Originally published August 10 2011
Try this solution for a restful night sleep
by Suzanne Meier
(NaturalNews) Good sleep is a gift from god. How beautiful it is to wake up refreshed after a sound eight hours of sleep. The day can be tackled full of energy, with an awake and ready mind. Quite the opposite occurs after a sleepless night. How awful to crawl out of bed with a body and mind reeling from no or just a few hours of sleep. The performance of a sleep-deprived mind and body are far inferior to the rested state. 30% of the US population experience sleep deprivation regularly. Imagine the impact, the stress, the worry created by insomnia in this taxing, demanding, instant world? The demanding world feeds more insomnia. More insomnia makes the busy world less bearable. How can we get out of this vicious cycle? What solutions are there to improve sleep?
Step One:
30 min to one hour before bed take any of the following:
Tryptophan
Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin, which induces sleep and tranquility in the brain. Serotonin deficiencies, which are related to tryptophan deficiencies, may be one of the causes for insomnia. Supplementing with tryptophan is safe and cost-effective. Tryptophan is best taken with a B-complex for better absorption.
Melatonin
Melatonin is not a sleep hormone, as mistakenly believed. Instead, it regulates nighttime and daytime, the circadian rhythm. With dark surroundings, the body starts producing melatonin. Without an increase of melatonin production at night, sleep may be evasive. When exposed to bright lights in the evening, jetlag, shift work or poor vision, the melatonin production may suffer.
Valerian and Co.
Numerous compounds containing valerian, hops, chamomile, passionflower or even kava kava can be located on shelves in health food stores. Which one to pick? For many, valerian has shown to be extremely effective as a sleep aid. For others, it does nothing, or worse, creates anxiety. This is due to our unique biochemistry. Trial and error can help to determine an effective herb combination.
Step Two
Reading & Writing
Once in bed, write down thoughts, worries to get the energy out of the system. Then, read a good book in bed in a dimly lit bedroom to calm the mind further. Get cozy, put yourself in "sleep position" and get "inside" a book. A book shifts focus from the day's worries to a new reality. The deeper you get into the book, the more daily worries and frets are forgotten. It is the racing mind that restricts shut-eye time. Reducing thoughts by refocusing can be very effective. When you feel your eyes closing, slowly turn off the light and doze off. Perhaps, you have to repeat the process a few times. But in time, you may even fall asleep on the book.
Step Three
Long-term relief - Sivananda Yoga, Meditation
Sivananda yoga, unlike other forms of yoga, incorporates the proper breathing, proper exercise, proper relaxation, proper diet and positive thinking. Yoga, as originally practiced in India, merely consisted of a few stretching exercises before meditation. Its main intent was to relax the body and prevent stiffness while in cross-legged meditation pose. The West turned yoga into a workout. Vinyasa flow resembles an aerobic gym class these days. With Sivananda yoga, the mind becomes still (breathing, meditation) and the body relaxes with specific, slow exercises - a great solution for long-term restful nights of sleep.
http://www.sivananda.org/teachings/fivepoint...
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-07-...
http://www.melatoninfaq.com/
http://www.raysahelian.com/valerian.html
http://www.cocoonnutrition.org/catalog/page_...
About the author
Suzanne Meier, BA, CN, Author.
Born in Switzerland, Suzanne has since lived in the US (most of her life), Canada, Sri Lanka, England and Peru. She truly acts and writes from a �four corners of the world� perspective. Her locally derived knowledge contributes to a unique cultural insight on how each solitary individual affects the collective whole. After having been caught in an act of war, which triggered a transforming spiritual experience, Suzanne�s in-depth search for truth, healing and spiritual awakening accelerated greatly.
Her book "Becoming Human Again - From Sheeple To People", discusses the global manipulation of human kind at every level and how to use consciousness to break free.
www.becoming-human-again.com
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