Getting a good night of sleep has always been an issue for many people but with the current situation, many people are experiencing even more problems with getting quality sleep. Sleep helps the body repair and heal so it is critical to get enough in order to keep your immune system strong. The immune system is boosted most during the slow-wave sleep cycle when we sleep most deeply.
Studies show that if you sleep less than 6 hours, you are 4 times more likely to develop a cold. While we sleep, we produce and distribute cytokines and T cells. They find and attach to infected cells and kill them. If you sleep well, you make more and stronger infection fighters!
Here are some ideas to help you in these difficult times to sleep better:
Remember that the body likes a schedule so try to stay as close to your normal sleep schedule as possible. Get up and go to bed around the same time.
Turn down the lights and get off your screens about an hour before bed.
Don’t rush around to get things done in the evening or do things that raise your stress levels. This increases your cortisol levels, which needs to be low at night so you can sleep.
Take a warm bath and practice meditation or deep breathing for at least 10 minutes before you go to sleep.
Keep your bedroom dark and cool and try a white noise machine.
Some foods that help: kiwis (eat 2 before bed) A glass of tart cherry juice or
2 cups of green tea at bedtime. They all have natural sleep aid properties.
Talk to your naturopathic doctor about using melatonin, hops, valerian, calcium, and magnesium or lavender. Your doctor can help you figure out the right kind and amount to use of these supplements.
If symptoms persist, we can test your adrenal, hormone and neurotransmitter systems to find imbalances that we can fix.
Yours in Health,
Dr. Jones
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