1 / 17

Sleeping soundly

Sleeping soundly. Presented by: Dr. Carmen Anne Luterbach, ND. Importance of Sleep. Memory Immune support Growth – especially infants and children Repair – healing of injured or damaged tissues Weight management – lack of sleep leads to increased appetite

jaeger
Download Presentation

Sleeping soundly

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Sleeping soundly Presented by: Dr. Carmen Anne Luterbach, ND

  2. Importance of Sleep • Memory • Immune support • Growth – especially infants and children • Repair – healing of injured or damaged tissues • Weight management – lack of sleep leads to increased appetite • Learning capacity – increases neural connections in the brain

  3. Sleep requirements – change with age • Age and condition Sleep Needs • Newborns (0–2 months) 12 to 18 hours • Infants (3–11 months) 14 to 15 hours • Toddlers (1–3 years) 12 to 14 hours • Preschoolers (3–5 years) 11 to 13 hours • School-age children (5–10 years) 10 to 11 hours • Adolescents (10-17 yeard) 8.5 to 9.25 hours • Adults 7 to 9 hours • Elderly 6 to 6.5 hours • Pregnant women 8(+) hours • The bottom line is: how much sleep is right for YOU!

  4. Sleep Deprivation: What happens when we don’t sleep? • Muscle aches and pains • Confusion, memory loss • Depression, irritability • Hand tremors • Headaches, malaise • Hallucinations • Sensitivity to cold • Bloodshot, baggy eyes • Obesity • Increased blood pressure • Increased stress hormone • Increased risk of: • Diabetes, Fibromyalgia • Temper tantrums (children) • Severe yawning • ADHD, psychosis

  5. Types of Insomnia • Maintenance Insomnia • More common among older people • Waking up during the night • Falls asleep easily, wake hours later and cannot return to sleep • Onset Insomnia • Difficulty falling asleep • Cannot let the mind relax, worries • Early Morning Awakening • Awaken much earlier than normal time to rise • May be a sign of Depression

  6. Secrets for a Sound Sleep Regular Sleep Schedule • Set an alarm clock (turn the clock face away) • Even on the weekends?!! • Keep a sleep journal

  7. Secrets for a Sound Sleep • Avoidance of stimulating substances: • Alcohol, caffeine and nicotine interfere with sleep quality

  8. Secrets for a Sound Sleep Routines and Rituals: • Relaxing activities an hour before bed • Darken the home, candle-light • Listen to calming, quiet music

  9. Secrets for a Sound Sleep Your nocturnal environment: • Keep the bedroom dark at night • Ensure a quiet space (consider ear plugs) • Keep up the fungshui = no clutter! • Comfortable mattress and pillows

  10. Secrets for a Sound Sleep • Disturbed sleep: one of the earliest symptoms of stress • A message about how you are conducting your life • Are you living a Balanced life?

  11. Secrets for a Sound Sleep • Get up and Get out! • Midnight meditation • Work on a project, listen to music • Awareness – be mindful of your emotional state • Fear, sadness, anger, anxiety

  12. Secrets for a Sound Sleep • Regular, daily exercise: • DAY: Cardiovascular activities • Running, hiking, cycling, walking • NIGHT: Relaxing and gentle activities • Yoga, stretching, Tai chi

  13. Secrets for a Sound Sleep • Use of the bedroom (an acceptable form of stimulation) • SEX AND SLEEP ONLY!!

  14. Herbal Medicine • Skull Cap • Scutellariabaicalensis • Restless sleep with anxiety, worry and racing thoughts • Chamomile • Chamomilarecutita • Alert with difficulty falling asleep • Valerian • Valerianaofficinalis

  15. Bedtime Snacks • Cherry Juice – high in Melatonin a natural substance that promotes the sensation of tiredness • Sesame seeds or tahini spread on crackers or fruit high in tryptophan • Warm tea, rice or almond mylk –calm soothing drinks bring energy to the digestive tract to promote rest and digestion

  16. The Root Cause • Get to the Root of your insomnia! • Insomnia is often a symptom of an underlying condition • If your insomnia persists for more than 4 weeks, consult your local naturopathic physician.

  17. Resources and Links: • Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn • The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook by Martha Davis, et al. • www.allaboutdepression.com/relax • www.moodgym.anu.edu.au/

More Related