Sleep Archives - Page 6 of 7

December 6, 2017 By Neha Kapoor 5 Comments

6 Magical herbs that can help you sleep

Do you have problems getting sleep at night? Sleep disorder is a common issue these days thanks to the work stress and bad lifestyles.

There are many people who face severe issues of sleep disorder and we find it difficult to help them fall asleep. Sleep is a key component of good health. They say humans need at least 8 hours of sleep a night to rejuvenate and restore their bodies. Unfortunately, in the days of stress, chaos, constant electronic bombardment, adrenal fatigue, and hormonal craziness we are seeing people generally getting less sleep, and the sleep they do get tends to be interrupted in some way. This means the sleep quality and quantity have a lot to be desired. Thankfully we have natural herbal allies to help us relax, rejuvenate, and come to a quiet place of rest and relaxation.

What herbs do you love for a restful night sleep?

Ashwagandha (Winter Cherry): It is an adaptogen with strong affinities towards the nervous system. It helps the body deal with stress and hormone fluctuations caused by stress, especially helping regulate cortisol levels at night time. Cortisol is what wakes you up at 2 am thinking about a million things at once and not being able to fall back asleep. Taking 500mg of Ashwagandha daily can help your body even out stress hormone levels which can help you get a good night sleep. It has also been shown to ease anxiety and depression.

Chamomile: It is a wonderful calming herb. It relaxes both the body (muscles) and the mind. It is also a wonderful gentle sedative. It is safe and effective for children. Chamomile tea sipped by a breastfeeding mother can soothe the baby after breastfeeding. Toddlers can sip chamomile tea with a little bit of honey before bedtime to calm them before bed. Adults can drink 2-4 cups of chamomile tea at the end of the day to help calm down before bedtime. Steep chamomile in hot water for 10 minutes in a tightly capped jar, strain and enjoy.

Chamomile oil can also be put in bath water (5-6 drops) to soothe overwrought nerves, diluted to 2% to make an excellent massage oil, or used as an inhalant.

Dose: Tea, 1 cup 2-3 x daily; Tincture, 30 drops 3 x daily.

Lavender is the herb everyone knows that is great for relaxing and calming the mind and body. The essential oil can be diffused in the evenings alone or combined with other relaxing essential oils to bring on a state of peace and relaxation. The leaves can be drunk as a tea, or added to food. It is great for insomnia, agitation and restlessness.

Lavender is a gentle strengthening tonic for the nervous system. A few drops of lavender oil added to a bath before bedtime are recommended for persons with sleep disorders. Additionally, the oil may be used as a compressor massage oil or simply inhaled to alleviate insomnia.

Dose: Tea, 1 cup 2-3 x daily; Essential oil–oil may be inhaled, massaged into the skin (use 10 drops essential oil per ounce of vegetable oil), or added to baths (3-10 drops).

Passionflower It’s a great herb for people who wake frequently throughout the night. It is a safe herb for most (excluding excessive use in pregnancy, especially in the first trimester), including children and can be taken in large doses frequently. It is used to promote a deep restful sleep and ease anxiety. Take 30-60 drops of passionflower tincture an hour before hitting the bed, and again at bedtime if you are not yet tired. The herb can be combined with others to make a wonderful night time tea as well.

Passionflower is used for minor sleep problems in both children and adults (Bruneton, 1995). It is an excellent sedative with no side effects even when used in large doses (Spaick, 1978).

Dose: Tea, 1 cup 3 x daily; Tincture, 30-60 drops 3-4 x daily.

These herbs can be combined to make a lovely relaxing night time tea that works for your specific needs. That is the great thing about herbs, some speak to you more than others. Those are typically the herbs that you should do some more work with to see if they fit with you.

