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7 Natural Ways to Get a Better Night's Sleep
Wouldn’t it be nice if you had a mental “off” switch you could flip every time you were ready to go to sleep? Wouldn’t it be nice if you could sleep eight hours straight, without any disruptions? Wouldn’t it be nice if you could get restorative sleep every night? I’m guessing you’d say yes to all these hypothetical questions. Sadly, such idealistic notions rarely apply to reality. The Truth About Sleep According to the Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Sleep Medicine and Research, as many as 70 million Americans have ongoing sleep problems that interfere with their daily functioning. If you’re one of those who fail to get consistent sleep each night, you might be at risk for a host of physical and mental issues. When you don’t get enough sleep, you may have overall lowered blood flow to your brain, which can disrupt your thinking, memory, and concentration. Also, lack of sleep can weaken your immune system and make you more susceptible to getting a cold, flu, or virus. Getting quality sleep each night can help your brain function at optimal levels, as well as support your overall immunity and wellness. Though minimal required levels of sleep vary, researchers agree that adults should try to get an average of 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. Sleep Stealers Many factors contribute to millions of people missing out on a good night’s sleep. Here are just a few: Room temperature: Having a bedroom that’s either too hot or too cold may prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep. Light in the bedroom: Light from outside (coming in through blinds/curtains) or inside (from alarm clocks, electronics, power strips, etc.) can simulate daylight and disrupt your internal clock. Excessive noise: A neighbor or roommate’s blaring music, TV, or computer can prevent you from getting peaceful Zzzs. Gadgets by the bed: A computer, TV, or cell phone can keep you from falling asleep since they emit a type of light that can impair the brain’s sleep triggers. Going to bed worried or angry: This can also include obsessive or anxious thoughts and mood issues. Medications: Many medications – including asthma medications, antihistamines, cough medicines, anticonvulsants, stimulants, and SSRIs – can disturb sleep. Caffeine: Too much caffeine from coffee, tea, chocolate, or some caffeinated dietary supplements (especially when consumed later in the day or at night) can disrupt sleep. Alcohol, nicotine, and marijuana: Although these compounds initially induce sleepiness for some people, they can have the reverse effect as they wear off, waking you up after a few hours of sleep. Gastrointestinal problems: Reflux, cramps, and diarrhea can prevent or interrupt sleep. Women’s issues: Pregnancy, PMS, menopause, and perimenopause cause fluctuations in hormone levels that can disrupt the sleep cycle. Men’s issues: Prostate problems can cause frequent trips to the bathroom, which can interrupt your sleep. Snoring: Loud snoring can cause you, your partner, or everyone in the house to lose sleep. Shift work: Nurses, firefighters, security personnel, truck drivers, airline pilots, and many others work at night and sleep by day. These shift workers are especially vulnerable to irregular sleep patterns, which can lead to excessive sleepiness, reduced productivity, irritability, mood problems, and long-term health issues. Jet lag: International travel across time zones wreaks havoc with the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. Stressful events: The death of a loved one, divorce, a major deadline at work, or an upcoming test can cause temporary sleep loss. These, and other factors, can conspire to steal your sleep. Though there are many things that can rob sleep, there are also many sleep aids that can make a big difference in how well you rest at night. Here are a few things you can do to improve the quality of your sleep. 7 Natural Ways to Get Better Sleep & Improve Your Health 1. Regular Sleep Time Go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning, even on weekends. Instead of taking a nap to make up for lost sleep, power through until bedtime to maintain a regular sleep schedule. 2. Reduce Snoring Sleeping on your back tends to make snoring worse because the tongue slides toward the back of the throat. Sleeping on your side, with a pillow that keeps your head slightly elevated, is usually recommended to reduce snoring. If you share the room with someone who snores, try wearing earplugs. 3. Clear Your Head Before Bed Instead of going to bed worried or angry, try to settle emotional problems before going to sleep. Send a positive text, email, or write down an issue to deal with the next day. Once all matters have been resolved or tabled, forget about them. Clear your mind of stress so you can enter a relaxed state that can lead to peaceful sleep. 