Can you Enjoy a Better Night’s Sleep when you have Insomnia?

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Can you enjoy a better night’s sleep when you have Insomnia? Is this even possible?

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder where a person finds it hard to fall sleep, stay asleep and get back to sleep after waking during the night. You may feel tired on waking, which in turn affects your mood, productivity, health and quality of life. It may be brought on by stress, a traumatic event, sleeping in unfamiliar environments, jet lag, stimulants or due to an acute illness. Normal sleep patterns usually return once the stress or event is over.

The amount of sleep we all need varies, but most adults are said to need seven to eight hours a night.

Short term insomnia may last for days or weeks but for some people, long term or chronic insomnia may last for months or more. It may be the main problem or may be associated with medication or a medical condition. Sleep is essential for our lives. It’s when our cells repair, restore energy and release hormones and proteins. Our nerve cells communicate for healthy brain function and our brains store new information and release toxic by-products.

Sleep affects our memory, learning, problem solving skills, creativity, decision making and concentration. It affects our emotional well being and even our weight. Recent studies have shown that sleep affects our hunger hormones, ghrelin and leptin. Sleep also supports heart health and our immune system. Sleep deficiency has been linked to chronic health problems affecting the heart, kidneys, blood,

So what can we do to improve our sleep patterns, especially if Insomnia is ongoing? It’s important to see your GP and check for sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, or restless leg syndrome or thyroid problems which can all affect sleep. There’s also a number of things that you can do yourself to change your habits and sleep patterns.

* Establish a bedtime routine. Go to bed at the same time each night if possible. This helps the body to establish it’s natural sleep/wake cycle, our circadian rhythm. Try and get up at the same time each day.

* Enhance your Melatonin levels. We all produce Melatonin, a hormone that regulates our sleeping and waking patterns. Its production is controlled by exposure to light and is released in darkness and suppressed in light. Artificially lit offices, computer screens and television all affect our melatonin levels. Get some exposure to natural light during the day and avoid using the computer, your iPhone and iPad and watching television late at night.

* Create an inviting Bedroom. Make sure that your sleeping environment is relaxing and welcoming and not part of your working environment. Keep televisions out of the bedroom and ensure that you have a great mattress. It has been said that the bedroom is for sleeping and sex and that’s not a bad suggestion. Invest in blackout curtains as any light will affect the quality of your sleep. Keep the bedroom cool as overheating can affect your sleep too.

* Relax before bedtime. Instead of working late into the night or watching TV and overstimulating your brain, relax with a book and read by a soft light. Have a warm bath prior to bed with some aromatherapy oils, such as lavender or roman chamomile. Alternatively, put a few drops of these oils on a tissue under your pillow. Listen to some calming music to enhance and relax your mind.

* Eat healthily and exercise. Cut back your intake of coffee, especially in the afternoon and evening. Caffeine is a stimulant that will disrupt your sleep patterns. It’s also a diuretic which means more trips to the bathroom! Avoid alcohol late at night even though you may think it will help you sleep. Initially it may help you feel drowsier and get off to sleep quickly, but it affects the quality of your sleep. It also makes it more likely that you will wake later in the night. Avoid heavy meals within two hours of bedtime as your stomach will be working hard to digest the food. Thus sleep will be disrupted. Regular exercise is great as it will help you sleep more deeply but avoid anything strenuous at night. This tends to stimulate and warm up the body.

* Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a very effective therapy that can help to control negative thoughts or actions that keep you awake. It helps you to recognise and change beliefs that affect your ability to sleep. It teaches you strategies such as getting out of bed if you don’t fall asleep within 20 minutes and listening to some relaxing music or reading. It also suggests writing down your thoughts when those million and one ideas disturb you at night.

Relaxation techniques and temporary sleep restriction are also discussed. If you’re in need of some guidance, there’s a free course you can follow. The details are here.

* Having Facial Reflexology on a regular basis will also help you to beat Insomnia. Reflexology helps calm the whole body. It works on the Nervous System to bring about total relaxation and reduces the Sympathetic Nerve response that always keeps you on alert. It assists the Hormonal System to rebalance so that our levels of Melatonin are increased and the body is able to get off to sleep more easily. These Facial Reflexology nerve points, if done on a regular basis, can help to rebalance and improve your sleep. The chart can be found here.

