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How Hypnosis Can Help You Gain Mastery Over Your Mind
Your brain is the most complex organ in the universe. It weighs about three pounds, or roughly 2 percent of your body’s weight, and yet it uses 20-30 percent of the calories you consume, 20 percent of the oxygen you breathe, and 25 percent of the blood flow in your body. What’s more, your brain is 85 percent water! We estimate that the brain has 100 billion nerve cells and more connections than there are stars in the galaxy. Your beautiful brain is the organ of learning, loving, and behaving. When the brain within a family or an organization work properly, for example, the family or organization tends to be positive and effective. When the brain of one or more family members or an organization is troubled, the family or organization may experience increased stress and strain. Hypnosis may help change all that. How Can Hypnosis Combat Negative Thinking? It’s simple. Negative thinking disrupts healthy brain function. And chronic stress also kills cells in the memory centers of the brain. Hypnosis is a powerful tool to help you gain mastery over your own mind and body. Hypnosis can also be helpful for sleep problems , as well as for anxiety and pain. Before trying hypnosis, your health professional will first help you eliminate anything that might interfere with optimal brain function and positive thinking: These include lack of sleep, drug abuse or alcohol, too much caffeine before bed, being sedentary, and simple tips like unplugging electronics before bed to allow for more restful and brain rejuvenating sleep. One Fascinating Case Study in Hypnosis I have used hypnosis as a tool to help many patients. When I was an intern at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center years ago, many of my patients wanted sleeping pills. As you can imagine, it’s hard to sleep in a busy, noisy hospital. Before I gave them the pills, however, I asked if I could hypnotize them first. Almost everyone agreed, and it was very helpful. Several of my first professional papers came from using hypnosis for sleep issues. One of my patients, a decorated World War II hero, had Parkinson’s disease and when he was in hypnotic trance for sleep, his intensive tremors went away. When I told the attending neurologist about it the next morning, he thought I was crazy. So, I repeated the exercise in front of the doctor, and the astounding results became my first clinical paper. Just as negative thoughts can make a body sick, promoting positive and nurturing thoughts (via hypnosis) can help you heal the brain. What Does It Feel Like to be Hypnotized? First, let’s admit that real hypnosis is definitely not the woo-woo Las Vegas trickster magician scenario, where he’s up on stage making his audience cluck like chickens just for laughs. Not at all. Hypnosis is another tool to help you (and other professionals) understand your brain. It is often accompanied by talk therapy, lab tests, and doctor’s visits. When you are under, some people claim being hypnotized is more like a heightened state of relaxation that helps you get more in touch with your unconscious. The term “hypnosis” may mean different things to different people, but it generally entails becoming fully relaxed by entering a trance-like state, then listening to a hypnotist as he or she communicate in a rhythmic, calming voice. Dr. Amen says hypnosis is quite effective for becoming much more aware of what your body needs. For one example, a small study from the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology found that women who were hypnotized for weight loss shed an average of 17 pounds within 6 months, compared to a mere half a pound in the control group. If you’d like to investigate how hypnosis can enrich your brain function, better induce sleep, help you with food cravings, smoking cessation – or just help you understand certain difficult situations with deeper clarity – ask your health professional to steer you to an appropriate pro. If you’d like to read more about Dr. Daniel Amen’s real-people case studies, pick up his newest book, The Brain Warrior’s Way. Until then, you may find yourself getting very, very sleepy!
