How to Finally Get Some Rejuvenating Sleep!

Watch Arbor Health co-founders, Dr. Zendi Moldenhauer and Amber Ratcliffe discuss simple things you can do at home to get some quality sleep without medications.

If you are struggling to get quality sleep, request a free 20-minute consultation to see if Functional Medicine might be right for you.  A clinical coordinator will reach out to you to find a time to connect.

Why sleep is important & why you need to make it a priority

• Rest restores your body and heals your brain – more than 700 genes are activated while you sleep
• Your brain actually allows more lymph around it while you are sleeping to heal it

Circadian Rhythm - Cortisol - Melatonin

• Cortisol and melatonin have an inverse relationship – cortisol should be high in morning and low at night
• Rest restorative sleep window is 9am-9pm
• Low progesterone makes them sleepless and irritable, stress steals progesterone

Good sleep actually starts first thing in the morning

• Regular get up time
• Have a ritual – make your bed, get dressed – leave your bedroom
• Chronotherapy – get natural light
• Exercise

During the day

• Eat regularly to keep blood sugar stable, eat protein with a digestive enzyme to have the building blocks for serotonin and melatonin
• Drink more water – half your body weight in ounces – so 150 lb person would drink 75 oz of water per day
• Avoid caffeine – it blocks adenosine which tells you to go to sleep
• Avoid alcohol – it makes you sleepy initially because it suppresses neurotransmitters but wears off and makes you wake up or have restless sleep

Keeping ANTS at bay – Automatic Negative Thoughts – Retraining your brain

• Limit your media consumption
• Mindset - Flip the paradigm technique (see notes from Reducing Anxiety Live Stream)
• Use grounding techniques
  • Tapping
  • Heart math
  • Apps like Calm & Headspace
  • Meditations on-line – Bani Aello offers sessions on FaceBook
  • Yoga online – Yoga Love of Honeoye Falls
• Emotional processing
  • Journaling – get your feelings down on paper
  • Dealing with Nightmares – write them down with an alternate ending
• Gratitude – journaling on what went right during the day and what you are thankful for sets the stage for a calm mind
• Neurofeedback – retrains your brain and can help with anxiety and insomnia (and many more conditions)

Sleep hygiene

• Setting up your bedroom
  • Cool room, warm bed
  • White noise or music – a small fan can work
  • Heavy covers
  • Pets – can be disruptive
  • Warm Epsom salt bath with lavender (magnesium soaks in through skin)
  • Warm your feet
• Go to bed at a regular time
• No screens for at least an hour before bed – use blue filter if you must
• No gadgets in room
• Don’t eat right before bed (if you struggle with waking in the middle of the night, eat a small protein snack before bed – no carbs)
• EMF’s and sleep – check out documentary Resonance: Beings of Frequency
• Sleep Apnea – get tested if you snore. It can cause a deficiency in iron and cause other serious health issues.
• Sleep vacations – to the guest room
• Ear plugs/face masks

Shutting off your mind so you can fall sleep (or get back to sleep)

• Sleep stories (Calm or Headspace)
• Reading – something boring or enjoyable/no news or topics that are intense
• Breathing techniques and progressive muscle relaxation
• Making up a story in your mind
• Make your to do list on paper, or put thoughts down on paper if you can’t stop thinking
• If you are struggling with a problem, write down a clear question for your mind to work on overnight

Supplements

• During the day – Adrenal support – L-Theanine, Daily Stress Support (Pure Encapsulations) or HPA Adapt (Integrative Therapeutics), Super Cortisol Support (NOW)
• Magnesium Glycinate - 200-600 mg (Pure), Magnesium Threonate 144mg also called Neuromag (Life Extension)
• L-Theanine 100-200mg (Vital Nutrients or Jarrow for Gummies)
• B3 (Flush Free Niacin) 500mg
• B6 50-100mg
• Melatonin – short or long acting 1-3mg (max 5mg)
• Herbs – skullcap, kava, valerian, hops, chamomile, lavender, lemon balm – Best Rest Formula (Pure)
• Nutrients to lower cortisol - phosphatidyl serine
• Amino acids – GABA, 5-HTP, Tryptophan
• Essential oils (lavender) – Vibrant Blue Parasympathetic, Vibrant Blue Circadian Rhythm - we have these at Arbor Health
• Tea – Holy Basil for Adrenal Support, Chamomile
• Benadryl – If you suffer form allergies it can serve two purposes – clear you up and make you drowsy

We have these items at Arbor Health or you can find some of them in our online Fullscript dispensary

Summary

• Prioritize sleep
• Sleep is part of your daily cycle from start to finish
• Manage stress and retrain your mind throughout the day
• Have good sleep hygiene
• Support your body with supplements, herbs and essential oils

If you are struggling to get quality sleep, request a free 20-minute consultation to see if Functional Medicine might be right for you.  A clinical coordinator will reach out to you to find a time to connect.