Lemon balm its used primarily to lift mood and promote calmness and relaxation. Since depression is often related to insomnia, probably because of a lack of serotonin, lemon balm can help you achieve sleep by promoting mental and physical health. Several studies have confirmed its sedative effects, however, it should be noted that too high of a dosage (1800 milligrams) actually increased anxiety. Here, it is made into a mild, uplifting, and relaxing tea.You will need…

-2 tablespoons of dried lemon balm, or 8-10 tablespoons of fresh lemon balm
-2 teaspoons dried chamomile
-Honey to taste (optional)
-8 ounces of fresh water

Directions-Place the loose herbs in a mug and cover with 8 ounces of boiling water. Steep for 5 minutes, strain, and drink 30-45 minutes before bed.

California Poppy, This is a great herb for insomnia due to restlessness and anxiety (and it’s safe and gentle enough for children). This herb not only helps you to fall asleep, it improves the quality of your sleep as well. A tincture is the most powerful way to take this. Try 30-40 drops twice daily (the second dose close to bedtime).

At GOQii our coaches’ help with tips to get quality sleep as this will go a long way to help protect mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety.

November 9, 2017 By Farida Gohil 7 Comments

Sleep Deprivation linked to High-calorie food choices

Photo Credit: iStock

There is more science supporting that getting a good night’s is best for your health.

A new study published in the journal Food Product Design, by Author Colin Chapman, MSc, of Uppsala University says that obesity found in people who were deprived of one night’s sleep purchased more calories and grammes of food in a mock supermarket on the following day.

Sleep deprivation also led to increased blood levels of ghrelin, a hormone that increases hunger, on the following morning; however, there was no correlation between individual ghrelin levels and food purchasing, suggesting that other mechanisms such as impulsive decision making may be more responsible for increased purchasing.

The Uppsala University of Sweden is the oldest university of the Nordic countries and offers courses in Science and Technology, Medicine, Humanity and Social Sciences. Researchers at Uppsala University investigated whether sleep deprivation may impair or alter an individual’s food purchasing choices based on its established tendency to impair higher-level thinking and to increase hunger.

They hypothesised that sleep deprivation’s impact on hunger and decision making would make for the ‘perfect storm’ with regard to shopping and food purchasing-leaving individuals hungrier and less capable of employing self-control and higher-level decision-making processes to avoid making impulsive, calorie-driven purchases.

On the morning after one night of total sleep deprivation, as well as after one night of sleep, the researchers give 14 normal-weight men a fixed budget (approximately $50). The men were instructed to purchase as much as they could out of a possible 40 items, including 20 high-caloric foods and 20 low-caloric foods. The prices of the high-caloric foods were then varied to determine if total sleep deprivation affects the flexibility of food purchasing. Before the task, participants received a standardised breakfast to minimise the effect of Hunger on their purchases.

Sleep-deprived men purchased significantly more calories (+9%) and grammes (+18%) of food than they did after one night of sleep. The researchers also measured blood levels of ghrelin, finding that the hormone’s concentration was higher after total sleep deprivation; however, this increase did not correlate with food purchasing behaviour.

Their finding provides a strong rationale for suggesting that patients with concerns regarding caloric intake and weight gain maintain a healthy, normal sleep schedule.

This study supports a link between sleep loss and Obesity.

Findings from a study published in the journal Nature Communications that found losing sleep can make you more likely to crave junk foods rather than healthy foods. Other studies have linked poor sleeping habits to increased appetites.

Results from the study show that sleep deprivation significantly decreased activity in appetitive evaluation regions within the brain during food desirability choices, combined with increased activity in the amygdala. This change in brain activity is further associated with an increase in the desire for weight gain promoting high-calorie foods following sleep deprivation.

August 21, 2015 By Hetal Chheda Leave a Comment

Why and how much should your child sleep?

More often than not people do not consider sleep as an o important activity for good health. But, in reality sleep is a powerful tool that keeps your mind alert and calm. This is true for both elders as well as kids. Sleep should be considered as important as food.

Did you know that if you sleep well you can increase/build your brainpower just as you build muscles when you are weightlifting.

In this blog however, I am talking of how important is sleep for kids and how much they should sleep to be healthy.

