Exhausted No More! How to Sleep Your Way Into Optimal Health

Carol Ebert, MSN, RN

I hate to say it, but the cure is to quit your job and go to bed. Of course that may not be an option, but I can tell you since I now am self-employed and can dictate my own hours, getting enough sleep is within my control and I think I have actually "caught up" after years of being sleep deprived.

So let's delve into this sleepy issue and find out what is really happening when you don't get enough sleep. And don't worry - I will leave you with R & R tips so you don't have to quit your job just to get some rest.

Did you know the amount of sleep you get is instrumental in quality of life issues such as ...

Cell renewal and rejuvenation
Management of stress hormones
Gut health
Weight gain
Chronic disease development
Cognitive functioning
Safety

Who knew all of this was going on while we are sleeping? Unfortunately, we get so sleep deprived we don't fully realize these benefits, and often start relying on drugs to get and stay asleep, setting us up for dependence and negative side effects.

I remember working straight nights for about 3 years and fell into the trap of taking Seconal so I could sleep during the day, but quit that drug right away because I was so groggy at work I couldn't function. So I switched to Benadryl, and got hooked psychologically leading to years of thinking I couldn't sleep without it. But I finally stopped one day and found I could actually sleep without it! Big surprise! And I have never taken another sleep med again.

So is sleep a problem for you?

Here's how to find out. Dr. Michael Breus, the "Sleep Doctor" www.thesleepdoctor.com uses the RULE OF 3:

3 nights per week - you have trouble falling or staying asleep
30 + minutes/night - you stay awake before sleeping
3 weeks - all of this lasts 3 weeks in a row

So what causes sleep problems in the first place? Here are the most common reasons ...

Too much cortisol from

Being over-committed, over-stimulated, not enough down time
Anxiety and depression
Wired and Tired

Diet containing too much high glycemic foods, sugar, and gluten

Gut ailments that lead to inflammation. You can't sleep with a belly ache!

Overexposure to EMFs (electro-magnetic frequencies like cell phones, computers, etc) leading to restlessness, can't sleep well, and waking up tired, groggy or feeling hung over.

So what can you do about all of this?

It is obviously a serious situation, but the good news is as you enter your new life with more control over your time - and more time that you can control - you can take some action steps toward living a wellness lifestyle.

Here are tips from my Wellness Prescription for Sleep that you can start working on right now!

Emotional Wellness - Reduce your stress level

Write down what you are grateful for at the end of the day so you feel good
Take a relaxing bath before bed
Decrease EMFs by removing electronics from your bedroom
Darken bedroom with black-out curtains or use eye mask
Use "white noise" machine to block out distractions

Physical Wellness - Take care of your body

Don't exercise 2-3 hours before bed - Increases your temp, cortisol, hunger
Take pharmaceutical grade supplements
Melatonin Â½-1mg 90 mins before sleep
Magnesium - calming and relaxing mineral found in a good multivitamin/multimineral
Balance your blood sugar all day long
Eat protein with every meal to prevent sugar spikes
No sugar before bed

Intellectual Wellness

Investigate causes of gut problems by eliminating food sensitivities
Calculate your best sleep time using the Sleep Doctor's method
Count back 7 Â½ hours from when you wake up and that is when you need to go to bed
Experiment with some light reading 1 hr before bed

Social Wellness

Stay on a sleep schedule that is the same time every day, even weekends
Disengage from electronics 1 hr before bed
Decrease alcohol 3 hrs before bed - alcohol prevents deeper sleep

Occupational Wellness

If you are still working, challenge the system to consider these ideas
Nap rooms at work
Stress relieving breaks during the day
Flexible work hours
Consider changing jobs if it's too stressful, or maybe this is the time you really do consider retiring!

Spiritual Wellness

Meditation
Prayer
Relaxing music

Which of these tips will you be willing to work on right now to finally get a good night's sleep!

And if you have successful sleep tips for us, please share.