Can you enjoy a better night’s sleep, when you have Insomnia? Definitely. It does take some persistence, especially if the insomnia is long standing but following these suggestions will hopefully help.

With warmest wishes,

Judy xxx

 

References: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355167, https://www.healthline.com/health/why-do-we-sleep#restoration, https://thiswayup.org.au/programs/insomnia-program/

Disclaimer: Please note that all information in this article is the opinion of the author and obtained through her research and knowledge and the above references. It is not meant to replace medical advice and a medical opinion should always be obtained for any health condition.

Why choose Facial Reflexology?

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Why choose Facial Reflexology when there are a multitude of therapies out there?

Complementary therapies have become increasingly popular and government studies have shown that 2 out of 3 Australians use some form of complementary therapy. As their name suggests, these therapies complement Western Medicine and are often used to support medical treatments.

So how do you choose which one would benefit you and why should you choose Facial Reflexology?

This really depends on your health concern and what you are hoping to achieve in regards to your health. If you are looking for nutritional advice or supplements to support a healthy lifestyle then a naturopath would be a good choice. If you have a lot of muscle tension or a physical injury then massage will help.

However if you have a myriad of other health issues, Facial reflexology may be the answer. It gently assesses the area of your body that is most out of balance and where a disease process started. It then works to clear this area so that the body can start to heal. It uses Traditional Chinese Medicine, Vietnamese Nerve points and Japanese acupressure points to treat your symptoms.

Nerve supply and circulation are increased to the whole body so that our cells receive oxygen and nutrition more rapidly and our bodies relax very quickly. The immune system is powerfully strengthened to help support the body in fighting disease. As a bonus, we are less likely to pick up viruses or flu’s and if we do, we will be able to fight them off more quickly. Lymphatic drainage helps rid the body of toxins and muscular aches and pains are relieved with work on various nerve points and meridians. Our hormonal system is rebalanced and the quality of our sleep is improved.

Out of all the therapies that I have tried, I personally find Facial Reflexology to be the most relaxing. You may think that I am biased and perhaps I am. I have monthly massages to ease tired muscles but  the deepest state of relaxation that I ever achieve is through Facial reflexology. Because it works on the Brain and the whole Central nervous system, it powerfully relaxes and de-stresses me.

Numerous medical studies have shown the direct correlation between stress and disease. If we live in a constant state of stress, our bodies are more prone to high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, anxiety, digestive disorders, hormonal and skin imbalances.

So doesn’t it make sense to reduce our stress levels as much as possible. Of course, the added bonus of regular treatments on the face is the reduction of fine lines and wrinkles.

Initially more frequent treatments are needed to assist the body in rebalancing but after that it’s so beneficial to have regular sessions on a monthly basis. Many clients say that they knew that it was time for another treatment as their body just felt tense and fatigued and not quite right. Subtle changes may be felt but the results are truly powerful as Reflexology works on such a deep level.

So if it’s been awhile or if it’s something you have never tried, why not choose Facial Reflexology? You will love the treatment and leave feeling totally relaxed and stress free.

Now isn’t that worth the experience.

Warmest wishes,

Judy xxx

 

References: https://www.racgp.org.au/afp/2017/may/patterns-of-complementary-and-alternative-medicine-use-and-health-literacy-in-general-practice-patients-in-urban-and-regional-australia, https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/stress-symptoms-effects_of-stress-on-the-body#2. Image by  Angelica Echeverry on Unsplash

Disclaimer: Please note that all information in this article is the opinion of the author and obtained through her research and knowledge and the above references. It is not meant to replace medical advice and a medical opinion should always be obtained for any health condition.

Understanding your fatigue …… and what you can do about it!

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Feeling tired is something we are all familiar with. It can occur at the end of a busy day or after extensive exercise. It can happen after a run of late nights or after a stressful situation.

But what if you are tired all the time? Fatigue that lingers and is still present after a good night’s sleep needs to be looked at. It can occur as a result of a sleep disorder, or  a medical condition such as anaemia and can creep up on you over a period of time. Often we just keep going until we suddenly realise that we are tired all the time and have been so for ages.