Good sleep habits in kids help in;

Good health
Growth
Mental function.

BENEFITS OF SLEEP FOR KIDS

Increases concentration: Well slept kids are more receptive and interactive. These kids have good attention span and learn the most. Overall they become calmer, attentive, observant and also socially active.
Reduces behaviour problems: Sleep lets your entire body rest. Lack of rest makes kids hyperactive, fatigued, physically impulsive and agitated.
Reduces childhood obesity risk: Kids who don’t sleep enough are at higher risk for childhood obesity. Some researches prove that kids who slept only for an hour (Yes, Just an hour) they had increased their risk of obesity by 80 percent. This happens because the hormones that control hunger are directly related to sleep quality; with too little rest the appetite turns itself on and remains on.
Releases growth hormone: Quality sleep releases growth hormones. This hormone helpsin normal growth and other bodily and brain development.
Increases Immunity: Kids who sleep well do not fall sick very often.

HOW MUCH SLEEP IS NORMAL?

Toddlers – 12 hours till the age of three.
Four to six – 10½ to 11½ hours.
Six to Twelve – 10 hours.
Teenagers – 8 to 9 hours

FOODS THAT WILL HELP YOUR CHILD SLEEP BETTER

Dairy products:Dairy products produce the hormone serotonin that makes you feel sleepy. So foods like milk, cottage cheese, yogurt and cheese helps kids sleep better.
Bananas:Bananas are another easy bedtime snack option. Researchers conclude that bananas contain melatonin, as well as serotonin, which helps to calm you and regulate your sleep cycles. They also contain magnesium and potassium, both of which are muscle relaxers.
Oatmeal:Oats have an extremely high concentration of melatonin. A warm serving of oatmeal may help your toddler feel full and enjoy a longer duration of sleep.

SLEEP TIPS FOR CHILDREN

Introduce good sleep habits right from the start.
Create an environment that helps the child to sleep. Keep the lights minimum, room cool and quit.
Make sure that there is no TV or computer switched on which will distract sleep.
Avoid caffeine.
Put your child to bed at the same time on all days.

Encourage importance of sleep in your children at an early age. This will help your child be happy, social and intelligent. The best part is you yourself might get some good deep sleep.

June 26, 2015 By SNEHA CHIKHALE 2 Comments

8 Yoga poses to do before going to bed

Have you had a hectic day at work? Or is it too much of travel? Or tension in studies? When in such situations we generally end up sleeping less. It takes a long time and then we start counting the sheep (childhood memories!) to fall asleep.

Now, forget counting the Sheep or numbers. Ease your way into dreamland with these 8 yoga asanas. These yoga poses will relax your body and mind, both!

1) Supported child pose:

Holding supported child’s pose with your head rested on some pillows will help your brain and body to rest after long day. One can repeat it as many times as he wish. It is a good option for resting and relaxing.

2) Supported downward facing dog:

It is a great yoga pose for people who are glued to their desk for all day. This position stretches out your back part of the body, particularly the hamstring group (muscles at the back of your thighs)

3) Triangle pose:

This posture creates smooth blood flow and space in the spine. This standing pose releases the hamstring and allows extension in the spine. Using a wall will help you to hold this position with better timings.

4) Wide legged forward fold:

This pose is absolutely useful to calm the body and nervous system after a tiring day at work. This pose will also help open and stretch the back of the body.

5) Low lunge:

This pose stretches out the hip flexor group, which tend to get tight due to long periods of sitting.

6) Supine bound angel pose:

This pose helps open the upper back, chest and shoulders though a mid backbend. Lying on the pillow will help with increasing the openness.

7) Legs up the wall:

This position tones and settles the nervous system while reducing the gravitational pressure on the heart and the legs. Hip: Use pillow under the lumbar curve to release the lower back.

8) Savasana:

To wrap up your yoga practice, finish your sequence with traditional savasana. It is a simple pose that brings total relaxation. This should be performed at the end of the yoga session, to relax your muscles.