophan created in the gut will produce serotonin in the brain & help you stay asleep
- get to bed early and maintain a consistent and regular bedtime
- have a warm bath with 1-2 cups of Epsom salts dissolved in it. The skin will release toxins and absorb the magnesium required for good sleep while relaxing the muscles and calming the mind.
- have a cup or glass of warm milk with a teaspoon of real organic chocolate, ie cacao powder to induce sleep - especially good for women in the days leading up to their period to reduce pain & tension.
- maintain a reasonable amount of cool, fresh air to your sleeping environment. Of course if you live in a cold climate this will probably not be so viable, but being too warm and lacking air can prevent the circadian rhythm from functioning properly, thereby keeping you from the deeper levels of sleep.
- yawn; force yourself to yawn several times when you are ready for sleep, it triggers the brain into sleep mode
- get out of bed early even if you haven’t slept well
- get bright light (preferably sunlight) into your eyes as quickly as possible after waking up
- drink water as soon as you wake up – you will have lost quite a bit through perspiration & evaporation through the night
- get some exercise after you’ve had your water and done whatever you need to do when you first wake up.
If you can get outside for a walk/run/ride/swim then do it. This is to signal to the brain that it is now ‘wide awake’ time. The theory is that many insomniacs do not cultivate a significant differential between day and night, so the body does not produce the right hormones in the right quantities at the right time. That may sound overly simplified, but essentially if we went back to our roots we would see that early man slept when it was dark (when he was safe from predators), and was awake and alert during daylight hours. In modern times we often wake up in a house or apartment with artificial light, then go to work in an environment that uses artificial light, and go home at night and use artificial light for as many hours as we want. This artificial light is generally thousands of times less intense than sunlight so our bodies rarely get that blast of awakening bright light. Because of this, the signals that used to cause our bodies & minds to switch on & off are lacking and we never really reach the peaks of alertness or the depths of deep sleep, we just hover somewhere in between.
- Drink a glass of clean water at least every second hour during the waking hours, and build this to a minimum of 1 litre for every 22kg of body weight per day.
Don’ts
- eat heavy, difficult to digest foods within 2 hours of going to bed
- eat foods high in protein late in the day
- drink tea, coffee, fruit juice, soda pops or any other stimulants after mid–afternoon
- take any prescription or over the counter drugs, pills or capsules
More Advanced Techniques
1. Cool Belly:
Apply a cool surface to your abdominal area as you lie in bed ready for sleep. Lie on your back with a slightly dampened face cloth or anything else that is cooler than your skin resting on the abdominal region.
This need only be applied for 30 to 60 seconds but leave it there as you apply the following pressure point techniques, then remove it, roll onto your left side and go to sleep.
2. Accupressure:
Pressure Points
Using the tip of the opposite thumb for maximum pressure, locate the the tender,
gristly spot to the outside of the thumb depicted to the left and press as hard as you can. It will hurt – if it doesn’t you’re not hitting the right spot or not pressing hard enough. Press hard for 30-45 seconds, release and repeat on the other thumb. This method will cause the body to produce an instant supply of sleep-inducing melatonin. |
3. Gadgets:
TENS: If you have access to a TENS machine, apply for 5-10 minutes in the following spots just before going to sleep:
1) Place one pad on each Achilles tendon just above the level of the ankle
2) Place one pad on each inner wrist
3) As you lie in bed ready for sleep, apply one pad to the sensitive, tension build-up area where the back of the neck meets the top of the shoulders
Acupresure If you own an acupressure device it should have instructions on treating sleep disorders as well as stress & tension so follow the instructions provided.
TENS: If you have access to a TENS machine, apply for 5-10 minutes in the following spots just before going to sleep:
1) Place one pad on each Achilles tendon just above the level of the ankle
2) Place one pad on each inner wrist
3) As you lie in bed ready for sleep, apply one pad to the sensitive, tension build-up area where the back of the neck meets the top of the shoulders
Acupresure If you own an acupressure device it should have instructions on treating sleep disorders as well as stress & tension so follow the instructions provided.
4. Ear Shennen