More than 25 per cent of the UK suffers from some form of sleep disorder which prevents them from getting the recommended six to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep that your body needs to function properly. And while lack of sleep can have a negative effect on your appearance and energy levels it can lead to long term physical and mental health problems. This is because sleep looks after many processes that affect your personality, your memory, your thoughts and your feelings.

Studies on sleep deprivation show physical and mental health rapidly deteriorates when you take sleep away. Research also shows that lack of sleep can put the body into a high state of alert, which increases stress hormones and can lead to weight gain, high blood pressure and heart disease so it stands to reason that getting a good night’s sleep is essential for your health and wellbeing and your waist line. Here are a few reasons why you might not be sleeping properly:

Sleeping in the wrong position:
The position you sleep in can have an effect on your quality of sleep and according to research the key to a good night’s sleep is to keep your body in a midline position. So if you sleep on your side try putting a pillow between your knees to help support your hips; if you sleep on your back place a pillow under your knees to offload your lower back and always try to avoid sleeping on your front.

Alcohol:
Although alcohol can act as a mild sedative it is one of the causes of poor sleep if you drink too much. This is mainly because of the strong diuretic effect which will leave you with a full bladder and raging thirst half way through the night. Alcohol also quickens the heart rate which makes you wakeful and restless so instead of having a drink to wind down why not try a tea made from soothing herbs such as chamomile, valerian and hops. If you really want a drink try sticking to and savouring one small glass of organic wine.

Caffeine:
As a stimulant, caffeine speeds up the action of not only the nervous system, but of other major body systems, too. Within fifteen minutes of downing a cup of coffee, the level of adrenaline in your blood rises, which triggers an increase in heart rate, breathing rate, urinary output, and production of stomach acids. Basically, caffeine’s effects are the reverse of what you want to happen as you go to sleep.

Caffeine also prompts adrenal hormones to release sugar stored in the liver, which stimulates sugar cravings to replenish the stores. Caffeine heightens the roller coaster effect of blood sugar swings, producing a quick high after a morning cup of coffee, followed by a downturn in the afternoon. So if you want a good night’s sleep cut down the amount of coffee you drink during the day to no more than one or two cups, or ideally eliminate it completely and replace with herbal teas such as chamomile or peppermint.

Feeling pressured:
When you are under stress your body produces stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline which can prevent the production of sleep hormones such as serotonin and dopamine. Try some of the stress management techniques in the Spring Clean Your Mind article, such as simple breathing or visualisation. Hypnotherapy also has excellent results for stress and sleep related problems.

Being a woman:
A recent study from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy found that women were significantly worse at getting a good night’s sleep than men. This is due to various sleep stealers such as snoring partners, restless children and an inability to switch off from juggling the demands of family life and career. The homeopathic remedies coffea and arsenicum can help when you feel sleepy during the day and anxious at night or consult a qualified homeopath.

What you eat affects how you sleep
One of the keys to a restful night’s sleep is to get your brain calmed rather than revved up. Some foods contribute to restful sleep; other foods and drinks, like alcohol and caffeine, keep you awake. Foods that help you sleep better are tryptophan-containing foods, because tryptophan is the amino acid that the body uses to make serotonin, the neurotransmitter that slows down nerve traffic so your brain isn’t so busy. Foods that interfere with sleep are foods that stimulate neurochemicals that perk up the brain. The following are an example of foods that are high in the sleep-inducing amino acid tryptophan:

• Soya products: organic soy milk, tofu
• Fish
• Whole grains like brown rice, oats
• Beans in general like chickpea containing hummous
• Almonds
• Peanuts
• Eggs
• Bananas
• Dates
• Organic dairy but add in moderation because of the saturated fat content

Lighter meals are more likely to give you a restful night’s sleep. High-fat meals and large servings prolong the work your digestive system needs to do, and all the gas production and rumblings may keep you awake.

Some people find that highly-seasoned foods (e.g., hot peppers and garlic) interfere with sleep, especially if you suffer from heartburn. Going to bed with a full stomach does not, for most people, promote a restful night’s sleep. While you may fall asleep faster, all the intestinal work required to digest a big meal is likely to cause frequent waking and a poorer quality of sleep. Eat your evening meal early and heed the sleep wisdom: “Don’t dine after nine.”

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 12th, 2007 at 3:52 pm and is filed under General Health, Sleep. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.