Insomnia - Diet & Lifestyle Options

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Insomnia-Diet and Lifestyle Options

 

For many patients who've suffered from bad sleep for years,

insomnia seems like the guest who never left.

 

But at WholeHealthMD I've seen the combination of diet and lifestyle

modifications work wonders, both for poor sleepers and for people

who suffer from an occasional bout of sleeplessness.

 

In fact, a study in the Journal of the American Medical

Association found that such positive changes in one's lifestyle are

more effective than sleeping pills at producing a lasting, healthy

sleep pattern.

 

 

Dietary Advice

Some foods can keep you awake if you chow down too close to bedtime.

There are others, however, that can ease you into sleep. Keep the

following dietary pointers in mind.

 

 

 

TRY TO ELIMINATE CAFFEINE AND SUGAR

Caffeine is a stimulant that can stay in your body for more than 12

hours. It's not only found in coffee, tea, chocolate, and colas, but

also in many unexpected items, including some over-the-counter cold,

allergy, and diet pills and certain prescription painkillers. Your

reaction to caffeine depends on how quickly your body can eliminate

it; some people are more sensitive to its effects than others.

 

And because caffeine is a diuretic, it may cause you to have to

urinate

more often, possibly contributing to middle-of-the-night awakenings.

 

I suggest trying to eliminate caffeine entirely, but if you must

have it, be sure to drink it early in the day. And instead of that

full-bore after-dinner espresso, try one of the fine water-processed

decaffeinated coffees, or better yet a sleep-inducing herbal tea,

such as chamomile or valerian.

 

If you do decide to cut out caffeine completely, do so gradually to

reduce withdrawal symptoms, such as

headache and irritability. The elimination of caffeine alone has

helped many of my patients sleep better.

 

Also keep in mind that sugary snacks right before bedtime can also

keep you awake. First comes the sugar " high, " and then the

sugar " crash, " which your body mistakes for a physiological

emergency. In reaction, it releases stress hormones that make you

feel keyed up and jittery. So, best to stay away from simple

carbohydrates, such as cookies and cake, especially at bedtime.

 

 

 

 

AVOID ALCOHOL

Statistics show that 40% of people with insomnia have used alcohol

to help them sleep at one time or another. But it actually has the

opposite effect. While a drink or two may initially induce sleep, as

your body metabolizes the alcohol, it's likely you'll awaken, often

restless and sweaty.

 

Alcohol contains stimulating sugar, it can cause the release of

adrenaline, and it also has been found to shorten the restorative

periods of deep sleep. A good rule of thumb is to avoid alcohol

altogether, and definitely don't drink within two to three hours of

bedtime. A smart substitute for a nightcap might be nonalcoholic

beer, which contains sedating hops.

 

 

 

 

EAT FOODS HIGH IN TRYPTOPHAN

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that occurs naturally in a

great many high-protein foods, including meats, fish, poultry,

organic eggs, nuts, seeds, and organic soybeans.

 

The body uses tryptophan to produce the neurotransmitter serotonin,

a

brain chemical known to promote a sense of relaxation and

drowsiness. Research has found that there are a couple of tricks to

maximizing your body's use of tryptophan, however.

 

Basically this involves eating carbohydrate-rich foods along with

those high in tryptophan. Therefore I suggest the following eating

tips to many of my patients:

 

If you have difficulty falling asleep, eat a dinner containing a

little protein, a generous portion of complex carbohydrates, and a

little fat (olive oil for cooking or in a salad

dressing) around 6:30 P.M., followed by a complex-carbohydrate snack

two hours before bedtime.

 

Complex carbohydrates are found in whole grains or starchy

vegetables (brown rice, potatoes, oatmeal for example), peanuts and

other nuts, as well as in fruits such as avocado, bananas, melons,

figs, and dates.

 

If you tend to fall asleep easily but then wake up many times at

night, try eating dinner later, around 7:30 or 8:30, and then having

the carbohydrate snack right before bed.

