Besides questions about weight loss, the most common thing people come to me for is help sleeping. In order to fix the problem, we first have to figure out why they’re not sleeping. For instance, if you’re not able to sleep because of a stressful spouse and lighting in your room…then I can give you all the sleep supplements and diet suggestions in the world, but the problem won’t resolve. If you’re struggling to fall asleep quickly and get quality
sleep, Step 1 to fixing the problem is finding out “why?” Once you know why, there are a myriad of ways to address the issue prior to trying pharmaceutical interventions.
If you’re trying to lose weight or heal from an injury, remember that most of that healing and fat loss is going to take place in your sleep. Fixing your sleep problems often leads to fixing other problems.
Cell phone use
A 2008 study, funded by cell phone companies, show cell phones cause headaches and interrupt sleep patterns. Another study that same year, showed teenagers who excessively use their cell phone are more prone to disrupted sleep, fatigue, stress, and restlessness in comparison to peers who restrict cell phones use. Anecdotally, I’ve suggested to over a dozen people they move their cell from under their pillow, and turn off their wifi router at night while they sleep, to improve sleep and in every case, there are positive results. Some people have seen success limiting blue light impact from cell phones by using apps, cell phone settings or glasses to limit exposure.
Lighting and temperature
Make sure your sleeping environment is as close to complete darkness as possible and try sleeping in temperature below 68 degrees. If you can’t accomplish darkness, try a sleeping mask. Also, it’s critical to remove night lights from your room. When you use light at night, your brain interprets this as “day time” mistaking the light for the sun, thus your pineal gland immediately stops producing the sleep hormone melatonin. So, if you need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, try doing so with a flashlight or reducing light as much as possible – you’ll fall back asleep faster! Furthermore, constant dim light at night may lead to depression in as little as two week’s time. Temperature is important because the heat distribution system in your body works closely with your sleep cycles and between 60-68 degrees is right in its wheel house.
Stress
Chronic stress can impact your sleep in a number of ways. A worried and anxious mind filled with thoughts about work the next day or financial concerns is going to have trouble winding down. Furthermore, stress can can throw off your hormones because the body is so busy producing stress hormones (cortisol) that it’s not efficiently producing sleep hormones (melatonin). Many people take melatonin as a supplement without addressing the underlying reason why their body isn’t producing adequate sleep hormones in the first place. Because it’s an adaptogenic herb, maca root has been shown to balance hormone levels whether they’re too high or too low. You can read more about maca root and get 20% off your first order of my favorite maca powder on the planet by clicking here.
Magnesium deficiency
About 70% of Americans are deficient in magnesium, so if you’re struggling to sleep and you’re reading this, chances are, magnesium deficiency is the culprit. You can do a simple internet search to find f
oods that are high in magnesium – pumpkin seeds, almonds, spinach, cashews, peanuts, black beans, and dark chocolate (recipe here) are some of the headliners.
If the magnesium in your diet isn’t enough (you could confirm by getting lab results) my favorite magnesium supplement on the planet can be purchased by clicking the advertisement below. The number of people who I’ve personally seen benefit from this product are incredible. It’s the best magnesium supplement on the planet because it has seven different magnesium in it instead of just one poorly absorbed magnesium. When you purchase using the link below, you’re making a healthy choice and also supporting tonyshealthtips.com. To read more about other benefits of magnesium, click here.
Sources: Molecular Psychiatry. 2013 Jul;18(7):751-7.; Molecular Psychiatry. 2012 Jul 24 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed…); Presse Medicale (Paris, France) 1994 Mar 12;23(10):485-9.(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8022726…); Dr. Mercola (http://articles.mercola.com/…/19/melatonin-benefits.aspx ; http://articles.mercola.com/…); http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=163461; http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7199659.stm; http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/15/phones-sleep-mobile-_n_2680805.html; http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2008-01-21/news/27697646_1_mobile-phone-radiation-phones-from-exposure-scenarios-bengt-arnetz; American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “Excessive Mobile Phone Use Affects Sleep In Teens, Study Finds.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 9 June 2008. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080609071402.htm>
2 thoughts on “4 reasons you’re not sleeping well”
Great read Tony! I am definitely a culprit with leaving my phone next to me.
You’re not alone Vanessa! At least you’re aware now. You dont have to strive for perfection…you could put a reminder by your bed if that’s helpful. Your body will thank you!