10 June 2013

Can't get no....


I've been having real trouble recently sleeping -which is very frustrating - I'm tired, exhausted often from exercise and yet am having real trouble sleeping at night -I'll usually go to bed around 11:00/12:00 but wont be able to drop off until 2 or 3 and then wake up again at 4. I've had the usual advice from people, mainly that I might drink too much coffee - I usually have 2 or 3 but none after 15:00 - so that's annoying, but its possible I'm just very sensitive to it (how lame of me)

I did a bit of googling today and have found some interesting tips
  • Take it easy on the caffeine. Either eliminate it or limit to morning only. The effects of caffeine last for 9 hours, so you do the math.
  • Have a bedtime ritual that is calming. You could read before bed, plan your day for tomorrow, write in your journal, meditate, listen to soothing music, or anything else that helps your mind to slow down.
  • Turn off the TV at least 30 minutes before bedtime. TV is a stimulant so establish a routine that helps you turn it off. You’ll fall asleep better.
  • Listen to your body. If you feel tired, go to bed. Don’t torture your self by not getting enough sleep.
  • Listen to your mind. If there is something on your mind before bed time, write about it in a notebook or talk to someone about it. Come up with solutions that you can work on tomorrow.
  • Build a habit of daily meditation. This will help increase the overall level of calm in your mind allowing you to get to sleep easier and stay asleep.
In a fit of desperation I also bought some Valerian root tablets from Holland & Barrett - I can't say I've noticed a difference but I thought some natural remedies might be useful so I also looked up some foods that might help:



1. Fish

Most fish—and especially salmon, halibut and tuna—boast vitamin B6, which is needed to make melatonin (a sleep-inducing hormone triggered by darkness). This is interesting: I just had fish for dinner, and as I write this I do feel quite sleepy -maybe I should try to eat more fish....

2. Jasmine Rice

When healthy sleepers ate carbohydrate-rich suppers of veggies and tomato sauce over rice, they fell asleep significantly faster at bedtime if the meal included high-glycemic-index (GI) jasmine rice rather than lower-GI long-grain rice, in a study published in the American journal of clinical nutrition This one is not so good for my Paleo style so I'll keep it as a maybe.

3. Tart Cherry Juice

In a small study, melatonin-rich tart cherry juice was shown to aid sleep. When adults with chronic insomnia drank a cup of tart cherry juice twice a day they experienced some relief in the severity of their insomnia. Mmm ok, this one seems a bit weak, and I'm not so keen on cherry juice...

4. Yogurt

Dairy products like yogurt and milk boast healthy doses of calcium—and there’s research that suggests being calcium deficient may make it difficult to fall asleep

5. Whole Grains

Bulgur, barley and other whole grains are rick in magnesium—and consuming too little magnesium may make it harder to stay asleep, reported theJournal of Orthomolecular Medicine

6. Kale

Green leafy vegetables, such as including kale and collards, also boast healthy doses of calcium. 

7. Bananas

Bananas, well-known for being rich in potassium, are also a good source of vitamin B6.

8. Chickpeas

Another good source of vitamin B6 (I adore hummus so eating more chick peas should be easy!)
You can google this subject with all manner of results but vitamin B6 does seem to keep popping up, so I will also be sure not to forget to take my multivits which i admittedly often do.
So I shall update you on any progress and hope maybe a few of these ideas might be useful!
XXX

2 comments:

  1. Also, you can try drinking Sleepy Time (sorry if I sound like a spammer). It always gets me mid-cup.

    And I've recently tried this tea which I think you can order online

    http://www.nativeamericantea.com/cgi-bin/shopper.exe?key=TEAS155&preadd=action

    And I now see they have another one called Teepee Dreams but I haven't tried it.

    Hope this helps. :)

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    1. Thanks for the ideas!I have heard of sleepy time tea- I will definately give that a go :) xx

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