Can’t Sleep? Techniques & Supplements That Help

Can’t Sleep? Techniques & Supplements That Help

What prevents a good night’s sleep?

Can’t sleep? There are many things that impair one’s ability to sleep. Especially as weather changes, schedules change, and often our sleep health changes with the seasons as well. Some patients tell me they go to bed early and have difficulty waking up, others state they cannot “turn off their mind” and have too much stress to fall asleep at night, others awaken easily from a small light.

The most common complaint I hear is that night sweats, or need to get up to use the bathroom is a barrier to sleep. Did you know your nutrition can help in all of these scenarios? Here are some eating, lifestyle changes, and supplemental tips to improve your sleep. Remember, sleep is a foundation for your overall health. Keep reading to learn some natural sleep techniques and common supplements to help you sleep better.

  1. Eat a healthy dinner, and skip your late night snack
    Reducing or eliminating sugar intake and processed food, especially late at night is the absolute first step you must take. Eat a high (healthy) fat, moderate protein dinner with low carbohydrate veggies for fiber and that wonderful “full” feeling that we all enjoy. Eating a dinner consisting of sautéed vegetables drizzled with coconut or extra virgin olive oil, and a side of avocado is a great meal. Remember that fruits are high in sugar, and our body is designed to burn that excess energy during the day, not before or during sleep, so stay away from the late night fruits also. My rule of thumb is ‘eat to perform.’ So, if you are eating during your busy day, a side of blueberries may be the fuel your body needs mid-day. However, late at night, your body is getting ready to perform sleeping resting and healing; therefore, no sugars or high carbohydrate foods which burn quickly as energy should be added here.
  2. Skip the sugary and stimulant beveragessoda
    Skip the wine, beer, or coffee. Did you know that wine or other alcoholic beverages might make you feel like you fall asleep fast, but they prevent your body from falling into the deep restorative sleep? Also, avoid coffee for at least 6 hours before bedtime. Any caffeine can prevent you from sleeping if consumed 6 hours before bedtime.
  3. Improve your circulation & Reduce Stress with 1 activity
    Go for a 30-minute walk before dinner, or 1 hour after eating (wait at least 1 hour so that your food has time to begin digestion). This will help you to improve your circulation which improves brain function and can help you get a better night sleep because of the cooling of your body after the walk. Taking a walk outside and looking around at the beautiful environment around you can help you to turn off those stressful thoughts and enjoy life.
  4. Change your Environment
    Turn off disruptive electronics including your wi-fi, you’ll be surprised to see how turning your wi-fi router off at night can improve your sleep. Also, be sure to turn off televisions and personal devices 1 hour before bedtime. This can help with melatonin production, a sleep hormone which is triggered by light and darkness.
  5. Nutritional Supplementation
    There are many supplements that help you sleep. Supplements like MinTran or Passion Flower may be ideal for you if you are having difficulty falling asleep due to stress. CALM or Cataplex G may help if you are having trouble sleeping due to circulation, or inability to stay asleep. Magnesium Lactate or Celtic Sea Salt may help if you’re experiencing cramps. B6 Niacinamide can assist in all of the above scenarios and is particularly useful if you are having difficulty staying asleep due to hormonal imbalance. B6 is a precursor to melatonin production and can help your body fall into a more healing and restful sleep. If you are waking up to the need to urinate, Solidago is one of my favorite supplements to help the body resolve this issue. Ultimately, discuss your sleep concerns with your practitioner and we will test your body to see which supplement is the right one for your body.

Healthy sleep and proper nutrition are essential for overall health and well-being. If you haven’t started on your journey to overall health, call and schedule your new patient evaluation today!

Yours in health and happiness,
Kristen Clore, OTR,
Nutrition Response Practitioner

5 Little-Known Tips for Sleeping Like a Baby

5 Little-Known Tips for Sleeping Like a Baby

One of the most important things you can do for your health is to get plenty of good quality sleep—sleep well.

But what can you do if you have difficulty sleeping?  Here are 5 simple tips to help you get the sleep you thought only babies could get.

1.  Stop using your electronic devices 2 hours before bed. These devices emit electromagnetic fields that can be stimulating to your nervous system.

2.  Avoid stimulating foods and beverages after 5 pm. Some examples are alcohol, coffee, certain teas, and chocolate. The effects of these substances can last for hours after consumption. Reducing these substances combined with setting an early evening cut off times will help keep these foods from interfering with your sleep.

3.  Get regular exercise. Exercise isn’t just for physical fitness. It also serves to balance your hormones and as an outlet for stress. Do your intensive workouts early in the evening. You will get a surge of energy at first but then you will have an easier time winding down to sleep later.

4.  Do a leisurely activity prior to bed. It should be a relaxing activity that is different from what you do at work or school.  A nice regular paced walk (not a power walk) to enjoy the scenery is a great way to unwind before bed.

5. Natural Supplementation. Supplementing the calming minerals calcium and magnesium is a great natural prescription to catch some Zs.

There are many different causes of difficulties with sleep. At our office, we determine what the cause of your sleep difficulty is (usually it is a specific organ or system of organs that are dysfunctioning) and then find the nutritional deficiency linked with that dysfunction. By targeted supplementation as well as dietary changes you can again know what it means to sleep like a baby.

Dr. Amanda
Wholistic PharmD

Read Dr. Amanda’s Bio