FOUR GAME CHANGERS FOR SLEEP

Younger people who work or study hard find it easy to sleep at night. But after retirement, seniors often complain about falling and staying asleep. Consequently, they’re groggy during the day. It’s a vicious circle that never seems to end. We get all kinds of advice from well meaning family and friends. As an example,” don’t drink water before you go to bed”. But if you have allergies or a dry mouth, you will probably keep a water bottle on your bed stand. Doctors often prescribe sleeping pills, but they can be addictive and if you’re like me, you don’t care for the side effects of drugs like Ambien and Lunesta. And Melatonin actually keeps me awake. Lately, I’ve been investigating alternative strategies, and have discovered four game changers for better sleep. They may not work for you, but you might want to give them a try.

Bamboo sheets have two advantages: A) They’re hypoallergenic and keep you cool. They are naturally thermal regulating and don’t retain moisture. Instead, the bamboo moves heat away while you sleep – keeping you at the ideal temperature all night. It is also very lightweight and breathable so it feels easy on your skin even on hot nights. B) They’re hypoallergenic and anti microbial. For those of us who have skin allergies (psoriasis, eczema), skin asthma, or sensitive skin, we may experience itching and irritation that becomes worse at night. However, bamboo beddings are free from allergens, dust mites, odors, and bacteria so it reduces your allergies and it’s gentle on sensitive skin.

When I switched to bamboo sheets, I noticed an immediate difference. No more coughing and sneezing at night.. My skin stayed dry and cool. I felt more rested, because I wasn’t waking up so often. . And yet, I was still having trouble falling asleep. That’s when I started discovered weighted blankets.

Weighted blankets. According to the sleep foundation “ Many people find that adding a weighted blanket to their sleep routine helps to reduce stress and promote calm. In the same way as a hug or a baby’s swaddle, the gentle pressure of a weighted blanket may help ease symptoms and improve sleep for people with insomnia, anxiety, or autism. “
FOUR GAME CHANGERS FOR SLEEP. Try bamboo sheets and weighted blankets.

When ordering a weighted blanket , I saw that the manufacturer cautioned it might take a week or so to become accustomed to it. That proved to be true for me, as it really was a radical change. However, after a few days, I was sleeping more deeply and waking up later in the morning. It’s a mystery to me why they work, but I’m sold on weighted blankets.

3. Darken the bedroom. .Now that you’ve settled into your new bedding, be sure that you’ve blocked out any light in the room, . Cover digital clocks, bright buttons on television and computers. It’s been proven that our eyes are sensitive to this type of lighting, which may keep you awake.. If outside light peeps through your window shades, you may benefit from wearing a sleep mask.

4. Drink beet juice. Beets aren’t a very popular vegetable, but you might try acquiring a taste for beet juice. Recent studies showed that when COPD patients drank concentrated beetroot juice at bedtime, their overnight sleep quality improved and the duration of deep sleep episodes was increased. This is due to the nitrates in beets, which increase oxygen consumption.

These four game changes have helped me sleep better. . They may or not not work for you, but why not give them a try?

Here’s wishing you sweet dreams.

November 30, 2020November 30, 2020

A TASTE OF HONEY HELPS YOU SLEEP

Doctors have coined a new phrase called Covid-Somnia. Many folks aren’t sleeping as well as they did before the pandemic. They have a hard time falling to sleep, and they’re waking up more in the middle of the night. Worries keep them awake. Will I get the virus? When will the lockdown end? What will I do when the money runs out? And now, election 2020 has added to the anxiety. Was the election stolen? Will my vote mean anything in the future? Consequently, there’s an increased demand for sleeping pills, but they really don’t help long term. You might try some alternative remedies. As an example, it’s been found that a taste of honey helps you sleep.

According to doctors, Here’s how honey helps you sleep:

1. It provides fuel for your brain throughout the night by restocking your liver’s glycogen. Low levels of glycogen tell your brain that you need to eat . This “hunger” can cause you to wake up in the middle of the night and sleep less soundly.

2. Honey helps your brain release melatonin, the hormone that your body uses to restore itself during sleep. This happens through a series of transformations in your brain: honey’s sugars spike your insulin levels, releasing tryptophan, which becomes serotonin, which becomes melatonin.

A tasste of honey helps you sleep because it has serotonin — A taste of honey helps you sleep. It feeds your brain with relaxing serotonin.

Yes, honey increases the brain’s natural sedative, serotonin– a hormone that stabilizes our mood, feelings of well being, and happiness. Honey is inexpensive, compared to sleeping pills. It’s not habit forming, and it doesn’t lead to a typical “drug hangover,” that leaves you feeling sluggish. However , honey has calories—about 20 per teaspoon. So you don’t want to go overboard.

Honey has been a game changer for me. I started by by taking one teaspoon of honey in my afternoon tea. Then , right before bedtime, another teaspoon. After a couple of nights, I realized I was sleeping later in the morning than usual. And if I did wake in the middle of the night, I could easily get back to sleep.

Honey can also help you sleep if you have a cough. The Mayo Clinic says it works just as well as a cough suppressant.

Why not try a taste of honey? It may help you sleep.

October 10, 2020October 10, 2020

REFRIED BEANS CAN HELP YOU SLEEP

Are you suffering from pandemic stress and fatigue? Seven months of social isolation due to Covid 19, combined with worries about the 2020 election is bad enough. But many are exhausted with juggling home schooling and trying to work at home. That’s if you’re lucky enough to have a job—which many don’t. No wonder It’s difficult to get enough uninterrupted sleep But did you know that certain foods like refried beans can help you sleep?

I’d forgotten about tryptophan until last night, when we picked up some Mexican food. That’s one good thing about the pandemic. Since we don’t care to take a chance eating in restaurants, we’re trying out a lot of carry out from new places. Gotta add some variety to our life, right? The day before had been stressful, with little things going wrong,. Then, there was the disturbing vice presidential debate with Harris smirking and grimacing, and Pence’s red eye, and a fly crawling on his head. Not conducive to a good night’s sleep.

We stumbled around in a fog the next day, and used what little energy we could muster to pick up some tacos and refried beans. I was afraid the spicy food might keep us awake, However, both of us slept like logs, and woke up feeling rested.

Refried Beans are a good source of the amino acid tryptophan, which can help you sleeep. — Refried beans can help you sleep because they are a good source of the amino acid, tryptophan

Black and pinto beans in Mexican dishes can help with insomnia. Why? because they contain an amino acid called tryptophan which gets converted into the hormone melatonin, which makes you sleepy.

Several other foods are a good source of tryptophan. Ever wonder why you’re so sleepy after a big Thanksgiving feast? It could be due to that big serving of roasted turkey.

Some people try to get their tryptophan the easy way—by taking pills. Not a good idea. Side affects may include nausea, loss of appetite, dizziness, headache, dry mouth and drowsiness. Other potential side effects of this supplement include diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, indigestion and gas.

Anyway, It’s a lot more fun eating Mexican food than taking pills And–best of all–refried beans can help you sleep.