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Meet Dr. Parris Kidd, Chief Science Officer
Under today’s intense pressures, we must actively work to conserve and improve our mental functions. The fast-growing body of neuroscience research proves that the human brain is always working to improve itself, and that literally by changing your brain you can change your life. At BrainMD, we’ve dedicated our careers to helping people feel better by creating the highest quality nutritional products for optimizing and balancing brain health. BrainMD's supplement products are developed from the published knowledge base of successful clinical trials and other scientific research on the safety and effectiveness of specific nutrients and herbals. Additionally, BrainMD’s product development team has over 75 years of combined experience in developing dietary supplements that work. Heading up that team with Dr. Amen is BrainMD’s Chief Science Officer and Director of Quality Control, the renowned Dr. Parris Kidd. Revolutionary Dietary Supplements for the Brain Dr. Kidd has developed a diverse array of dietary supplements over his career, and since 1994 has specialized in developing dietary supplements for the brain. A native of Jamaica, Dr. Kidd has been active in integrative medicine for over 30 years. Dr. Kidd earned a B.Sc. with First Class Honors in Zoology at the University of the West Indies, then a Ph.D in cell and developmental biology at the University of California, Berkeley. Subsequently he pursued an academic career that included teaching developmental biology at Berkeley, doing research and teaching at the University of the Pacific in San Francisco, and research at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center (UCSF). [caption id="attachment_4669" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Left to right: Laura Nunes, Tana Amen, Dr. Daniel Amen, Dr. Parris Kidd[/caption] In 1983, having developed a strong interest in “alternative medicine,” Dr. Kidd began a collaboration with Dr. Stephen Levine (another Berkeley PhD) that resulted in the 500-page book Antioxidant Adaptation — Its Role in Free Radical Pathology. While developing a thriving consulting practice, beginning in 1994, Dr. Kidd reoriented his focus to specializing in brain nutrients. He was the scientist on the team that brought PS (PhosphatidylSerine) into North America in 1994 and helped launch PS in Europe and Asia. His support also helped popularize GPC (Glycero-Phospho-Choline) beginning in 1997, and Krill Omega-3 Phospholipids in 2003. Throughout his career, he has developed numerous dietary supplement products, has published extensively on the science behind supplements, and has done hundreds of radio and video features. Highly respected for his integrity and exemplary contributions to building the scientific knowledge base of nutritional medicine, Dr. Kidd’s continued dedication to the quality and effectiveness of supplemental products lead him to BrainMD. He has championed a quality mindset within the company to ensure the best, most effective products reach our customers. “Dr. Kidd’s passion for science and for people’s health reflects in his work every day. His heart is driven by a desire to help people live healthier, happier lives; his decisions are driven by the science – what has been shown to make a difference. He, along with Dr. Amen, has a never ending need to help people and to do right by them. It is inspiring to work with someone like that.” – BrainMD Our Products are Created for People Just Like You You are important to us and we consider our BrainMD customers part of our family. We want you to be confident with and satisfied by every aspect of doing business with us — from our products and customer service to our one year money back guarantee. When you feel better and your family is healthier, we know we have done our job well.
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Kid's NeuroVite Supplements
By definition, vitamins and essential minerals are substances that are essential for normal health and functioning. Without them we develop deficiency symptoms that can be serious. Since they cannot be made by the body in sufficient quantities, they must be taken in from the environment – typically through food. Thanks to the dramatic amount of growth and development they are experiencing, children are especially in need of generous allowances of vitamins and minerals, which are critical for healthy growth, activity, learning, and behavior. Without question, the best possible source of vitamins and minerals for kids is high-quality, organic, locally-grown, unprocessed food. However, for most time-crunched families, eating home-cooked, well-balanced meals made from these ingredients 100% of the time just isn’t possible. Additionally, it is possible for genetic variation to raise an individual's requirements for a vitamin or mineral to way higher than they can obtain even from a perfect diet. Many Children Eat Less Than a Minimum Daily Allowance of Nutrients Alarming studies show that a high percentage of children in North America and other developed countries eat less than the minimum daily allowance of many essential nutrients. Additional studies indicate that modern foods don't meet children's needs for these nutrients. Adding an expertly designed multivitamin/mineral supplement to their diet helps to fill any nutritional gaps. Many clinical research studies have established that supplementing children's diets with multiple vitamins and essential minerals supports their brain and body development. So now that you know the importance of giving your child a multiple vitamin-mineral supplement, you are still faced with trying to figure out which one to buy: There are a lot of multiples out there – if you’ve ever walked down the vitamin aisle of your local health food store, pharmacy, or grocery store, you know how many choices there are. That’s why Dr. Amen and his BrainMD team developed Kids’ NeuroVite – to take the guess work out of what multiple vitamin-mineral supplement to use for your kids. This science-based formulation provides generous amounts of well-utilized nutrients for: making energy (magnesium, the B vitamins) supporting the brain's maturation (methylfolate, methylB12, choline) improving immunity (vitamin C, zinc, selenium) supporting vision (lutein, zeaxanthin) "Get kids started with the support they need. Kids’ NeuroVite was developed for my own children and grandchildren. It can help yours, too." – Daniel G. Amen, MD The BrainMD team scoured the clinical research to document which nutrients are best proven for kids over the long term. We didn't take any shortcuts when selecting the ingredients for our Kids’ NeuroVite. A broad spectrum of nutrients for healthy minds and active bodies was chosen while paying close attention to purity, optimal absorption, and utilization. You know what you WON’T find in Kids’ NeuroVite? Ingredients that you might find in other kids’ multivitamin/mineral supplements that: May be unsafe, such as cyanocobalamin (cyanide with vitamin B12) Are poorly absorbed, such as magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, other oxides Are poorly utilized once absorbed, such as folic acid, beta-carotene (poorly converted to vitamin A), and vitamin D2 Are simply unnecessary, such as titanium dioxide, artificial colorants, and sugar Your child will LOVE the taste of the orange-flavored penguin chewables which are free from sugar, dairy, gluten, wheat, eggs, and artificial colorings or flavorings. Give BrainMD’s Kids’ NeuroVite a try- risk free! We offer a 1-year, money back guarantee on your first bottle of any supplement. And you will have peace of mind knowing that you are providing your child with high-quality "nutritional health insurance," adds Dr. Amen.
