Thank you to everyone that listened in to this week’s talk on Insomnia: Natural Ways to Support a Good Night’s Sleep. Sleep disturbance is a common issue for many people. With some people living with disturbed sleep patterns, whilst others may have intermittent sleep problems depending on what is happening in their lives. I have also found in clinic, clients may seek nutrition advice for other health reasons but their sleep has also benefited from treatment.
I guess what I am trying to explain is that sleep disturbance is individual to a person. Addressing the underlying cause and providing a bespoke sleep package to suit their needs is key to the success of a ‘good night’s sleep’.
So, this week’s summary looks how stress may impact sleep with a few suggestions that may help to support a good nights sleep. Although seeking help from a health care professional is ideal as they will be able to address potential triggers and offer trained advice.
Adult sleep issues include:
- Not being able to fall asleep
- Waking up throughout the night unable to get back to sleep
- Reliance on sleeping pills to sleep
- Insomnia
- Waking up feeling unrefreshed
“My day starts backwards … I wake up tired and go to bed wide awake.”
Why is sleep so important?
Sleep is a natural and restorative process fundamental for human existence. It is essential for our health and wellbeing, with poor quality sleep leading to possible long-term health difficulties. Sleep problems not only can impact your daily lives, research has also linked sleep problems to a greater risk of obesity and that aching feeling in the morning.
In a review article which looked at how poor sleep results in increased hunger and appetite and many metabolic and endocrine alterations, including decreased glucose tolerance, decreased insulin sensitivity, increased evening cortisol, increased levels of ghrelin and decreased leptin. Leptin and ghrelin are two important hormones that shape appetite and hunger signals. Leptin inhibits hunger, whilst ghrelin is often called a “hunger hormone” because it increases food intake.
An important area to address if you suffer with sleep problems is stress. This is my SLEEP Stress check-in.
- Is your energy less than it used to be?
- Do you feel guilty when relaxing?
- Do you easily become angry or irritated?
- Do you get impatient if people or things hold you up?
- Do you often do 2 or 3 tasks at once?
- Do you work harder than most people?
- Do you rely on stimulants to keep you going (caffeine, alcohol, nicotine)?
- Are you especially competitive?
- Do you crave salty and / or sugary foods?
If you are struggling to get to or stay asleep and you answer yes to three or more of these questions, then it is probably worth adding some stress-busting strategies to your daily routine to support your sleep.
When you are stressed or anxious at night, the brain powers into overdrive, racing with thoughts instead of shutting down. Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system – the opposite side of the nervous system that prepares your body for intense physical activity, or to ‘fight or take flight’. As you have probably guessed, this can have a negative impact on sleep. In this ‘hyper-aroused’ state it can be a challenge to fall asleep, to stay asleep, and the quality of sleep is often compromised too.
A few Stress Busting Ideas:
Both chamomile tea and valerian tea can be particularly useful. You can sip chamomile tea during the day for calming, soothing effects, but keep valerian for the evening when you do not need to drive as it can make you really drowsy.
Avoid sugar, alcohol & stimulants – A crucial aspect of adrenal support is cutting out caffeine, alcohol, and sugar as much as possible.
Snack before bed – Have a protein-rich snack just before bed to make sure your blood sugar is balanced through the night. Blood sugar dips not only wake you but place extra stress on the adrenals too. Oatcakes with nut butter and sliced banana is particularly beneficial. Bananas contain tryptophan – a sleep-supporting amino acid.
Apoptogenic herbs – Asian ginseng, rhodiola root and cordyceps mycelium are useful apoptogenic herbs that can help to rebalance adrenals. Whilst L-theanine may promote relaxation without drowsiness. This could make it an important part of a protocol for helping those with sleep disorders and because it does not cause drowsiness it can be taken through the day too.
Magnesium is a pivotal nutrient for the healthy functioning of the parasympathetic nervous system – the part of the nervous system that’s responsible for getting your body into a calm and relaxed state, ready for bed. Magnesium also helps to support bodily levels of the calming neurotransmitter GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid) – a vital chemical messenger that promotes sleep. Interestingly, the therapeutic aim of many prescription sleeping tablets is to increase levels of GABA; magnesium provides this support naturally.
Also, under stress, more magnesium is used up and eliminated from your system, so if you’re stressed, you need to up your dietary intake of magnesium to balance the body’s increased needs.
An imbalanced copper: zinc ratio may also be associated with disturbed sleep. The ratio between copper and zinc is important. You will get good levels of both copper and zinc in a varied, balanced diet that includes plenty of minimally processed wholefoods cooked from scratch. When wholegrains are processed into refined versions the outer portion of the grain is removed along with much of the mineral content (including zinc and copper. Some foods, such as sesame seeds, crimini mushrooms, asparagus, lentils, pine nuts and broccoli are great sources of both.
Essential Oils for Sleep and Relaxation
Lavender oil is a popular aromatherapy choice for sleep and relaxation. Several studies show using lavender oil for aromatherapy can improve sleep quality, including in people with insomnia, depression, and anxiety. Aromatherapy using lavender oil may also increase time spent in deep, slow-wave sleep. Apply a couple of drops to a tissue and place it on your pillow or add a couple of drops to an Epsom salt bath as part of your night-time sleep hygiene routine.
This gently scented flowering herb has been shown to have a pretty broad range of effects in the body, as an essential oil, an oral supplement, and a topical cream or salve. Lavender works as an anxiolytic (an anxiety reliever) and as a sedative, to increase relaxation and calm, and help bring about sleep. Lavender interacts with the neurotransmitter GABA to help quiet the brain and nervous system activity, reducing agitation, anger, aggression, and restlessness
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia
Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia includes regular, often weekly, visits to a clinician, who will give you a series of sleep assessments, ask you to complete a sleep diary and work with you in sessions to help you change the way you sleep. Another aspect of CBT-I is called Stimulus Control Instructions. Stimulus Control Instructions are created by looking at the patient’s sleep habits and pinpointing different actions that may be prohibiting sleep.
When a clinician looks at your assessments and diaries, he or she will find the elements of your lifestyle that may prohibit you from falling or staying asleep. Relapse Prevention is an important element of cognitive behavioural therapy. The patient needs to learn how to maintain what they have learned and prepare for the possibility of a future flare up
Key Points
- Sleep is a natural and restorative process fundamental for human existence. It is essential for our health and wellbeing, with poor quality sleep leading to possible long-term health difficulties.
- If you’re struggling to get to or stay asleep you may need to support your stress response.
- Herbal remedies have been used safely for centuries for insomnia.
- Certain Vitamin & Mineral deficiencies can contribute to disturbed sleep.
- Several studies show using lavender oil for aromatherapy can improve sleep quality, including in people with insomnia, depression, and anxiety.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia may be an area to look into?
Please do not make any changes to how you eat or take supplements without seeking advice from a health care professional.
Thank you for reading
Fiona Waring
Dip
Nut, BSc.(Hons), MSc PHN, ANutr
Nutritional Therapist
M: +44 07957 267 964
eatyourgreens@fionawaring.com
‘Registered with the Association for Nutrition – www.associationfornutrition.org
Protecting the public and promoting high standards in evidence-based science and professional practice of nutrition.’
