WHAT IS IT?

Mounting data suggest that sleep ranks high in importance with nutrition, exercise and stress management as a cornerstone of health. Poor sleep has been linked to increased risk for infection, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer and depression. Forty million adults struggle with insomnia which includes difficulty falling asleep, discontinuous sleep, and/or non-restorative sleep. Since sleep involves a reduction, diversion and dissipation of energy, factors that interfere with sleep can be thought of as excessive energy or “noise.” Noise can occur in biological (body), psychological (mind), and environmental (bed) arenas. An integrative approach that addresses all three areas is key to good sleep health.

MANAGING MIND NOISE

• Limit exposure to stressful imagery from books, TV and the Internet in the evening.
• Remember that healthy sleep includes healthy dreaming so don’t censor or limit your dreams.
• Try not to bring worry to bed with you—make your to-do lists before you go to sleep and then let it all go (it will be there for you tomorrow morning).

Explore and select a relaxation technique(s) for daily practice:

• The 4-7-8 Relaxing Breath
• Mindfulness meditation
• Gentle yoga/Yoga Nidra
• Self-hypnosis
• ___________________________

MANAGING BODY NOISE

• Obtain adequate regular exercise.
• Use alcohol and caffeine judiciously: less, earlier, with food and socially is best.
• Address any additional sleep concerns such as GERD, RLS/PLMS, snoring and apnea.
• Address other medical symptoms that impact sleep, e.g., pain, perimenopause, etc.
• Avoid sedative prescription and OTC sleeping aids.

Ask your doctor to help you to monitor and manage sleep side effects of medications you are using:

• Alcohol
• Antiarrhythmics
• Anticonvulsants
• Antihistamines
• Appetite suppressants
• Benzodiazepines
• Bronchodilators
• Caffeine
• Carbidopa/levodopa
• Corticosteroids
• Diuretics
• Decongestants
• Estrogen
• Lipophilic beta blockers
• Monoamine oxidase inhibitors
• Nicotine
• Pseudoephedrine
• SSRI’s
• Sedatives
• Statins
• Sympathomimetics
• Tetrahydrozoline
• Thyroid hormones
• Tricyclic antidepressants

MANAGING BED NOISE

• Create a sense of sanctuary by establishing the bedroom as a stress & work-free zone.
• Do whatever you need to feel perfectly psychologically safe in your bedroom.
• Maintain peace with your sleep partner, especially at night.
• Conceal ready access to clocks and never check the time while in bed.
• Use your bed and bedroom for sleep and sex only.

THE HEALTHY BEDROOM

• Keep your bedroom cool (68 degrees or less), dark and quiet during sleep.
• Reduce common bedroom air pollution with HEPA filters and houseplants.
• Gradually replace conventional bedding with organic, natural alternatives.
• Be cognizant of outgassing from furnishings, floors, walls or carpeting.
• Keep electric clocks and other such devices away from your head and bed to minimize EMF (electromagnetic field) exposure.

SUPPLEMENTS

• Melatonin: 2–3mg is the most commonly used dose taken 10–20 minutes before bed, preferably sublingual & sustained release
• Valerian: 400–900 mg standardized extract of 0.8% valerenic acid; or as a tea of 2–3 grams of dried root steeped for 10–15 minutes; take 30–120 minutes before bed for 2–4 weeks to determine effectiveness
• Hops: 300–600 mg in either capsule or tincture form, taken 30–60 minutes before bed
• Daily Multivitamin to ensure adequate B vitamins Make sure to ask your health care provider exactly how and when you should take this product.

PROMOTING HEALTHY DREAMING

• Arise slowly in the morning to improve your dream recall.
• Journal and/or talk about dreams with loved ones, friends or health professionals.