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Chronic Insomnia Triples Your Risk of Death
If you have followed my work, then you likely know that I recommend three simple strategies to achieve optimal brain health. Develop brain envy (you have to really care about it) Engage in regular brain-healthy habits Avoid anything that hurts your brain But did you know that one of the fastest ways to hurt your brain is to get less than seven or eight hours of sleep at night? That’s right! In fact, chronic insomnia triples your risk of death from all causes and is related with cognitive decline. We are in the midst of an insomnia epidemic. According to the National Institutes of Health, 30% of the population has chronic sleep problems and 10% are affected by symptoms of sleep deprivation during the day. The prescriptions for sleep medications, such as Ambien and Lunesta, have skyrocketed in the past decade. In 1900 Americans, on average, got 9 hours of sleep a night. In 2008, we got only an average 6 hours of sleep at night. Our brains were not designed to have a 33% decrease in sleep in such a short period of time. Getting less than 6 hours of sleep has been associated with lower overall brain activity, which affects mood, focus, productivity, weight, health, physical safety, and memory for days after. Lack of sleep lowers brain activity in the temporal lobes, which are involved in learning, memory, and mood stability. This makes it harder to pay attention, solve problems, and remember important information, and it makes you more likely to make mistakes. Sleep-deprived people are definitely not smarter. They are not happier either. People who are tired from lack of sleep tend to feel irritable and cranky. In one study, 44 percent of American workers admitted that when they are sleep deprived, they are more likely to be in an unpleasant or unfriendly mood. Teenagers who average an hour less sleep than their peers have a higher incidence of depression and suicide. When you sleep less, you eat more and are more likely to be obese. The negative effects of sleep deprivation are so great that people who are drunk outperform those lacking sleep. Fascinating new research has shown that the brain actually cleans or washes itself only during sleep. The brain has a specialized fluid system that helps to rid it of toxins that build up during the day, including beta-amyloid plaques thought to be involved in Alzheimer’s disease. During the day the brain is so metabolically active managing our lives that this cleaning system is inactive. It only turns on when we’re sleeping. Without healthy sleep, this waste clearance system doesn’t have enough time to operate, thus allowing toxins to build up over time, which can cause cognitive and emotional problems. Think of sleep deprivation’s effect on your brain as what your home or office might look like if no one bothered to take out the trash for a month. Make sleep a priority and strive to get seven to eight hours a night. So what do you do when you are lying awake with a restless mind struggling to get sufficient quality sleep? If only counting sheep worked! While there are many causes of sleep disturbances, a good nutritional supplement that supports your body’s natural relaxation response and healthy sleep cycle can make all the difference. BrainMD Health’s Restful Sleep is one such supplement. Dr. Amen’s formula eases you into sleep, helps you stay asleep all night, and wake up feeling great, not groggy. “Good sleep makes an incredible difference to health and quality of life. Restful Sleep works gently with your body to help you get the sleep you need.” – Daniel G. Amen, MD
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10 Tips for a Better Night's Sleep - Healthy Sleep Practices
Sleep troubles come in many varieties. Do you have trouble falling asleep? Do you go to sleep easily but wake up repeatedly throughout the night? Do you find it hard to drag yourself out of bed in the morning? Do you or your significant other snore? All of these problems can lead to decreased brain function and a weaker body. If you are one of the 70 million Americans who have trouble sleeping, try some of these tips for getting a better night’s sleep. Remember that we are all unique individuals and what works for one person may not work for another. Keep trying new techniques until you find something that works. Instead of sleeping in a warm room... DO THIS: make sure that the temperature is comfortable and on the cooler side. Research shows that when you go to sleep, your internal thermostat drops. This body temperature change actually induces sleep. Additionally, the comfort level of your bedroom temperature can also dramatically affect the quality your sleep when you do sleep. Instead of having night lights or a digital clock... DO THIS: ensure that your room is as dark as possible. A key factor in regulating sleep patterns is exposure to light or to darkness so falling asleep with any light on is not the best thing for a good night's sleep. Instead of falling asleep to your favorite TV show or surfing the web to unwind... DO THIS: Take computers, video games, the TV and cell phones out of your bedroom and