Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

Sleeping postures and pillows

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We spend approximately one third of our lives sleeping.  Sleep allows our body to restore itself for the day both energy wise and physically. 

Common sleeping positions often lead to poor sleeping posture, neck and back pain when sleeping, pressure on the different joints of the body, and injuries due to sleeping.  With respect to our sleeping position we should either sleep on our sides (with a pillow between knees) or back (a pillow under knees) and never on our stomach.  Sleeping on the stomach reverses your spinal curves and places a lot of force on the joints of the body. 

Are you sleeping properly? If you are not you can injure yourself and interfere with your body’s recuperation time.

We should never sleep with our arms up above chest height, with our hands under our pillow, or with our legs rotated forward and bent too high.  Your body should be in a straight alignment.

Your pillow should be replaced every 1 – 2 years unless you sleep with a water pillow and these last normally 5 years. The pillow should be at a height so that when you lie on your side your neck and head are straight and not bent down or up.  If you are wondering about your pillow please bring it in and Dr. Barbara Rodwin can check the height and age of it for you.  We have pillows to loan out, ask the front desk about borrowing one if you would like to.

Sleeping Tips:

You should try to go to sleep at the same time each night.  The room you sleep in should be as dark as you can make it.  Do not sleep with your cell phone under your pillow as studies have indicated that the cell phone emits harmful radiation that can damage your brain and lead to brain cancer or tumors.

If you have problems falling asleep or you wake up in the middle of the night you can take natural supplements to aid in getting a good night’s sleep.  These can include: melatonin, 5-HTP, taurine, magnesium, Phosphatidlyserine, and several other ones. 

If you have problems sleeping email Dr. Rodwin and she can make suggestions to ensure you obtain a good night’s sleep!

Mattresses

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Mattresses last for 10 to 12 years.  If yours is older than this, it is time to replace it. A mattress is important to getting a good night’s sleep and allows our body to feel good!  There are so many types in this day and age to choose from. You should ensure you do your research before going out to look for one and understand the warranty and exchange policy the company offers for the one you purchase.

There are basically three comfort preferences: soft (Pillow Top), plush and firm. There are also varying forms of the Pillow Top. Learn about the support system- foam or innerspring.  A good support system provides good support whether your mattress is a pillow top, plush or firm. Never put a new mattress on an old foundation. You can also look at purchasing a latex or memory foam mattress. Mattress buying is the most important decision you will make in furnishing your home, since you and your loved ones will spend close to one-third of your lives sleeping on your mattresses. For a mattress that costs $1,000, you spend approximately three cents a day. Aim to buy the best mattress you can for the money.

For more information on mattresses please ask Dr. Barbara Rodwin.

The Top 11 Causes of Low Energy 1.   Low Iron 2.   Thyroid Dysfunction 3.   Vitamin B12 Deficiency 4.   Insufficient Magnesium 5.   Stressed Adrenals 6.   Food Sensitivities 7.   Missing Essential Fats 8.   Low Coenzyme Q10 9.   Chronic Bowel Issues 10. Dwindling Sex Hormones 11.  Not getting a good night’s sleep

Are you tired of feeling tired? If you are find out how to increase your energy! Ask Dr. Barbara Rodwin.

Sleep & Tips for Better Sleep

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People spend much of their lives asleep. Each of us spends about one-third of our life asleep. By the time you’re 75, you will have spent 25 years sleeping! Suppressing sleep for an extended period has dramatic effects on an organism’s physiological equilibrium. Sleep is vital to survival, and it helps the nervous system function properly. Studies reveal that when animals and people fail to get enough sleep, concentration, coordination, memory, and mood suffer. Additionally, sleep issues often affect people with psychiatric and neurological disorders. Recent studies are revealing how brain cells and chemicals work together to regulate sleep and the changes that take place in the brain when a person is sleep-deprived. 

Using advanced molecular, cellular, and brain imaging technologies, researchers are exploring the activity of different brain regions during sleep, and how certain events and disorders alter sleep states. This information could lead to new treatments for sleep disorders — which affect millions worldwide — and deeper understanding of the relationship between sleep and various diseases.