 

For a sleep-inducing dinner, try a stir-fry of chicken and

vegetables, served over whole-wheat pasta, or perhaps some grilled

fish with a green vegetable and brown rice or potatoes. Then

for your carbohydrate snack, spread a little peanut butter on whole-

wheat toast; eat a banana; have some low-fat organic yogurt; or

maybe even a half-sandwich of turkey on whole-wheat

bread. All kinds of tryptophan-promoting combinations are possible.

 

 

 

 

CONSIDER A FOOD ELIMINATION DIET

If gastrointestinal problems—such as cramps, gas, and diarrhea—are

keeping you awake, you may be sensitive to certain foods. Major

offenders are dairy products, corn, and wheat.

 

Trying a food elimination diet for a few weeks can help you

determine which food, or foods, may be causing your problem. And it

will help you get a bead on the sleep burglar.

 

Learn how to do a food elimination diet.

Check out Food Remedies for Insomnia.

 

Lifestyle Tips

Of all the suggestions I give, the following have proved to be the

most effective for my insomnia patients.

 

 

RELAX BEFORE YOU RETIRE

Take a luxurious hour before your scheduled bedtime to allow your

tightly wound, stressed-out body to unwind. You can read, watch TV,

meditate, or listen to a guided-imagery tape or to music—but don't

do it in bed.

 

Your bed should be associated only with sleeping (or sex). And be

sure to click off any heart-pumping, violent TV shows or news

programs, and music with a " gotta-dance " beat

..

Many of my patients also favor a warm bath as the ultimate relaxer.

I emphasize warm—water that's hot can be invigorating. For the same

reason, a forceful shower isn't a good sleep-promoter, either.

 

If you want, scent your bath with a few drops of essential lavender

oil. Lavender (Lavandula officinalis)is an ancient sedative that is

often used by aromatherapists to induce relaxation.

 

For guided-imagery and other sleep tapes, see " Additional

Resources, " below.

 

For more information on meditation, see the WholeHealthMD Reference

Library entry on meditation.

 

For lavender oil…click here for a list of on-line shopping

resources.

 

CHANGE YOUR SLEEPING HABITS

Simply making a few modifications in your sleeping habits (often

called " sleep hygiene " ) can have remarkable results.

 

Try to keep to a regular sleep schedule, even on weekends. This

means waking up at about the same time every morning, even if you

missed your normal bedtime the night before.

 

To beckon sleep, use a relaxation tape once you're in bed—stress is

a major cause of insomnia. (For relaxation tapes, see Additional

Resources, below.)

 

If you don't fall asleep within 20 minutes, or wake up during the

night and can't fall back to sleep, get up and go into another room

and read. Return to bed only when you're sleepy. Avoid relying on

catnaps instead of deep, healthy regular sleep.

 

If you are sensitive to light, invest in darker window blinds or

shades, or in light-blocking drapes.

If noise is your problem, wear earplugs—I like the comfortable,

soft, pliable gel-type, available in most large pharmacy chains or

on line. Just don't give up; it will take a night or two to get used

to wearing them.

 

Be aware that the temperature of your bedroom can affect your

sleep. You may need an air conditioner or a fan in summer, or an

electric heater in the winter. Wearing warm socks to bed or tucking

a hot water bottle under your feet can be particularly sleep-

inducing. A recent study in the publication Naturefound that

increased blood flow to the hands and feet was more effective for

producing sleep than taking the sleep-inducing supplement melatonin.

 

And, if your room is very dry, invest in a humidifier.

 

To complete the perfect sleep environment—spend a little extra

money and get comfortable bed linens. Although they're costly, all-

cotton sheets (which you can scent with a touch of lavender oil) are

a dream to sleep on. In Europe, lavender-scented " sleep pillows " are

quite common.

 

http://www.wholehealthmd.com/hc/insomnia/diet_life/0,2060,,00.html

_________________

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjoguest

DietaryTipsForHBP

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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