turn them off an at least 30 minutes before bedtime since studies demonstrate they emit a type of light that stimulates the brain. Instead of drinking a glass of wine, using marijuana or eating chocolate before bed to help you sleep... DO THIS: drink a mixture of warm unsweetened almond milk, a teaspoon of vanilla (the real stuff, not imitation), and a few drops of stevia. This may increase serotonin in your brain and help you sleep. Or try natural supplements that contain ingredients like melatonin, 5HTP (especially for worriers), magnesium, and GABA, such as BrainMD Health’s Restful Sleep or Serotonin Mood Support. Instead of taking a nap to make up for a difficult night sleeping... DO THIS: power through until bedtime and get on a regular sleep schedule. Taking naps when you feel sleepy during the day compounds the nighttime sleep cycle disruption. Then work on maintaining a regular sleep schedule – going to bed at the same time each night and waking up at the same time each day, including on weekends. Instead of going to bed worried or angry... DO THIS: try to fix emotional problems before going to sleep with a positive text, email, or intention to deal with the issue tomorrow. If you forgive the other person first, you may just end the argument. Instead of tossing and turning while watching the clock when you can’t sleep... DO THIS: move the clock so you can’t see it. If you wake up in the middle of the night, refrain from looking at the clock. Checking the time can make you feel anxious, which will only make it harder to go back to sleep. And if you are unable to fall asleep or return to sleep easily, get up and go to another room to do something relaxing until you feel more tired. Instead of being awakened by every noise you hear... DO THIS: try sound therapy which can induce a very peaceful mood and lull you to sleep. Consider soothing nature sounds, wind chimes, a fan, or soft music. Studies have shown that slower classical music, or any music that has a slow rhythm of 60 to 80 beats per minute, can help with sleep. If you share the room with someone who snores, try wearing ear plugs. Instead of lying in bed while finishing the last-minute work project or watching the news... DO THIS: use the bed and bedroom only for sleep or sexual activity. Sexual activity releases many natural hormones, releases muscle tension, and boosts a sense of well-being. Adults with healthy sex lives tend to sleep better. Instead of going for a late-night run or taking an evening exercise class... DO THIS: make sure to finish exercising at least four hours before you want to go to sleep. Although regular exercise is VERY beneficial for insomnia, doing vigorous exercise late in the evening may energize you and keep you awake.
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Research Shows Sleep Cleans Your Brain
This past weekend marked the end of daylight savings time, where the clocks “fell back” an hour at 2 a.m. Sunday, presumably giving the millions of sleep-deprived Americans an extra 60 minutes of shut-eye. Since people theoretically get an extra hour to sleep, "falling back" or reverting to standard time is generally thought to be less physically stressful than the clock springing-forward. But is it really? Even though we gain precious minutes to sleep, turning back time can still disrupt our circadian rhythm, the “internal clock” responsible for regulating sleep. Harvard Health reported that it can take a week or more for our bodies to adjust to the time change. Other research indicates that even the relatively small 60-minute time change can have negative effects on the body, health and even traffic safety! These negative effects are more significant for those who already struggle with good sleeping habits. For them, this can often translate into more insomnia, rather than more sleep. In reality, many people don’t, or can’t, take advantage of this past weekend’s extra hour of sleep. They may see the extra hour as an excuse for 60 more minutes to binge-watch another episode of “Orange Is The New Black.” Skimping on sleep can affect your health in more ways than you might imagine. When you don’t get enough sleep, you have overall decreased blood flow to your brain, which disrupts thinking, memory, and concentration. 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, including the brain plaque thought to contribute to age-related memory issues. Without healthy sleep, the cleaning crew does not have enough time to do their job and trash builds up, causing brain fog and memory problems. Having high-quality sleep is essential to wellness, although for some it can be elusive. If you already do all the right things, such as maintain a regular sleep schedule, avoid caffeine later in the day and get regular exercise but still have problems falling asleep, a natural supplement that supports sleep may give you the relief you need. BrainMD Health’s own GABA Calming Support and Restful Sleep are two natural supplement formulas that contain ingredients shown in clinical studies to help relax your body and mind and ease you into peaceful sleep. There’s just no better way to start the day than waking up feeling refreshed and ready to go!
