2 minute read
Sleep and Your Health
www.BlackhawkLivingCA.com
@BlackhawkLivingCA
By Judi Magee, Resident since 2014
How do you know if you are getting enough sleep?
Recommendations for sleep, according to The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (SRS) are as follows:
• Adults should sleep 7 or more hours per night on a regular basis to promote optimal health.
• Sleeping less than 7 hours per night on a regular basis is associated with adverse health outcomes, including weight gain and obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke, depression, and increased risk of death. Sleeping less than 7 hours per night is also associated with impaired immune function, increased pain, impaired performance, increased errors, and greater risk of accidents.
• Sleeping more than 9 hours per night on a regular basis may be appropriate for young adults, individuals recovering from sleep debt, and individuals with illnesses. For others, it is uncertain whether sleeping more than 9 hours per night is associated with health risk.
• People concerned they are sleeping too little or too much should consult their healthcare provider.
What are some strategies to improve sleep?
Let’s start with the basics:
• Stick to a sleep schedule, same bedtime and wakeup, yes, this includes weekends
• If you have trouble sleeping, avoid naps, especially in the afternoon
• Exercise daily
• Practice a relaxing bedtime ritual and sleep environment that does not include TV or electronics
• Comfortable mattress and pillow
• Cool temperature at night (between 60 and 67 degrees)
• Dark, quiet, room
• Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and heavy meals in the evening
What else is there to try?
Keep a Sleep Diary or Use a Sleep Tracker. Become more aware of your sleep patterns. Keep a diary of your sleep habits or use a sleep-tracking app.
Essential Oils. You can diffuse, spray, roll-on or add to your bath. Essential oils can calm your mind and trigger your senses that it’s time for sleep. Here are a few favorites that promote calming:
• Lavender – Relaxes and eases the mind
• Roman Chamomile – Supports a relaxed and comforted body
• Valerian – Promotes deep relaxation
• Marjoram – Grounding and lulls the mind and body into a calmer state.
Yoga. A national survey conducted by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Organization found that over 55% of people who did yoga before bedtime, found that it helped them get better sleep. Over 85% said yoga helped reduce stress.
Weighted Blankets. If you haven’t heard about weighted blankets they are blankets, which are usually filled with plastic pellets to add weight, ranging from about 4 to 25 pounds. Most experts advise choosing one that’s roughly 10 percent of your body weight — so if you’re 150 pounds, you should buy a 15-pound blanket.
Benefits reported include having a calmer night’s sleep, with a decrease in movements with a more comfortable, better quality, and more secure sleep.
Mindfulness and Meditation. There is a lot of information and apps that you can download to use to incorporate a mindfulness and meditation daily practice and also offer guided meditations specifically for sleep. One clinical study, (Black, O’Reilly & Olmstead, 2015), indicated that structured mindfulness meditation training is usefulness to remediate moderate sleep problems and sleep-related daytime impairment in older adults.
• What stands out for you?
• What is currently working in your nighttime routine?
• What changes will you make to improve your sleep and overall health?
• What is your first step?
References Black, David S., O’Reilly, Gillian, Olmstead, Richard,, et al. Mindfulness Meditation and Improvement in Sleep Quality and Daytime Impairment Among Older Adults With Sleep Disturbances (2015). Retrieved from https://jamanetwork.com/journals/ jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2110998?hc_location=ufi
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Organization, (2002, 2007, and 2012). Retrieved from https:// nccih.nih.gov/research/statistics/NHIS/2012/wellness?nav=chat
Judi Magee National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach with a Masters in Health and Wellness Coaching from Maryland University of Integrative Health.
