Secrets To Solid Restful Sleep

How well did you sleep last night?

By Nancy Ruby

Secrets to Solid Restful Sleep

When was the last time you got a good night’s sleep? Enjoyed the evening hours as a time to wind down mindfully? Laid your head on the pillow as soon as you felt the first urge need to get horizontal? Winter is upon us and now, more than any other time of the year, sleep should be a priority. It’s integral to how you think, feel, focus, move, and live, yet it’s a major challenge for many. I had to learn the hard way. Yep, I was convinced that being a “night owl” was just who I was. Until l wasn’t. It took some time and effort to establish new habits that allowed my natural circadian rhythms to guide me home to my true rhythms. And I’ve been enjoying the sweetness of sound sleep ever since. How about you? I know from personal experience how frustrating it can be to toss and turn, trying everything under the sun (or moon?!) to get better sleep and STILL feel exhausted. You might even start to think something is wrong with you or that you’ll never get a good night’s rest again. Keep in mind that sleep troubles are common and not always your fault. Don’t make things harder by beating yourself up. That just breeds stress and you guessed it—more lost sleep. Resting isn’t just about sleep. Please remember that there’s more to rest than snoozing. Rest should happen during our waking hours too. What do I mean by that? Whether it’s meditation, breath work, mindful movement, or a stroll around the block to breathe in fresh air and reconnect with nature, implementing a simple practice that helps you rest your nervous system when you’re awake will do wonders for all your waking hours. Doing so will help boost productivity, mood, energy, focus and can even help set you up for better sleep at night. Why is sleep so important? Many major restorative functions occur while we sleep. For adults, the biggies are muscle growth, protein synthesis, and tissue and cell repair. For infants and children, hormone production and brain development are key (which is why they need so much more sleep than adults). Perhaps the most restorative function of sleep has to do with a neurotransmitter called adenosine. While you’re awake, your neurons fire and cells power you through the day. This process produces adenosine. It builds up all day long, leading to a decrease in dopamine—the neurotransmitter that keeps you alert and focused. So as adenosine goes up, dopamine goes down, resulting in that sleepy feeling you get at night. While you sleep, you clear adenosine from your body and start fresh in the morning feeling alert (study). The more sleep you get, the lower the level of adenosine and the more alert you’ll feel in the morning. Know this: If you’re cutting yourself short in the sleep department, you’re also cutting your overall well-being short. Inadequate sleep can increase your chances of developing

type 2 diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disorders and health challenges. It can also negatively impact your mental health, fueling problems with substance abuse, memory, stress response and more. How much sleep do you need? The number of hours you should sleep depends on your age, sex, lifestyle, current health and simply how you feel. So, it’s different for everyone, but usually between 7.5 - 8 hours does the job. When it comes to sleep timing, the most restorative window is typically between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. because your circadian rhythm is likely at its lowest point. (Ayurveda has been suggesting this for 1000’s of years.) Your circadian rhythm is influenced by your environment—namely light. It controls many of the physical, mental, and behavioral changes you experience in a 24hour cycle, including your sleep pattern. Paying attention to your circadian rhythm and going to sleep when you feel drowsy means you’ll hit deep, restorative sleep more rapidly. Today I’m sharing these tips for how to sleep well—because you have the power to set yourself up for sleep success and you’ll feel so much better when you let yourself rest.

My Top 5 Tips for Healthy, Restorative Sleep.

1. Eat an Earlier, Lighter Dinner Having a full belly may make you feel tired, but when your body is trying to digest, it will interrupt your sleep patterns. Eating by 6:00 or 7:00 pm and then hanging the CLOSED sign on your kitchen will allow your body to rest, digest, and be ready to sleep deeply by 9 or 10. This has surprised many a night owls when they give it a try and find themselves becoming morning doves, cooing with delight after a good night’s sleep. 2. Turn off technology Plan to put your phone and other devices away at least one hour before going to bed. The blue light emitted from your phone, computer, etc. can interfere with sleep by suppressing melatonin production, so consider enabling features like Night Shift (which automatically adjusts your display to a warmer, less blue light) while you’re winding down in the evening. Then, keep lights dim and read or meditate to help get your brain and body ready for sleep. 3. Enjoy the magic of essential oil Taking a moment to massage your feet with essential lavender oil before nodding off ensures a deeper sleep. Just take your feet in your hands and rub the tension out of the day. You’ll sleep better. A few drops to the temples and throat bring the scent directly to your sinuses. Ahhh… 4. Doze in darkness If your room isn’t completely dark, consider a sleep mask or room darkening curtains. Darkness stimulates natural melatonin production, which is not only a wonderful sleep inducer but a great cancer fighter as well. 5. Clear your mind. If you’re tossing and turning after switching the lights off, you may need to hit the mental reset button. Here are a few things to try: A. Journal before bed—get those thoughts on paper and out of your head. List what you are grateful for this day. B. Listen to a guided Meditation. Get the Insight Timer app and listen on your couch to avoid electronics in your bedroom. C. If you still can’t fall asleep after lying in bed for 20 minutes, get up and do something relaxing for 15-30 minutes before returning to bed. Avoid technology as it will stimulate your nervous system even more. Try organizing your morning supplies for breakfast and wardrobe the following day or clean out that junk drawer. It’s best not to stay in bed frustrated because doing so can actually train your brain to become stressed when you hit the hay. Here’s to better rest—night and day!

Bozeman Lions CLuB

eye glasses collection box for prescription or non-prescription and dark glasses at The Bozeman senior Center, The Belgrade senior Center, The manhattan senior Center and The Three Rivers senior Citizens Club in Three Forks. For more information, contact Richard Reiley at 406-388-7840 Visit us on the web at http://e-clubhouse.org/sites/bozemanmt

A Note from the Editor:

Do you know a senior who should be featured in a future edition of prime? Email your suggestions to Karen E. Davis at kdavis@belgrade-news.com.

Bozeman’s Charlie Soha had a great life.................. 2 Secrets To Solid Restful Sleep ................................... 4 What’s In A Word? ..................................................... 6 Citrus In Montana? YES!............................................ 8 Old Guys And Colonoscopies.................................. 10 Watch For Changes In RMDs.................................. 12 Meal Service in Senior Centers............................... 14 Bozeman Senior Center Recreation....................... 16