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3 Strategies for Overcoming Cravings
Are there times when cravings often get the best of you? Or are your loved ones concerned that certain behaviors you have seem out of control? Don’t get too down on yourself! This may be a sign that your brain’s reward system has been HIJACKED! What is the brain’s reward system? It is an intricate network of brain systems and neurotransmitters that are critical to human survival. It drives us to seek out the things we need to stay alive and carry on the human race. Additionally, the brain’s reward system will tell us to repeat things it finds pleasurable (even if they aren’t good for us), and is linked directly to the emotional memory centers that drive us to repeat “rewarding” behaviors. For example, think of how you feel when you smell freshly baked cookies. Even if you’re not hungry, your brain may urge you to eat one anyway! While the reward system can be activated when listening to music, taking a warm bath, or looking at a beautiful painting, it can also be activated by many unhealthy things such as, alcohol, cigarettes, recreational drugs, gambling, electronics, sugar, junk food and chronic overeating. After working with thousands of people with cravings, we know just how tough it can be to overcome them and take back self-control. However, we have seen it work over and over again and know that it is one of the most worthwhile things you can do in your life. Here Are 3 Strategies To Help Curb Your Cravings 1. H-A-L-T You will be better able to exercise self-control and deal with your cravings if you live by the acronym H-A-L-T, which stands for: Don’t get too Hungry. Eat frequent, small, high-quality meals and take nutritional supplements to optimize your brain and balance your blood sugar. BrainMD’s Craving Control can help diminish the frequency and intensity of your cravings, allowing you to more effectively achieve better control over your behavior. Don’t get too Angry. Maintain control over your emotions and don’t let negative thinking patterns rule your life. Learn how to kill your ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts) so you can gain more control over your feelings and behavior. Don’t get too Lonely. Social skills and a positive social network are critical to maintaining freedom from cravings. Enlist a team of supporters and healthy role models. Don’t get too Tired. Make sleep a priority to boost brain function and improve judgment and self-control. 2. EXERCISE Physical exercise is a fantastic strategy to help you reduce cravings and increase self-control. Exercise helps in a number of ways, including: Boosting serotonin in your brain to help you get unstuck when you can’t stop thinking about pepperoni pizza, potato chips, beer, or checking your phone Increasing blood flow and dopamine in your brain which improves impulse control Reducing stress, improving your mood, and lowering your blood sugar levels 3. DISTRACT YOURSELF Multiple research studies have demonstrated that cravings typically last for only 10 minutes. Recognize that and divert your mind: Call a friend, read a book, solve a crossword puzzle, work in your garden, take a bath, do chores around the house, listen to music, run an errand, meditate or exercise (see strategy #2). Conquering your cravings will improve every aspect of your life, including your family life, your relationships, your career, and your school life.
