2023-06-02 09:32:36
Dear friend, dear friend,
As you probably know, sleep is a key element of health.(1).
If you get a safe, deep sleep each night, you allow your body to fully recharge and regenerate(2).
Conversely, lack of sleep, or interrupted or poor quality sleep, affects your concentration and your mood.(3).
For workers, a bad night is a disaster. She announces a much more difficult day at work(4).
Lack of sleep affects your will, your speed, your reflexes, your cognitive abilities, etc.(3,4).
It also increases the risk of metabolic diseases like obesity and type II diabetes.(5).
Finally, poor sleep poses risks to the heart and can cause depression.(6).
You will tell me that unfortunately, we are not all equal when it comes to sleep and that we do not choose this situation.(7).
This is unfortunately correct(7).
However, the choices you make throughout the day can affect your sleep.
The 3 main principles to help you fall asleep
In general, to sleep well you must:
- Help your body wake up well in the morning(8);
- Consume the right amount of energy during the day so that the fatigue load is sufficient(9) ;
- Preparing your body for sleep and reduced activity(8).
These three principles are all the more effective if you manage to keep the same schedule every day, even on weekends.(9).
A bright alarm clock
Concretely, this means that, in the morning, it is in your best interest to expose yourself to light both in winter and in summer.(8).
The ideal is to start your day by exposing yourself to the sun or to the light if the solar star is hidden behind the clouds.
Even when the weather is overcast, some of the sun’s rays pass through the clouds.
This is how solar panels can continue to operate even when the sky is gray(10) !
For your body, this is also true.
A good morning walk gets your body moving and wakes you up fully.
In winter, when the night is still present when you get up, you can use a light therapy lamp(11).
A 5-10 minute session in the morning should be enough to wake you up fully.
Also during the winter, you can complete this session by consuming a few drops of vitamin D.
The latter is produced by the body in contact with sunlight. In winter, you lack it so much that it is useful to take a supplement.
It also has a positive effect on sleep(12).
To accompany your bright awakening, you can also start your day with a breakfast rich in protein and vegetables.
It would be for example a nice plate of green beans associated with a light omelet.
The objective is not to have a hearty breakfast but capable of providing you with structuring elements for the day as well as fibers which will facilitate your digestion in the morning.(13).
In addition, it prevents you from starting with too many fast sugars which create fatigue during the day and do not help you sleep at night.(13).
Indeed, white bread, jam and orange juice, for example, raise your blood sugar very quickly.
Your blood sugar level is then at its highest. And your body starts producing insulin galore to regulate this excess of fast sugars(13).
A few hours later, he asks you for sugar once more – lots of sugar! – to get you out of the state of lethargy in which you will have been plunged: it’s the 11 a.m.(13).
With a breakfast rich in protein and fiber, this bamboo hit does not occur.
A day full of varied weather
To sleep well, you must have used the talents and abilities that nature has given you.
Your body needs to move and your mind needs food.
Do not hesitate to punctuate your day with physical exercises such as gardening or walking if your schedule allows it.(14).
If this is not the case, if you have to work all day and attend many meetings, each more tedious than the next, allow yourself some walking time between your appointments.
Take the stairs for example rather than the escalator in the subway or the elevator in buildings.
If you take the bus, you can get off one stop earlier and finish on foot. It’s very simple but you still have to think regarding it!
Similarly, if you have the opportunity during your day to engage in an active intellectual activity such as reading or an artistic activity such as pottery, this would have an effect on your sleep.
If you play sports, it is best to do so at least two or three hours before your sleep.
Indeed, the sport increases the temperature of your body.
And to sleep, you need it to drop. This is also true for your children or grandchildren if you have to take care of them!
Finally, throughout the day, your body will be delighted to take advantage of the recovery and rest times that you will offer it.
This can go through times of chanting, meditation or breathing exercises.
This too might help you get a good night’s sleep(15).
The idea is to have an active day with intense moments and quieter ones without exhausting yourself either, which can be counterproductive for sleep.(15).
A good night is brewing…
It is 6 p.m. in winter or 7 p.m. in summer. Your day has gone well so far. You have done many things. Some were for you, some were for others.
You put your body in motion, you used your neurons. You have tinkered or gardened, cleaned, walked, worked, read, breathed, dreamed, etc.
It’s time to start preparing for the night ahead.
It starts with a rather light evening dinner that you can take several hours before falling asleep(13).
Indeed, nothing is worse for falling asleep than a working digestive tract.
You must fall asleep when the first hours of digestion have already taken place(13).
To this end, do not forget that alcohol and in particular white wine and beer make the digestive system work a lot.
You will benefit from consuming it only during the meal and in a very moderate way. To choose, red wine is better for your health thanks to its tannins(16).
Therapists often recommend no more than one drink per meal per person(13,16)…
In addition, you can accustom your eyes to a decrease in brightness by removing the number of lamps lit or choosing those with lower intensity.
In the same way, avoid as far as possible, exposing your eyes to the light of screens before going to bed.
The last hour of the day deserves to be devoted to reading, a quiet discussion, a massage, music time or quiet time whatever activity you associate with this notion.
Finally, make sure that the temperature of your room is around 18 degrees. This helps your body temperature drop, which is what it needs to surrender to sleep.
And here are 3 foods that might help you sleep…
The almonds are rich in melatonin, a hormone that helps you find and regulate your sleep(17).
They also contain a lot of magnesium and calcium which help your body function and help lower your stress and anxiety levels.(17).
Chamomile herbal tea will help you sleep if consumed early enough. The idea is not to get up at night to go to the bathroom(17) !
However, you can take it during the meal.
In Europe, hot drinks are not always consumed with meals.
On the other hand, this habit is very present in China.
And this is a good thing because hot or lukewarm drinks tire the body less because their temperature is closer to body temperature.
Chamomile is known for its soothing properties. It calms the anguish and anxiety which, in some people, occur especially in the evening.
Similarly, herbal teas passionflower or valerian are helpful in helping you get to sleep.
Finally, the kiwis have a positive effect on sleep. They are rich in vitamins C and E and potassium(18).
They are antioxidant fruits par excellence.
They are good for your immunity. They also contain fiber which makes them friendly to your digestive tract.
A 2011 study on the sleep of kiwifruit consumers showed that those who took two a day in the evening were able to fall asleep more easily than those who did not.(18) !
If you go to consult this study you will tell me that it only concerned 24 people which is very little and does not seem significant.
It’s possible.
Nevertheless, the kiwi remains one of the best fruits that exist for your immunity and your metabolism.
It clearly improves the health of those who take it regularly, if in addition it can have a positive effect on sleep, why deprive yourself of it?
Naturally yours,
Augustine of Livois
1685809204
#Institute #Protection #Natural #Health
