Sleep
Seek Sleep: Chronic Insufficient Sleep Deprivation contributes to heart & kidney diseases, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, cardiovascular issues, weight gain, obesity, depression, anxiety, injury risks, hormone & immune imbalances, thinking/memory deficits and general inflammation. About, 1 in 3 adults are not getting enough sleep. Don’t give up on trying to get a good night’s sleep, because a good night’s sleep helps your body to heal & stay healthy.
Sleep Breakdown: There are about 90 conditions that fall under sleep disorders and some may even overlap. Common sleep disorders are related to sleep loss, sleep disorder breathing, insomnia, narcolepsy, restless leg, parasomnia, sleep-related psychiatric disorder, neurological disorder, medical disorders and medication side-effects. Identifying specific conditions will increase the success rate to finding a sleep solution.
Herbs That Help: Depending on the sleep disorder, herbs may help. There is no one universal herb or combination of herbs that works for everyone. Some popular herbs to explore are apigenin, L-Theanine, valerian, skull cap, passion flower, St. John’s Wort & chamomile. Magnesium, which is a mineral, is sometimes used in combination with these herbs. Learn about each one & decide which one or combination of them might work for your specific sleep issue.
Light Sleep: Light frequency, duration, wavelengths, natural and artificial sources impact our circadian rhythm (a.k.a. sleep pacemaker). Daylight exposure helps to suppress sleepiness. Darkness triggers sleepiness. Artificial blue light waves have short wavelengths and stimulate awakeness. Artificial red light waves have long wavelengths and stimulate sleepiness. Overall, excess or poorly timed artificial light can mess with your sleep. For better sleep, become enlightened to the lights around you.
Doctor Sleep: Before visiting a doctor or sleep specialist, create a sleep log. A sleep log (a.k.a. journal, diary) may include dates, bedtime, end time, time & ease to fall asleep, number & duration of sleep interruptions, number & duration of naps, perceived sleep quality, alcohol, caffeine & tobacco use, breathing/snoring disturbances, dreams/dream cycles, medications and exercise routines. A sleep log will help your doctor & sleep specialist to order &/or recommend medications, supplements, hormones, light therapy, CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), Cognitive Behavior Therapy or sleep studies to address your specific sleep issues.
Sleep Drugs: Depending on the sleep disorder, different medication classifications may be used. Major classifications are sedative-hypnotics, benzodiazepines, dual orexin receptor antagonists, antidepressants, antihistamines and barbiturates. All come with their share of side effects and some may only be effective for short-term use &/or may be addictive. As you work with your physician to find the source of your sleep disorder, report all positive & negative effects of medications, supplements & herbs taken.