We all know that a good sleep is vital for our health. When we sleep, it seems like our body is quiet and still, but actually, it is a very busy, active and crucial time for our body

When we sleep, we:

• Replace our supply of hormones

• Process toxins

• Repair tissue

• Generate vital white blood cells

• Eliminate stress charges

• Process heavy emotions

And unfortunately, a big percentage of our society suffers from sleep disorders, such as difficulties with falling asleep, midnight insomnia, technology addiction, etc.

The good news is that there is a lot of remedies and techniques you can implement to improve your sleep hygiene!

When one of my patients shares that they are struggling with sleeping patterns, it is the first thing I take on board and try to help them fix, since its one of the most important factors for their health and lifestyle.

With a proper amount of rest, you will feel more at ease, less anxious and your body will crave healthier food. You will feel more motivated to make better decisions and it will just become a virtuous circle of good stuff in your life!

We fall asleep each night thanks to a gland called pineal gland. It is responsible for secreting melatonin and counteracting cortisol, which balances the circadian rhythm.

The key here is to have a good balance in the circadian rhythm. We do this by making sure we slow down our activities as the sun goes down, and then wake up and start our activities when the sun rises. Ideally, our cortisol levels are already at their minimum by the time we start releasing melatonin before going to bed. 

Many people suffer from a broken balance in their circadian rhythm or in their hormonal chemistry, which causes insomnia and trouble sleeping. This is why I prepared 7 tips to help you go to sleep!

1. Stop using blue light 2 hours before bed

   any screens, TV, cell phone, computers, etc.

2. Stop working 2 hours before going to sleep

   It is important to make your body understand that it’s time to relax and prepare for sleep, as this helps to secrete melatonin and lower cortisol levels (stress hormone).

3. Have a cup of calming tea

   Chamomile, valerian, passionflower lavender are great to help our body and mind relax

4. Stop drinking caffeine/theine after 1 pm

5. Try to have a light dinner and 3 hours before bed

   Digestion is an important and tough job for our body. It needs energy, time and attention to be able to do it optimally. If we fall asleep right after dinner, our body concentrates all its energy on digestion and not on secreting melatonin, which is why it can cause us nightmares, insomnia, etc.

6. Try to sleep in a completely dark room

   As I mentioned before, the circadian rhythm is key to good sleep hygiene, by having some light in the room our melatonin will not be optimal since we can secrete cortisol causing us to be awake.

7. Eat foods rich in magnesium

   Magnesium has more than 300 functions in the body, including relaxing the muscles. Eating foods rich in magnesium will help you sleep soundly through the night. Foods such as spinach, chard, almonds, quinoa, chocolate, etc.

Without a restful sleep,

healing is almost impossible.

Another important factor is that it is much more difficult to improve our habits if we’re constantly tired and unmotivated without sleep. 

If we wake up tired, it means that our cortisol is higher than normal, which generates anxiety and that we make bad decisions not only in our diet, but also in the work, physical and emotional part of our lives. 

Hopefully this helps you improve your life!

Sweet dreams!

Ana

SPANISH VERSION BELOW

Todos sabemos que una buena calidad de sueño es vital para sanar y estar sanos. Cuando dormimos a lo lejos parece que el cuerpo está quieto y callado sin embargo es un momento donde el cuerpo está muy ocupado.

Durante la noche:

• Reponemos nuestro suministro de hormonas

• Procesamos toxinas, reparamos tejidos

• Generamos glóbulos blancos vitales para nuestra inmunidad

• Eliminamos cargas de estrés y procesamos emociones pesadas

Desafortunadamente padecemos de una epidemia de trastornos del sueño desde problemas para empezar a dormir hasta insomnio a mitad de la noche. 

La buena noticia es que hay muchos remedios que se pueden implementar para mejorar el sueño.

Cada vez que tengo pacientes que me platican que no duermen bien, es lo primero que intento abordar ya que es vital para que sanen, logren sus objetivos.

Al descansar, te vas a sentir más en paz, menos ansioso y tu cuerpo va a pedir alimentos saludables, va a estar más motivado a tomar buenas decisiones y es un círculo virtuoso muy padre!