4. Get Regular Exercise Physical exercise is one of the most important things you can do to keep your brain healthy. Exercise boosts blood flow to transport nutrients to the brain. It also stimulates the brain to make new cells and tune-up existing cell networks that help the brain self-regulate. However, be careful not to exercise within four hours of the time you go to bed. For some people, vigorous exercise late in the evening generates so much energy it can keep them awake. 5. Don’t Take Naps This is one of the biggest mistakes you can make if you have trouble sleeping. Taking naps when you feel sleepy during the day may disrupt your nighttime sleep cycle. For people who are older, short naps in the middle of the day can be helpful. 6. Use Sound Therapy Instead of being awakened by every noise you hear, try sound therapy. This type of therapy can induce a peaceful mood and help lull you to sleep. Consider soothing nature sounds, wind chimes, or soft music. Slower classical music, or any music that has a slow tempo of 60 to 80 beats per minute, can help promote the onset of sleep. 7. Natural Sleep Support - Sleep Supplements Getting high-quality sleep is essential for optimal brain and body health. If you have healthy habits, such as avoiding caffeine later in the day and getting regular exercise, but still have problems falling asleep, a scientifically formulated and safe dietary supplement that promotes restful sleep may give you the relief you need. Whether you’re too wired, worried, or stressed to sleep, nutritional sleep aids can help improve the quality of your sleep. These are 3 of the best natural ways to get better quality sleep… Restful Sleep Restful Sleep contains the body’s own sleep hormone, melatonin, to get you to sleep and keep you asleep through the night.* It also includes the calming neurotransmitter GABA, as well as the calming mineral magnesium, vitamin B6, and valerian.* This nutritional-herbal combination produces a soothing effect that can help ease you into a peaceful sleep.* These capsules include: Melatonin – melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by the brain to initiate sleep and carry you through your daily sleep/wake cycle.* When taken by mouth, it promotes restful sleep and healthy sleep patterns.* Vitamin B6 – vitamin B6 helps with the production of neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and GABA), which need to be balanced for healthy sleep.* Magnesium – sometimes called “the relaxation mineral,” magnesium plays an important role in enhancing GABAs calming actions that allow for sleep; for energy production that helps the brain maintain its internal clock; and with muscle relaxation.* Magnesium helps calm the mind and enhance overall sleep quality.* GABA – GABA is the brain’s major calming neurotransmitter, inducing calm by inhibiting excessive firing of neurons distributed throughout the brain.* Valerian – an herb used traditionally for centuries for its calming and sleep-inducing effects, valerian contains GABA and may also work closely with GABA receptors (molecular sensors) on brain cells to help calm brain activity. It supports deep, restful, quality sleep.* Restful Sleep eases you to sleep and helps you stay asleep all night so you can wake up feeling refreshed in the morning.* Put Me To Sleep Naturally Put Me To Sleep Naturally is based on the most recent nutraceutical research on sleep onset, duration, and quality.* The body’s daily sleep phase is now recognized to be just as important for health as the awake phase.* Sleep is vital for mental and physical performance, as well as overall health and well-being.* This highly effective sleep supplement includes 6 potent ingredients that work in concert to help relax the mind and body in preparation for sleep.* These ingredients have a broad range of neurotransmitter actions in the brain.* They are carefully combined in this supplement to promote recovery from daily stress, calm and relaxation, and fully restful sleep.* Melatonin – recent research suggests greater sleep benefits from taking lower levels of melatonin, as offered in this formulation.* GABA – chemically identical to the GABA neurotransmitter, and proven to enhance brain function when taken by mouth.* L-Theanine – a unique green tea amino acid that works quickly to reinforce GABA’s natural relaxant actions.* Magnesium – reinforce GABA’s calming effects and helps bring on sleep and maintain sleep quality.* Vitamin B6 – vital for the brain’s entire spectrum of functions as well as those needed for quality sleep.* 5-HTP – an important starting molecule for the brain to produce not just serotonin, a regulatory transmitter that enables quality sleep, but also melatonin.* This breakthrough chewable supplement helps bring on deep, sustained, and quality sleep.