Studies show that nearly half of our population struggle with insomnia. To a degree, we’re a sleep-deprived nation.
Sleep has a direct impact on every part of our health, to be reflected by your energy, immune system, happiness, love-life, ability to manage stress, mental health, and certainly more.
So, let’s cover the utmost essentials - some that may not be so intuitive.
Sleep Environment -
Consideration should be given to the bed you’re sleeping on. After all, we spend a significant part of our lives in bed! So what you sleep on is important. Spring beds are the most common, but they’re not always without their flaws, one of them being the flame-retardant materials that they’re made of which produces toxic gas.
Most mattress pads are also made from petroleum products that produce similar gas. This wouldn’t be a major concern with infrequent exposure, but, again, we’re talking a substantial portion of our time spent with these pollutants.
There are beds made from natural materials, making them healthier. Beds made of natural latex are becoming much more common. That’s my preference. Another option are futons consisting of purely cotton. Also sheets should be pure cotton or other natural materials, not petroleum-based polyester. And avoid blankets that are insulated with polyester too. Wash your sheets using only natural detergents. Stay away from the fragrant stuff. Again, the idea is to create a pure sleeping environment.
Cool temperatures seem to be more conducive to sleep for most people, but go with whatever makes you comfortable. I suggest cracking a window (assuming you’re not living next to the freeway). After all, oxygen is the most restorative thing we put into our body.
Keep things quiet. The white noise from a fan turned on low can be very effective at counteracting background noise. There are “noise machines” made specifically for the purpose of sleep. And earplugs can be an outstanding tool to thwart the common late night distractions like the neighbor’s barking dog and bed mate’s snoring—especially when coupled with white noise.
The darker your bedroom the better. The brain produces melatonin in dark environments, so naturally this means turning off anything that emits light. For your windows curtains that are promoted as ‘black out’ are the way to go. If you have an alarm clock, make sure the display is exclusively red light. Red light is the only light that doesn’t interfere with the brain’s production of melatonin. Still, even if your alarm clock is red light, I suggest blocking it from your view while you’re in bed. If you can see your alarm clock, you may find that you have a tendency to wake up at the same time every night. It un-instinctively trains the brain in a way most of us would not prefer. And personally when I wake up in the middle of the night, I fall back asleep easier when I don’t know what time it is. An eye mask can also be a brilliant tool if making your room very dark is not possible.
On the odd night when you find yourself tossing and turning, it can be helpful to get up and go into another room for five minutes. It may take a moderate amount of willpower. Go pet the dog. Or throw a jacket on and go outside to get some fresh air and look at the stars. Then back under the covers.
Side note: it’s more restorative to sleep on your back and side, rather than your stomach, at least for the majority of the night. Sleeping on your back and sides allows for deeper breathing versus sleeping on your stomach.
What about supplements?
Personally I’ve experienced the right sleep supplements to be very helpful. Remember that my philosophy with supplements is to use those that are exclusively from plants.
Plant foods that are termed ‘adaptogens’ are what have a restorative influence on the body’s nervous system. Good examples are chamo