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6 Ways to Fall Asleep at Night and Relax Your Brain
Does it feel like your mind is constantly racing? When you close your eyes to go to bed, do you hear silence and feel calm, or are you bombarded with worries and thoughts rushing through your head like a hamster on a wheel? "Monkey mind" is a term used to refer to that chatter of worry, fear, and doubt that we hear in our heads. Whether directed at ourselves or others, monkey mind can rob us of peace of mind, joy and happiness. A restless mind has many negative effects that can include trouble sleeping, poor decision-making, anxiety and even depression when left to run amuck. Repetitive, ruminating thinking limits effective problem solving, and promotes procrastination, avoidance and withdrawal, only resulting in further problems. You may have heard the expression "what you resist persists." As long as we fight against the monkey mind, we give it more energy and make it stronger. As long as we try to beat our thoughts away, we make them bigger. Everyone has monkey mind. It's a part of being human, and it never goes away. So while it is impossible to banish the monkeys in your mind, you DO have the power to tame your monkey mind and keep it in order. Here are 6 simple ways to quiet your mind: 1. Meditate The single most effective way to still your mind is meditation. Meditation is the practice of focusing your attention to help you feel calm and give you a clear awareness about your life. There are many types of meditation and relaxation techniques that have meditation components; all share the same goal of achieving inner peace. 2. Breathe deeply Deep diaphragmatic breathing is a very effective, yet simple method for overcoming stress and quieting your mind; one that can be done anywhere, anytime! When you take shallow breaths, it reduces the amount of oxygen that reaches your brain cells and reduces your overall brain function. Taking deep breaths relaxes your muscles, relieves tension, and helps your brain function better. 3. Practice gratitude Did you know that practicing gratitude causes real changes in your brain that enhance brain function and make you feel better? If you want your brain to work better, practice being grateful for the good things in your life. Writing down your grateful thoughts makes the practice that much more powerful. 4. Write it down Try journaling or otherwise putting your thoughts on paper. This process gives those stressful thoughts a home – another place they can live besides your brain. Once those thoughts are expressed, they often no longer feel the need to wreak havoc on your brain so that you can mentally relax. 5. Exercise Physical exercise is perhaps the single most important thing you can do to keep your brain healthy over time? Physical exercise not only boosts blood flow and other positive nutrients to the brain – it actually stimulates “neurogenesis,” the ability of the brain to generate new brain cells – especially the cells that help the brain self-regulate and calm down! 6. Add GABA (gamma-amino-butyric acid) GABA's natural function is to reduce the activity of the neurons to which it binds and is vital to quieting an overactive mind. Dr. Daniel Amen’s GABA Calming Support contains clinically tested GABA shown to promote relaxation by increasing calming, focused brain waves, while also calming other brain waves associated with worry. Complimenting this clinically tested and natural substance are vitamin B6, magnesium and lemon balm, an herb traditionally known for its calming effects. When you calm your mind, you can begin to experience clarity, happiness and a sense of well-being. Practicing these simple strategies helps give you your peace of mind back.
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Protect Your Sleep With These Simple Tips
When Daylight Savings Time starts again on March 9, as we “spring forward” an hour, brain health warriors need to be on the ready. Here’s why. While we may enthusiastically welcome spring’s extended, light-filled days, especially after a long, cold oppressive winter, the switch to Daylight Savings Time comes with a bitter pill: losing an hour of sleep! It might not sound like much, but losing an hour of sleep can really mess with your body’s natural circadian rhythms (internal body clock) as well as brain function, which may put you at higher risk for car accidents and even heart attack, according to research published in the New England Journal of Medicine. And for those of us who have sleep issues already (an estimated 70 million Americans), the time change can make insomnia even worse. Did you know that sleep is involved in rejuvenating all the cells in your body, gives brain cells a chance to repair themselves, and activates neuronal connections that might otherwise deteriorate due to inactivity? It’s true! Sleep is that important to your brain and body. In fact, clinical neuroscientist, board-certified psychiatrist and brain imaging expert, Dr. Daniel G Amen, says that for most adults, getting enough sleep each night is essential for maintaining your mental edge, as well as for losing weight and even keeping depression at bay. That’s because lack of sleep is associated with lower overall blood flow to the brain, which can compromise brain function, will power and mood. Why lose precious brainpower and the healthy choices that come from an optimally functioning mind for even a day? Problems often occur when our brains are not functioning at their best. Sleep is critical to your well-being and most adults need 7-8 hours of sleep each night. It's simple: When our brains work better, our lives work better. So make a decision right now to protect your vital sleep and maintain optimal brain health when we spring forward to Daylight Savings Time with these four simple actions: Here Are 4 of the Top Ways to Spring Forward 1. Go to Bed Earlier, Wake Up Earlier Starting tonight and until Daylight Savings Time actually goes into effect, simply go to bed earlier and wake up earlier. You’re body will get a head start resetting it’s internal clock and you will transition more easily to the change. 