* Magnesium Chewables Magnesium is a mineral nutrient essential for over 300 enzymes fundamental to every cell, tissue, and organ in the body.* Sadly, due to the Standard American Diet (SAD), magnesium is one of the minerals most people typically don’t get enough of in the foods they eat. Surveys consistently indicate more than half of all Americans aren’t getting sufficient amounts of magnesium from their foods.* Research has established magnesium’s importance for sleep and for supporting our internal clocks.* Magnesium Chewables tablets help your muscles and your mind relax, promote a positive mood, and help you get quality sleep.* These chewable vitamins include: Magnesium – all three magnesium sources (magnesium citrate, magnesium malate, and magnesium glycinate) are pre-activated and ready for use by the brain and other organs.* These magnesium compounds were carefully selected to be well tolerated and safe to take long-term by people of all ages.* Magnesium Chewables are sugar-free and have a delicious citrus flavor. Each tablet provides 150 milligrams of magnesium, more than one-third of your daily requirement. These vegan tablets are free of poorly-absorbed magnesium oxide, dairy, glutens, corn, egg, yeast, or other allergens, with no artificial colorings or flavorings. Sleep Well These 3 supplements provide safe and clinically proven ingredients that can help you cope with stress, fend off negative or fretful thoughts, and get the great night’s sleep your brain – and body – needs.* Try these natural calming tips today to help you sleep well tonight!* At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD. *These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This content is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical or healthcare advice from a physician, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new health regimen.
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4 Strategies to Help You Overcome Insomnia & Other Sleep Monsters
Monsters are real. They’re invasive, relentless, and can make bedtime a scary time. These monsters aren’t grotesque figures hiding under the bed like the ones frequently portrayed in horror/thriller movies. They’re the real contributing factors to sleep disorders like insomnia, an epidemic that affects over 17 million Americans daily. Here are 4 types of Sleep Monsters you should seek to avoid: 4 Sleep Monsters that Are Stealing Your Sleep 1. Bad Habits Habits can be a major contributor to the quality of your life. What you do habitually is what makes you who you are as an individual. There are many common bad habits that may seriously hinder your ability to achieve quality sleep. Some of these bad habits include staying up late watching TV, playing video games or browsing the Internet and drinking caffeine or alcohol before going to bed. These habits will often lead to a visit from a second sleep monster… 2. Worry In order to sleep, your mind and body need to be able to enter a state of rest. Worrying keeps your mind active and thoughts racing, which can exhaust you and keep you awake. This can cause excessive stress and difficulties with mood regulation. Many people describe the feeling of being trapped inside their own heads while lying in bed and periodically checking the clock. Before they know it, the sun is coming up and they haven’t slept a wink. 3. Light/Seasonal The sun, and light, in general, are big factors that could be stealing your sleep. Sometimes the factors that keep you awake aren’t internal and are out of your control. For instance, environmental factors like location and time of year can cause an imbalance of how much sun you get, which may affect the quality of your sleep. Getting less sunlight during the day can reduce melatonin, the main sleep hormone. 4. Muscle Movements The last sleep monster is a physical one. The same way worrying can prevent your mind from attaining a state of calm, physical movement can also keep your mind from being able to turn off at night. Restless leg syndrome is one example of how muscle movements can lead to insomnia. The scary truth is that insomnia can lead to other serious problems. Sleep is critical to the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of our lives. Without an adequate amount of sleep (it’s recommended you get 7 to 9 hours each night), you’re setting yourself up for a host of physical and mental issues. So how can you avoid these sleep monsters and overcome insomnia for good? BrainMD offers a comprehensive sleep course to help guide you through your sleep challenges. Learn More About How to Overcome Insomnia Many people treat insomnia or other sleep issues by taking prescription medications. In some cases, these medications are helpful and necessary. In other instances, they can be toxic, addictive, and create new problems. At BrainMD, we believe in finding the