Sleeplessness

Consider the following scenarios: You feel tired, you’ve had a busy day. You turn off the light, you lie down and boom, the fatigue is gone, your mind is racing, and you cannot get to sleep. Alternatively, you fall asleep easily at 10pm only to find yourself wide awake at 2am, counting sheep and trying desperately to get back to sleep. You look at the clock, it is 3am, 4am… finally an hour before your alarm goes off, you fall asleep again. These problems afflict may of us as we experience an epidemic of poor sleep.

Can anything be done about it?

Sadly, there are no magic or instant solutions, but as in many areas of life, we can develop better sleeping habits and practices that can help to improve our sleep. Here are a few recommendations:

• Avoid caffeinated drinks and food after midday. Caffeine is a stimulant that can be very disruptive to sleep. Some people are much more sensitive to it than others. Some have to give it up completely.

• Avoid heavy, spicy meals in the evening. Make sure you are eating something that will sustain you through the night but will be easy to digest. Protein is important for sustained satiety, but large portions of protein tax the digestion and disrupt sleep, so keep the portions smallish (about the size of the palm of your hand). Carbs in the evening are calming and relaxing and help us sleep better. However, too many high carb foods can cause havoc, so limit yourself to one type of concentrated carb at a meal. If you suffer from SIBO or IBS, FODMAPs can disrupt digestion and make for a very restless night. Limit carb portions and get to know which carbs are easier for you to digest.

• Turn off screens an hour or two before bed. If you must use a computer or phone in the evening, try yellow or red lensed blue light blocking glasses.

• Do not listen to the news. Put on some soft music, read a book, or listen to a story.

• Use low wattage lamps or candlelight which does not disrupt our melatonin production after dark.

• Have a warm but not too hot shower or bath. Use calming essential oils like lavender to relax.

• Listen to your body, not everyone is the same. Find out what your chronotype is. Dr Michael Breus talks of 4 distinct chronotypes: the bear, the wolf, the lion and the dolphin loosely based on the sleeping habits of those animals. Some people do better going to bed earlier, others - later. Some need 8-9 hours, some do well with 6-7.

• Try supplementing with Melatonin. Dave Asprey - Bulletproof - makes a great supplement called Sleep Mode.

• Try restorative yoga practices: If you are lying awake for more than 20 minutes and cannot get to sleep or get back to sleep, it is best to get out of bed and put legs up the wall or put your legs up on the bed while you are lying on the carpet or mat on the floor. Make sure you are warm and snug. You can watch how to do this on Yoga with Adriene: https://youtu.be/_OQEIiZLY-0

• Most importantly, try not to stress if you wake up in the night. Use the wakeful time to do stuff, tell yourself it is not important. You will probably find that if you stress less about the loss of sleep, you will be able to sleep better. The more we worry about the negative effects of sleep loss, the less well we will sleep.

• Try the following breathing practices to help you relax and unwind.

Counting Your Breaths

We have all heard of counting sheep, but counting the breath creates a single focus for the mind and helps reduce unnecessary thinking. If you wake up and cannot sleep, try this practice in which you count backwards to invoke relaxation.

Lie comfortably on the floor, mat or bed and begin with an awareness of your abdomen, breathe into your abdomen. Count each breath starting at 7 (say the number on the inhale and exhale), 6,5,4,3,2,1.

Now become aware of your chest area. Breathe into the chest area and repeat - 7,6,5…

Finally, bring your attention to the throat area. Focus on the throat as you breathe in and out - 7,6,5…

If the mind wanders, just start counting again from 7-1

Nadi Sudi - alternate nostril breathing.

This practice helps create balance and brings you into a state of relaxation. Find a comfortable sitting position. Breathe normally in and out of the nose for two breaths. Put your thumb (if using the right hand) against your right nostril, breath in through the left while distending your abdomen, put your pointer finger on the left nostril, hold for 2 or more counts, release your thumb, and breathe out through the right nostril, breathe in through your right nostril, hold, release your left nostril and breathe out through it. This is one round. Continue in the same way for 5 rounds.

Bharamari Breath - humming breath.

This practice changes the state of brain waves to bring you into a rhythm of sleep. Find a comfortable seated position, close your eyes, breathe in and out through your nose. Relax your face and jaw, keeping lips gently closed and teeth separated. Gently press your pointer fingers on the cartilage of your ears just below your cheek bones, blocking out external sound. Keeping your ears blocked, take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale through your nose. On the exhale make a humming or buzzing sound. Try breathing in for 4 and out for 8 counts but start with what feels comfortable for you. After completing 5-6 rounds, or as many as you like, take a few moments to sit silently and breathe naturally.

Sleep tight!