More and more people of all ages have told me how they either have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Sleep is a vital part of our lives and our well-being, but lack of sleep can become a problem in today’s fast-paced world. This article has some of my best holistic sleep remedies.
As we get older, we don’t produce as much melatonin, which is the hormone that helps us sleep. If we don’t have enough melatonin, our body will pull it from our serotonin reserve in order to make it. I have started using Lifewave’s “Silent Night” patches. They really help me. Silent Night patches can help regulate sleep through melatonin production. The Silent Night patches also help reduce oxidative stress, because melatonin is an antioxidant.
If I am having a tough time relaxing, or I am dealing with a lot of stress, or an injury, I might also use the Aeon Lifewave patch. It reduces anxiety, lifts your mood, as well as helps decrease pain and inflammation. (If you want to try the Lifewave patches, my referral number is 1439757. Let me know when you are ordering them, so I can help you place your order, and/or give you tips to use them in the most effective way possible.)
You can also supplement melatonin. These melatonin supplements usually come in different strengths (one to three milligrams).
Dr. Gary Massad has researched melatonin and sleep problems in depth. He told me that the studies show that if you take half a milligram of melatonin around three or four in the afternoon, and another half milligram about an hour before bedtime, it will work most effectively. If a melatonin supplement is taken, it saves our reserves of serotonin, which affects our mood. If you aren’t draining it, you will have more serotonin to help with sustaining positive moods.
Melatonin works much better with ample Vitamin B in your system. If you are concerned about vitamin B, take a good whole-food Vitamin B complex supplement. Some medical experts think that a Vitamin B spray under the tongue is the best type of supplement source, because it is absorbed more effectively. Vitamin B’s are water-soluble and need to be replenished daily.
Hormone (progesterone) imbalances can also disrupt our sleep patterns. Many of the toxins in our environment can disrupt our hormones. I feel that we are constantly trying to keep our bodies in balance, and detoxified from all of these toxins that are so prevalent in our air, water, and food.
I use the Lifewave aromatherapy sprays, Dream and Shine. They naturally balance my hormones. It’s easy, and I find it very effective. (If you want to try the Lifewave hormone sprays or patches, my referral number is 1439757. Let me know when you are ordering them, so I can help you place your order, and/or give you tips to use them in the most effective way possible.)
If you are supplementing, I recommend only using a vitamin from a whole food or naturally mined source. I do not recommend ever taking synthetic vitamins or minerals.
Experiment to find out what works best for you. In fact, what works for you might even change from time to time.
What Lifestyle Suggestions Can Help You Sleep?
Eat a light, early supper.
Exercise and breathe deeply.
Make the bedroom a place of peace and tranquility, with as little EMF (electromagnetic field) disturbance, noise, and light as possible.
Write down a list of things you must do tomorrow. (This will get all of those thoughts out of your brain about the next day.)
Think calming thoughts that are positive, uplifting, and filled with gratitude and thankfulness for 20 minutes right before bedtime.
Write down five things that you are grateful for, or five miracles that happened to you or your loved one, or child today, or five things that you want to happen tomorrow.
Focus on the most positive things you can. (I found this was a perfect time for me to fill in my children’s baby books. It’s positive and it contains their first words, steps, discoveries, accomplishments, food favorites, people they met, funny events, and more.)
Stay hydrated. (It takes 24 glasses of water to rehydrate after one soda. Carbonated drinks are not hydrating. CO2 is our body’s waste and it is putting waste into the cells.)
Try a sleep CD to help relax the mind and body. You might also listen to recorded sounds of rain or ocean waves to help with sleep. They can relax your mind.
All of these things will contribute to your relaxation, and you can rest with peace for a healing sleep.
Food and Sleep Patterns
When you sleep, your body heals itself. I suggest you try to eat lighter at dinner, and give yourself at least three hours between your meal and bed. If your body has to digest and process food, then it has to work hard, and it’s not able to rest and restore.
Give your body a break and have some soup for dinner or a light vegetarian meal. It would help to make your breakfast and lunch the main meals of the day.
