Chasing After a Good Night's Sleep

Getting your beauty sleep and catching some much deserved ZZZs can feel like an out of reach luxury. After all, don’t we all imagine millionaires and divas lounging in bed until noon, all worries and demands left until they’re ready to be dealt with? Unfortunately, we’re not all given that kind of luxury. As a matter of fact, as many as 1 in 3 Canadians is having trouble sleeping or staying asleep. Left unchecked, sleep problems may have serious consequences to your health, your mood, and your overall wellbeing.

The big yawn – living in a sleepy society

It’s really no surprise to learn that there are more people suffering from a lack of sleep than ever before. Today’s world moves at breakneck speed and each hour of the day is packed with multiple physical and mental activities. From running around to appointments and taking the family to soccer games and social events, working multiple jobs to make ends meet, dealing with stress, worry, and demands, there simply doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything done, let alone find time to wind down and have a satisfying sleep.  

Lifestyle plays an important part in our sleep woes, there is often a guilt factor that holds people back from taking care of their sleep needs. Some people feel that taking care of their need for sleep may be perceived as weakness and even silly. There’s a feeling that they must be living life to the fullest if they are constantly on the go, sleeping only a few hours per night, and they wear their exhaustion as badge of honor.  Unfortunately, the consequences of sleep deprivation can be serious.

Besides the need to wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day, there are some very serious reasons we need our sleep. According to Dr. Larry K. Pawluk, MD, FRCPC, and Diplomat of the American Board of Sleep Medicine, working in the Sleep Medicine Program at the University of Alberta Hospital, people who get less than 6 hours of sleep per night are at a higher risk for several medical complications including diabetes, obesity, hypertension and depression.  “Insomnia can be serious,” says Dr. Pawluk. “In fact, people who have chronic insomnia are 2-3 times more likely to have traffic and industrial accidents. In fact, a recent study showed that as many as 30% of Canadians are having trouble getting to sleep.” 

So what’s really keeping us awake at night? According to Dr. Pawluk, there may be several factors at play. “Since the invention of the light bulb we’ve been working longer hours and, as a result, not winding down in the evening to get more sleep,” says Dr. Pawluk. “With at least 30% of the Canadian workforce working late or midnight-to-morning shifts, there is a natural increase in insomnia related problems.  Other things that may interfere with sleep include habit, sleep apnea, medications, alcohol or caffeine, eating before bed, stress or even exhaustion.” 

Finding out the cause of your sleep troubles may require professional help. Your doctor can refer you to a sleep specialist, but it should be known that the waiting list for sleep studies may be up to two years, unless the problem is critical.

Get to bed , sleepy head!

Getting to sleep, staying asleep and having a truly restful sleep may take some planning.  One easy way to get yourself into a regular sleep routine is going to bed at a regular time and waking up at the same time each morning, even on weekends. This can help your body regulate your sleep cycle. Other helpful habits to get into include:

• Schedule an hour before bed to unwind and relax your mind and body.
  
• Keep your bedroom as a room for sleep, not for watching television.
  
• Reduce your caffeine, nicotine and alcohol consumption.
  
• Avoid late day exercise, as this may energize you rather than relax you.

“But it’s not me – it’s my MIND that keeps me awake!”

Do you lay in bed, recapping the days events, scheduling events, working out financial or family problems in your head? Transient or short-term insomnia like this is actually quite common. Taking time before bed to write down what is going on your mind may help. “A lot of people don’t have time to process events and thoughts that happen through out the day because they are so busy,” says Dr. Pawluk, “so anything we can do to take the events out of our mind and put them on paper will help you unwind and put worries to bed so you can sleep better.”

Getting a good night’s sleep – naturally.

Besides medical intervention with medication, there are alternative ways to help you relax and start sleeping better.

Dr. Steven Aung (title), believes the key to relaxing and sleeping well can be found in the mind’s ability to control the body and in natural alternatives. “People can learn to relax through different natural methods,” says Dr. Aung. “Quality of sleep depends on deep relaxation. Exercises like QI Gong, yoga, gentle stretching and breathing exercises are part of a natural and holistic approach to self-guided help. Your mind becomes in control of your body, rather than your body controlling your mind.”  

Naturally, your diet may affect your sleep. Avoiding late night eating, caffeine and other stimulants is important. Dr. Aung often recommends a red herbal tea, sipped in the evening, to promote relaxation.

Should you sleep in a certain position? Typically, how you sleep depends on your comfort level and your mattress. If you find one position more comfortable than another, and you are not having problems such as snoring or sleep apnea (a condition where your airways are collapsed or constricted when sleeping, causing you to stop breathing intermittently), you should be able to sleep in any position you feel comfortable.

Listening to your body and taking steps to improve your sleep habits will help you feel more energetic, improve your immune system, help avoid certain health conditions, and make you feel and look better overall.  As Dr. Aung puts it, “In my experience, nothing is better than the natural way. Mother Nature is the best teacher and will help you find a good way to sleep. All you have to do is listen.” Says Dr. Aung

10 Tips for a Restful Night