Restful Sleep
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Restful Sleep
Deep, restful sleep each night is crucial for good health, healing, and a long life. During sleep, our body mends and repairs itself. Circadian rhythms (associated with the sun’s 24-hour cycle) guide our physiological processes to achieve homeostasis. Peter J. D’Adamo, N.D. describes how every cell and organ has its own circadian clock that is connected to the master clock in the brain’s hypothalamus called the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Further, Dr. D’Adamo reveals that “Each unique cycle influences an aspect of the body’s function, including body temperature, hormone levels, heart rate, blood pressure–even pain threshold” (D’Adamo, 2001, p. 180). Getting a sufficient amount of sleep is important to support these functions in the body.
Dr. James DiNicolantonio and Siim Land, in their book, The Immunity Fix: Strengthen Your Immune System, Fight Off Infections, Reverse Chronic Disease and Live a Healthier Life, state that when we sleep, our body improves T-cell function and eliminates intracellular pathogens. The authors instruct that “Sleeping is important for the adaptive immune system, which works like an immunological memory, helping the body remember how to respond effectively to infectious agents and how to fight them” (DiNicolantonio & Land, 202, p. 292).
When we are stressed, our cortisol levels rise, diminishing the effectiveness of our immune system. For those who have cortisol levels that are too high, Dr. D’Adamo recommends eating foods with methylcobalamin (vitamin B12) to improve the quality of our sleep and make us feel more refreshed upon waking (D’Adam, 2001, p. 179). Organ meat, seafood, eggs, and cheese are good sources of methylcobalamin. Ellen Tart-Jensen says worrying can rob us of sleep. She suggests that writing down all our troubles and making a list of what we want to accomplish the next day will let our subconscious know the issues will be taken care of so we can fall asleep more easily (Ellen Tart-Jensen, 2006, 133).
Here are some ways to make your bedroom sleep-friendly:
William H. Bates, M.D, offers an excellent tip for relaxing and enabling us to sleep better. In his book, The Bates Method for Better Eyesight Without Glasses, he recommends we let our eyes rest by excluding all light. Dr. Bates had his patients close both their eyes and cover them with the palms of both hands, fingers crossed on the forehead. Notably, “palming” was one of Dr. Bates’s main techniques for teaching people to improve their eyesight naturally (Bates, 1981, p. 194). Another way to achieve complete darkness and allow your eyes to rest without the stimulation of light is with a padded eye mask (e.g., Bucky's Eye Masks).
Deep, restful sleep each night is crucial for good health, healing, and a long life. During sleep, our body mends and repairs itself. Circadian rhythms (associated with the sun’s 24-hour cycle) guide our physiological processes to achieve homeostasis. Peter J. D’Adamo, N.D. describes how every cell and organ has its own circadian clock that is connected to the master clock in the brain’s hypothalamus called the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Further, Dr. D’Adamo reveals that “Each unique cycle influences an aspect of the body’s function, including body temperature, hormone levels, heart rate, blood pressure–even pain threshold” (D’Adamo, 2001, p. 180). Getting a sufficient amount of sleep is important to support these functions in the body.
Dr. James DiNicolantonio and Siim Land, in their book, The Immunity Fix: Strengthen Your Immune System, Fight Off Infections, Reverse Chronic Disease and Live a Healthier Life, state that when we sleep, our body improves T-cell function and eliminates intracellular pathogens. The authors instruct that “Sleeping is important for the adaptive immune system, which works like an immunological memory, helping the body remember how to respond effectively to infectious agents and how to fight them” (DiNicolantonio & Land, 202, p. 292).
When we are stressed, our cortisol levels rise, diminishing the effectiveness of our immune system. For those who have cortisol levels that are too high, Dr. D’Adamo recommends eating foods with methylcobalamin (vitamin B12) to improve the quality of our sleep and make us feel more refreshed upon waking (D’Adam, 2001, p. 179). Organ meat, seafood, eggs, and cheese are good sources of methylcobalamin. Ellen Tart-Jensen says worrying can rob us of sleep. She suggests that writing down all our troubles and making a list of what we want to accomplish the next day will let our subconscious know the issues will be taken care of so we can fall asleep more easily (Ellen Tart-Jensen, 2006, 133).
Here are some ways to make your bedroom sleep-friendly:
- Wake up and go to sleep around the same time
- Consume foods with natural sodium (e.g., celery, sea salt) and magnesium (e.g., almonds, pumpkin seeds) which support our nervous system
- Consume foods with the amino acid L-tryptophan (e.g., turkey, fish, nuts)
- Discontinue caffeine (e.g., green tea or chocolate) early in the day
- Exercise once your nervous system has warmed up, and finish a few hours before sleep
- Spend time in nature (e.g., walking barefoot in an organic garden or forest)
- Take a warm bath (with essential oils, Epson or ancient sea salt), listen to music, have a cup of chamomile tea (Tart-Jensen, 2006, p.132).
- Watch the soothing colors of the sunset
- As you wind down from the day, be sure to avoid artificial blue light (e.g., TV, computer screens) (Dinicolantonio & Land, 2020, p. 299)
- Bring fresh air in through open windows, ventilation, or green plants (providing oxygen)
- Sleep in a quiet, cool room, without technology (only a battery-run alarm clock)
William H. Bates, M.D, offers an excellent tip for relaxing and enabling us to sleep better. In his book, The Bates Method for Better Eyesight Without Glasses, he recommends we let our eyes rest by excluding all light. Dr. Bates had his patients close both their eyes and cover them with the palms of both hands, fingers crossed on the forehead. Notably, “palming” was one of Dr. Bates’s main techniques for teaching people to improve their eyesight naturally (Bates, 1981, p. 194). Another way to achieve complete darkness and allow your eyes to rest without the stimulation of light is with a padded eye mask (e.g., Bucky's Eye Masks).
References
Bates, W.H. (1981). The Bates Method for Better Eyesight Without Glasses. New York NY: Henry Holt and Co.
D’Adamo, P.J. (2001). Live Right For Your Type. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
DiNicolantonio, J., Land, S. (2020). The Immunity Fix: Strengthen Your Immune System, Fight Off Infections, Reverse Chronic Disease and Live a Healthier Life. Monee, IL: http://drjamesdinic.com.
Tart-Jensen, E. (2006). Health Is Your Birthright. Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts.
Bates, W.H. (1981). The Bates Method for Better Eyesight Without Glasses. New York NY: Henry Holt and Co.
D’Adamo, P.J. (2001). Live Right For Your Type. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
DiNicolantonio, J., Land, S. (2020). The Immunity Fix: Strengthen Your Immune System, Fight Off Infections, Reverse Chronic Disease and Live a Healthier Life. Monee, IL: http://drjamesdinic.com.
Tart-Jensen, E. (2006). Health Is Your Birthright. Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts.
Amy Wing, Holistic Health Educator,
Nature’s Hearth
Website: www.naturesheart.net
Email: ajw.habitat@gmail.com
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