Sleep escapes me. Now I know what it feels like to go to bed tired but wired, like many thousands of other women who are trying to balance their hormones in menopause. It is all too easy to join the chemist queue for medication – 60 million prescriptions were written in 2010 for sleeping pills alone – and the thought has crossed my mind. How long will this go on for and what can I do about it naturally?
Getting good sleep is a big deal. Unhealthy sleep patterns are associated with accelerated ageing, weight gain, depression, and host of other health problems. Understanding biorhythms and the hormones that are produced in response to stress can not only help you to sleep better but shed kilos and reduce your risk of cancer.
Sleep is a very dynamic aspect of the 24 hour circadian cycle. It’s a time when your body does most of its repair and restoration. New cells are being produced and old ones destroyed. In Traditional Chinese Medicine the liver is most active between 11pm and 3am helping your body to detoxify from harmful chemicals, balancing hormone levels, regulating cholesterol and topping up stores of many essential vitamins and minerals. Short term memory is also reinforced with good sleep
When you run low on sleep the whole delicate balance of hormones is thrown out. The hormone ghrelin which triggers your appetite goes up and at the same time your level of leptin which puts the brakes on your appetite goes down. Simply put less sleep equals less leptin hormone. This equates to more hunger and craving for carbohydrates, often more night time eating and increased body fat and weight gain.
Sleep deprivation is a vicious cycle leading to unstable insulin, cortisol and growth hormone sending your blood sugar on a roller coaster and encouraging fat deposition especially around the waist. High cortisol at night can be symptomatic of your fast paced, full on lifestyle where your body doesn’t get a chance to wind down with knock on effects on the production of growth hormone and DHEA – anti ageing and repair hormones.
Diet and lifestyle play a huge role in syncing your sleep cycle. Try these tips for a better nights sleep.
1. Switch off electronics an hour before bed – the glow from electronic gadgets (iPad, phones, TV) during sleep dramatically reduces the amount of cancer preventing melatonin a brain hormone that is made during darkness and that normally peaks at night. Melatonin protects cells from mutating by preventing cells from dividing and helping abnormal cells to self destruct keeping our genetic material in good shape.
2. Exercise in the morning – exercise can improve your sleep but too much can raise your cortisol levels if you exercise too intensely at night. Try restorative yoga at night with postures and breathing designed to support the parasympathetic nervous system for resting and digesting.
3. Cut caffeine after 3pm – that means chocolate too. Start a healthful night time regime that includes herbal teas such as kava kava, chamomile, lemon balm and passiflora instead of caffeine, sugar and alcohol.
4. Try a supplement regime – valerian root, magnesium and calcium and melatonin taken as a bioidentical hormone compounded into a cream by a pharmacist can be helpful.
5. Avoid eating two hours before sleep especially heavy fatty meals. You get better quality sleep rather than stressing your organs of digestion especially the liver. Eat a little carb at night to help boost serotonin.
6. Create a sleep sanctuary in your bedroom – candles, aromatherapy, soothing artwork, lovely white linen…
7. Download your day – write a journal, meditate cleansing your mind of impressions, thoughts and worries, practice a prayer ritual, listen to soothing music.
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