Sleep aids in: healing our bodies, helps our immune system, aids in balancing hormones, the sleeping brain has been shown to remove metabolic waste products at a faster rate than during an awake state,  and it is theorized that sleep helps facilitate the synthesis of molecules that help repair and protect the brain from these harmful elements generated during waking.

Two tips for a better nights sleep:
• Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that regulates sleepiness. It is made in the brain, where tryptophan is converted into serotonin and then into melatonin, which is released at night by the pineal gland to induce and maintain sleep. 
• Results indicated that the diets high in protein resulted in fewer wakeful episodes during night-time sleep. The high carbohydrate diet was linked to much shorter periods of restful sleep.

Melatonin for sleep and foods rich in this

Melatonin for sleep and foods rich in this

Melatonin is a hormone produced in the body by the pineal gland and also produced in the gastrointestinal tract. This hormone plays a key role in synchronizing circadian rhythms and helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle in mammals. In addition to this function, melatonin is a potent antioxidant that protects the body from free-radical damage. Synthetic melatonin has gained popularity in recent times as a nutritional supplement, melatonin can be found in a variety of foods. As we age melatonin production decreases and the amount of light affects melatonin production.

Melatonin acts as an antioxidant by directly scavenging damaging agents that promote inflammation and aging and can cause conditions including cancer and cardiovascular and neurological problems. Although more research is needed, there is consensus about the potency of the compound in this respect: Regardless of a specific, curative effect, melatonin consumed through food can provide healthy levels of antioxidants.

Melatonin from a food source is typically used for its health benefits and not as a sleep aid. This is primarily due to the quantity, spread and time at which melatonin is consumed through food. If melatonin use is primarily for regulating sleep patterns or to alleviate the symptoms of jet-lag, then an over-the-counter supplement may be a better choice. Always consult your doctor of chiropractic or naturopath before using supplements, because they could interact with other medicines.

If you suffer from occasional insomnia or if it’s a nightly battle for you, you’ve likely looked at all of the natural solutions currently out there. You may have even tried some melatonin supplements, and if you’re like many individuals, had some disappointing results. If you have you may need to combine the melatonin with other natural supplements used to make the serotonin so you can sleep! If this is the case please ask what would be best for you.

Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland. Not only does it control your circadian (sleeping and waking) cycles, but it is responsible for regulating other hormones as well. It plays a role in regulating female reproductive hormones including menstruation and menopause.

While young people have the highest melatonin levels, production of this hormone wanes as we age. Some scientists believe this is why older adults struggle more with sleeping for the recommended amount of hours or even why they may go to bed earlier and wake up before the sun.

Have you tried boosting Melatonin Production Naturally? Read on…
Several factors can throw off the body’s natural melatonin production. These include a time change, jet lag, shift work, and even poor vision. And, as stated, it generally decreases in production as we age.

There are several foods, however, that can naturally increase melatonin production:
Oats, sweet corn and rice are the best foods to eat for melatonin. Pineapples, Bananas, Tart cherries, Oranges, Tomatoes, Barley, Olive oil, wine, beer, grape skins, walnuts.

While some of these foods only contain a small amount of melatonin, by incorporating them in wide varieties into your daily diet, you can try to obtain more melatonin to make up for the amount that your body lacks. 

Foods not high in melatonin but aid in sleep patterns: 
Almonds (as high in magnesium which is needed to produce melatonin), Cheese and crackers (tryptophan found in the dairy which aids in producing melatonin), lettuce (contains lactucarium which has sedative properties), fish such as tuna, halibut, and salmon are high in vitamin B6, which your body needs to make melatonin and serotonin: other foods high in B6 are raw garlic and pistachio nuts, chamomile tea (increase in glycine which relaxes nerves and muscles and acts like a mild sedative), Passion fruit tea (alkaloids are found in high levels in the flower and they act on our nervous system to make us feel tired), honey (slightly raises insulin and allows tryptophan to enter the brain more easily, kale (loaded with calcium, which helps the brain use tryptophan to manufacture melatonin), shrimp, lobster and hummus (good sources of tryptophan).