If digestion is an issue, lie down on your left side for about 20 minutes. According to Ayurveda healing tradition, when we sleep on the left side, our lymphatic system drains more efficiently, our heart beats more smoothly, our spleen function is supported, our bile flows easier, and because of gravity, our food moves more effortlessly from the small intestine to the large intestine. When you lie on the left side, the stomach and pancreas hang naturally, allowing for optimal and efficient digestion. Good advice comes from an old Ayurvedic remedy.
If your body is acidic, try drinking a teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water to neutralize the acid. I add a pinch of unrefined, mineral-rich sea salt to this as well. What an easy, inexpensive solution! Drink healthy, hydrating fluids during the day, but don’t drink too much right before bed. Then you won’t have a need to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.
Drink herbal nighttime teas (chamomile tea is a good choice), which can encourage rest and sleep. Also, eating tart cherries or consuming tart cherry juice can assist in obtaining a better night’s sleep.
Take a magnesium supplement after your dinner meal. You might try a supplement with a combination of magnesium forms like BIOptimizer or Organixx brand of magnesium 7, with different forms of magnesium in them. (I like these the best.)
What do some of the various types of magnesium do?
Magnesium taurateis a magnesium salt bound to the amino acid taurine, which is produced within the body and is concentrated in the muscles, heart, brain, and eyes. Both taurine and magnesium stimulate and stabilize the nervous system, creating a state of relaxation and helping to “calm the nerves.”
Magnesium orotate can have a postive effects on the myocardium under conditions of stress ranging from myocardial infarction to intense physical exercise.
Magnesium Chelate (Muscle Recovery) Chelated forms of magnesium provide the best absorbency in comparison to non-chelated. Published research by the New York Headache Center discusses that 400 mg of chelated magnesium a day is especially helpful for pre-menstrual syndrome, as well as foot and leg cramps.
Magnesium Glycinate (Sleep, Anxiety & Brain Health) One of the best forms of magnesium, magnesium glycinate (also known as magnesium diglycinate or magnesium bisglycinate) is a chelated form of magnesium that contains the amino acid glycine. Glycine is the amino acid that is able to cross the blood-brain barrier. It is known for beneficial characteristics relating to sleep and brain health.
Enjoy a relaxing evening bath or foot-bath, as this will calm you before bedtime. Fill up a warm or hot bath and soak for ten minutes or more. I like to put mineral salts ( Bath Flakes) in my bath.
I also add a little organic apple cider vinegar to my bath water to aid in adjusting the PH balance in my body. Right before I step into the tub, I add a few drops of one of my favorite essential oils. I add them last, so they won’t evaporate before I can get in and enjoy the aroma.
For night-time relaxation, my favorite essential oil is lavender.
My formula for my bath water is 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup Magnesium-Chloride Bath Flakes, 1⁄4 cup of baking soda, and 5–10 drops of essential oil.
I have a water purifier on my shower head, and I fill my bath through my shower head. I don’t like to have chlorine and fluoride in my shower and bath water, because our skin absorbs things so quickly and easily. (That’s why so many medicines are on patches.)
Both chlorine and fluoride are carcinogens. Did you know that chlorine was the first chemical developed to kill in warfare? That’s why I avoid it whenever I can. The purifier also removes fluoride and other toxins.
Peppermint, rosemary, and eucalyptus oils invigorate me, so I use those in the morning. If you can’t take a bath, a good foot soak can be beneficial and relaxing as well.
After your shower or foot bath, dry off and put on a soothing body lotion, cream, or oil (example: pure organic coconut oil) to seal in the moisture. This helps avoid itchy, dry skin during the night. If you’re like me, you sleep better in comfortable clothing and sheets, so you might splurge on the quality of your bed linens and night clothes. It makes me feel better, and I look forward to putting them on and getting into bed. I feel like I’m pampering myself.
I hope one or more of these suggestions will help you get a deep, relaxing, and restorative night’s sleep!
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Medical Disclaimer:
Information provided in this podcast, blog, article, video is for informational purposes only. The information is a result of years of practice and experience by Nancy Addison CHC. However, this information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional, or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging.
Do not use the information provided in this blog, audio podcast, article, video for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your health care provider promptly. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking professional advice because of something you have read in this email.
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