best solutions while taking the least toxic route possible. The Overcoming Insomnia course through Amen University can provide you with the knowledge and tools needed to manage your unique sleep challenges. In the 21 lessons included in this program, our sleep experts share their knowledge and provide guidance through the use of evidence-based cognitive and behavioral strategies to help facilitate the quality of sleep you need and deserve. These treatment options typically start with a foundation of knowledge. The information contained in the Overcoming Insomnia course will provide you with the knowledge you need to optimize your treatment. If you currently take prescription medications, our experts can help to ensure you’re not using any substances that can disrupt your sleep. If you already use calming strategies and natural supplements, this course will help guide you toward a natural treatment that will help you get a restful night’s sleep. What You Will Learn in the Course: Understand the essentials of proper sleep stages for our brain Identify possible contributing factors to insomnia and sleep issues How to practice evidence-based sleep strategies Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia How to maintain better sleep hygiene for the rest of your life Take action and start today with a free lesson from the Overcoming Insomnia course where Dr. Creado discusses what good sleep actually means and how it affects your health and well-being. Enroll in the Amen University: Overcoming Insomnia course today! Want a sneak peak of the course? Enjoy the first lesson for FREE when you sign up here.
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What’s Keeping You Up At Night?
Did you know that getting less than seven hours of sleep a night has been associated with lower overall brain activity? It’s true! And this can negatively affect a whole range of issues such as weight, mood, memory, decision making, and more. In 1900, Americans averaged nine hours of sleep. According to a recent poll, Americans now average only six hours and forty minutes. The problem with this is that sleep deprivation causes lower activity in the prefrontal cortex and temporal lobes, affecting attention, judgment, impulse control, memory, and learning. Considering all of this, it is no surprise that sleep-deprived individuals struggle to maintain a healthy mood, memory, or body. Furthermore, in fascinating new research, scientists discovered that the brain has a special “waste management system” that works while you sleep to get rid of toxins. Without healthy sleep, the cleaning crew does not have enough time to do their job and trash build-ups, causing brain fog and memory problems. So what’s keeping YOU up at night? There seems to be an endless number of reasons why millions of us are missing out on a good night’s sleep. Here are some of the most common factors: A warm room Light in the bedroom Noise Gadgets by the bed Going to bed worried or angry Negative thoughts: ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts) tend to run through our mind when it’s not focused on anything else. Being sedentary: While it is well-known that those who exercise will sleep better, new research indicates that being sedentary actually interferes with good sleep. Medications: Many disturb sleep, including asthma medications, antihistamines, cough medicines, anticonvulsants, and stimulants. Caffeine: Too much coffee, tea, chocolate, or even some herbal preparations—especially when consumed later in the day or at night—can disrupt sleep. Alcohol, nicotine, and marijuana: Although these compounds initially induce sleepiness for some people, they have the reverse effect as they wear off, which is why you may wake up several hours after you go to sleep. Snoring: It can wake you, your sleep mate, or everyone in the house if it is really loud. Sleep apnea: With this condition, you stop breathing for short periods of time throughout the night, which robs you of restful sleep and leaves you feeling sluggish, inattentive, and forgetful throughout the day. Stressful events: The death of a loved one, divorce, a major deadline at work, or an upcoming test can cause temporary sleep loss. Having high-quality sleep is essential to wellness, although for some it can be elusive. If you avoid sleep robbers and practice good sleep hygiene, but still have problems falling asleep, a natural supplement that supports sleep may give you the relief you need. BrainMD has several natural supplement formulas that contain ingredients shown in clinical studies to help relax your body, calm your mind, and facilitate sustained and deep sleep. We recommend GABA Calming Support to calm a wound up and worried mind, Restful Sleep to help you fall asleep and stay asleep, and Serotonin Mood Support for running ANTs.
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