You can also be chronically fatigued without having Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The latter requires that you have certain symptoms before you are diagnosed. These include the obvious, fatigue, as well as unrefreshing sleep, impaired memory and concentration, exhaustion after exercise, joint pain, muscle pain, headaches and tender lymph glands. Always seek medical advice if you are always tired. It may be from a metabolic disorder such as a thyroid problem or an infection such as glandular fever and needs to be treated appropriately.

Another form of fatigue is Adrenal Fatigue. Although it is not recognised by many conventional doctors, those who work in Integrative medicine certainly recognise and treat it. It has been described as the 21st century syndrome. Our adrenal glands produce adrenaline and cortisol as part of our ‘flight or fight’ response to danger or stress. This enables the body to respond quickly, at times when we are under extreme stress or in danger. However if we are always on alert or in this ‘flight or fight’ mode, our adrenal glands end up exhausted. Left untreated, this can affect every organ and system in your body.

Now this all sounds very dramatic and obviously any persistent symptom of fatigue needs to be investigated. In the meantime however, what can you do, yourself to help alleviate your constant tiredness?

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Try going to bed earlier and stick to a routine. If you are fatigued, make an effort to be in bed by 10pm most nights. Make sure your bedroom is dark without any distracting lights from tv’s, computers or clock radios. Try and switch off from all devices 30 to 60 minutes before going to bed as their bright lights effect your melatonin levels, (the hormone responsible for our sleep cycle).

2. Drink plenty of water during the day. Every cell in your body needs water to survive and often fatigue can be attributed to dehydration. Keep a water bottle with you even when you are at home. I find that I drink the most water when I am sitting at the computer with a glass at hand.

3. Eat a healthy diet and include vegetables, good fats such as avocado, coconut oil and some protein into your meals. Don’t skip meals as this plays havoc with your insulin levels. Breakfast is especially an important meal as it should carry you through to lunchtime without the need for snacks. Include a cereal such as oats, homemade muesli or buckwheat with berries rather than a piece of toast.

4. Do regular meditation even if it’s 5 or 10 minutes. Numerous studies have shown the benefits of meditation in reducing stress and increasing your energy. It also gives you a mini power nap, as you switch off from everything.

5. Exercise every day. This may sound counter-intuitive if you are feeling tired, but even a short walk boosts your circulation, decreases stress and increases the release of those ‘feel good’ hormones.

6. Start implementing some boundaries into your life. Learn to say NO if something wears you out or you’re not happy doing it. Many cases of fatigue occur due to burnout or overwhelm. If we are always saying Yes to everyone else, we leave little time for our own needs or energy. Put boundaries in around your time and don’t always be available for everyone. You deserve some space too.

7. Ask for help. We don’t need to do everything on our own. Who actually benefits from this? It’s good to teach your children how to help out around the house and it’s so important for their own growth and learning. They need to respect you and your time, so be a good example for them. Let go of some of that control. Ask for help in cleaning and preparing meals. Yes it may not be done the way you do it, but does it really matter. I was in the same position and felt I had to ‘run’ the house. This only led to resentment and exhaustion. I now ask for help and accept that even though the dishwasher isn’t stacked like I would do it or the house isn’t vacuumed perfectly in my eyes, it doesn’t really matter.

8. Have regular treatments such as Reflexology to reduce stress. As previously mentioned, stress plays a huge part in whether we have energy or feel fatigued.

Learn to recognise your fatigue. If there isn’t an obvious reason for it, such as a very late night, then have it investigated. If your conventional doctor dismisses it, see an integrative one. There is always a reason why you are tired!

It’s your health and your life. You deserve to have the very best of both!

 

With warmest wishes,

Judy xxx

 

Ps. Let me know if you have any questions or comments.

You can also like our page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/solevitalityreflexology

 

 

References: www.medicinenet.com/fatigue/articles, www.adrenalfatigue.org, photo from Pixabay.com

Disclaimer: Please note that all information in this article is the opinion of the author and obtained through her research and knowledge and the above references. It is not meant to replace medical advice and a medical opinion should always be obtained for any health condition.