2. Take Melatonin Melatonin is a hormone that is naturally released from your brain’s pineal gland in response to light and dark. It’s an important regulator of the sleep cycle in the body. Normally, melatonin levels rise in the evening, when it gets dark, making you sleepy and remain high for most of the night and then drop in the early morning, when it gets light and you awake. When we spring forward and there is more light in the evening, your melatonin production may kick in later making it more difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep throughout the night. (Aging, traveling through time zones or certain medications can also have an effect on proper melatonin production.) Supplementing with melatonin prior to bedtime helps support your body’s natural mechanism that allows you to fall asleep and stay asleep. 3. Avoid Stimulating and Sleep-Disruptive Activities When the time springs forward, we generally have trouble falling asleep. It will help if you avoid anything that has a stimulating or sleep-disruptive effect. This means turning off electronics at least an hour or two before bedtime; avoiding caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate), alcohol (although a depressant, it interferes with sleep), vigorous exercise or large meals too close to bedtime. 4. Take a Natural Relaxation Support Supplement Taking one or any combination of the following natural supplements may support your body’s ability to relax. GABA or gamma-amino-butyric acid is an amino acid that regulates brain excitability. GABA functions to inhibit the excessive firing of neurons, which results in a feeling of calm. It essentially plays a role in turning the “off” switch on a busy mind. When you supplement with GABA, you support the body’s natural mechanism for quieting the mind. Who doesn’t need that? Magnesium, also known as the “relaxation” mineral, plays a role in hydration, muscle relaxation, energy production and, perhaps most important to sleep, the deactivation of adrenaline. A deficiency in magnesium can interfere in nerve cell firing, resulting in irritability and nervousness. Supplementing the body with magnesium helps with a sense of calmness, needed for restful sleep. Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is an herb that has been used traditionally for centuries and is known for its calming effects. It appears that valerian may work through the GABA receptors, which, as you just learned, calm brain activity when activated. Dr. Amen formulated Restful Sleep with a combination of nutrients designed to support a calm mind and promote a deep, relaxed, restful night’s sleep. Learn more. Here’s to celebrating the joy of more daylight and protecting your brain-healthy sleep! References Vincent, A. Daylight Savings Time and Traffic Accidents. N Engl J Med. 1996; 334:924-925. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199604043341416 Janszky, I, et al. Shifts to and from Daylight Saving Time and Incidence of Myocardial Infarction. N Engl J Med. 2008; 359:1966-1968. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc0807104
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Beat the Time Change Blues
When Daylight Saving Time begins in the spring, we sacrifice an hour of sleep, and we are rewarded handsomely with an extra glorious hour of daylight. It’s a good deal. Yet, when the autumn time change comes around, we lose that daylight hour and fall into…darkness. While a lesser deal, it’s at least tempered with a bonus hour of sleep—and we can all use that! But do we really get more sleep? Not necessarily so, according to a recent study in Sleep Medicines Review. While the fall time change adds an hour to our day, the study points out that our body will likely wake at the usual time, which will counter the supposed “gain.” And we’ll feel sleepy earlier in the evening, an hour before our regular bed time. It’s a phenomena similar to jet lag—our body clock doesn’t match the external clock we see on the wall. Adjustment to this time change can take days to weeks. The changes to daylight can also wreak havoc on our circadian rhythms—the internal body clock that sets our daily sleep/wake patterns based on darkness and lightness. For those who already have disturbed sleep patterns, this can often translate to more insomnia. It’s important to understand how our internal body clock works… Circadian rhythms are controlled by an area of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), found right above the point in the brain where the optic nerve fibers cross. The positioning enables the SCN to receive light cues from the retina. When evening falls and there’s less light input to the SCN, a message is sent to the pineal gland and the production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for making us feel sleepy, increases. In the morning, as it becomes light, melatonin secretion is inhibited, and the brain's awake circuits resume. This illustrates how closely our biology relates to the natural world—and more importantly, the powerful role melatonin plays in our sleep/wake cycle! If you are struggling with the daylight savings time change, most experts recommend simply getting to bed earlier. For those experiencing insomnia or night owls, that’s hardly simple. Here’s where melatonin supplementation can make a difference. Taking a melatonin sleep supplement or formula a couple hours before your desired bed time may help your body’s own natural sleep mechanism kick in and bring on much-needed Zzz’s. In fact, a 2012 study found a correlation between an increase in melatonin in the body and improved sleep duration and quality in healthy men and women, and concluded that melatonin might be of benefit in managing disturbed sleep. Remember, when it’s time to “fall back,” a melatonin sleep support formula may be just what you need to literally get into a new rhythm and beat the time change blues! References Harrison,Y. The impact of daylight saving time on sleep and related behaviours. Sleep Med Rev. 2013 Aug;17(4):285-92. Howatson, G, et al. Effect of tart cherry juice (Prunus cerasus) on melatonin levels and enhanced sleep quality. Eur J Nutr. 2012 Dec;51(8):909-16.
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