sleeping tips Archives

February 25, 2020 By Monika Raj Leave a Comment

These Foods Might Be The Key to Sound Sleep

How many hours do you spend in bed, wriggling and writhing with flowing thoughts? It’s been 2 hours now, your eyes are closed but that peaceful, quality sleep somehow seems to evade you every time. How many sheep do you count before you realize there is something horribly wrong here? We’ve all suffered from sleepless nights at some point. While there are many factors at play here, it is nothing that a healthy lifestyle, a hygiene routine and most importantly, food can’t fix. Let’s explore some foods for sleep.

Top Foods Which Can Help You Sleep

Milk, in general, contains ingredients that are known to help people sleep. For instance, milk contains tryptophan – an amino acid that can help the human body produce serotonin – a brain chemical which can induce deeper and more restful sleep by creating melatonin. If you have sleep issues, some warm milk with a little bit of jaggery and turmeric 15-30 minutes before going to bed should do the trick
Almonds contain high doses of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate the sleeping and waking cycle. Around 5-6 whole almonds contain a good amount of magnesium and of calcium – two minerals that help promote muscle relaxation and sleep especially in people who lose sound sleep due to muscle tetany or leg pain. These can be consumed in the evening or even before bedtime. It’s great for people who sleep late as they can munch on these for a good night’s rest.
Chamomile Tea: For years, chamomile tea has been used as a natural remedy to reduce inflammation, anxiety and treat insomnia as well. In fact, chamomile is commonly regarded as a mild tranquilizer or sleep inducer. Chamomile tea contains an antioxidant called apigenin, which may help initiate sleep. You can brew 1 tea bag/ fresh chamomile tea with hot water and drink it before bed or late evening.
Walnuts contain a few compounds that promote and regulate sleep, including melatonin and serotonin. Each serving of walnuts also contains other nutrients that can help induce sleep such as magnesium. You can munch them along with almonds for combined benefits late in the evening for snacks.

Avoid drinking tea or coffee before bed. Caffeinated beverages disrupt sleep and even create problems such as acidity and gas. We hope the above foods help you get that sound sleep you’ve desired for such a long time.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. For more sessions on sleep, tune in to GOQii Play.

#BeTheForce

December 18, 2019 By Dr. Viral Thakkar Leave a Comment

Sleep Well Without Electronics

I am not here to quote articles to tell you that radiation from electronics wrecks sleep. I am here to tell you that it really does. Period. And for the current generation, it is a bad scenario!

Why Should You Believe Me?

Well, after reading this article, put off your WiFi, network and call connection for 2 hours before going to bed. Try and gauge the quality of your sleep. Ask yourself, if you slept deep or if you were disturbed during bedtime? It’s tried and tested, you sleep much deeper and better.

Using TVs, tablets, smartphones, laptops or other electronic devices before bed delays the body’s internal clock & might suppress the release of melatonin which induces sleep.

Radiation from mobile phones delays and reduces sleep and causes headaches and confusion. The “glow” from electronics is at work against quality shut-eye. The small amounts of light from these devices pass through the retina into a part of the hypothalamus (the area of the brain that controls several sleep activities) and delay the release of the sleep-inducing hormone, melatonin.

Many of us are into binge-watching television shows. Research shows that those who are identified as binge-watchers report more fatigue, symptoms of insomnia, poorer sleep quality and greater alertness prior going to bed. Further analysis found that binge-watchers had a 98% higher likelihood of having poor sleep quality compared to those who did not consider themselves to be binge-watchers.

Gaming is the worst of all for all age groups. Video games appeared to contribute to sleep problems as well, even if the kids watched or played them during the daytime. Activities like TV, gaming, etc. gets you excited, and in many cases, you end up sleeping late, with disturbed sleeping patterns. In case you’re in your 20s and 30s and manage to sleep well with this scenario, my suggestion is to stop now. TV and computer monitors can keep melatonin levels from rising normally because of the brightness of the screens. Around bedtime, adults and the young should be winding down.

Why Should Anyone Bother About Good Quality Sleep?

Sleep is important because it enables the body to repair, be fit and ready for another day. Getting adequate rest may also help prevent excess weight gain, heart disease, and increased illness duration. It is extremely essential part of healing well.

Am I suggesting that we all stop using electronics? Hell No! However, you can do the following

Put your WiFi off 4-5 hours before sleeping
Try to decrease and eventually stop using all electronic items 4-5 hours before bed. Get back to the landline maybe!
Gaming & play outside the house is a YES, and on the phone is a NO for all age groups
Read a book, a newspaper or chat up with friends
Meditating is one of the best options before bed as it induces your healing process and recuperates your body, mind and emotions.

If you really want to experience perfect sleep try to be away from technology for those 6 to 8 hours so you spend 16-18 hours of the other part of the day where you really need it!

#BeTheForce