GENERAL TIPS TO GET BETTER SLEEP

GENERAL TIPS TO GET BETTER SLEEP

-Dr. S. R. AMEERKHAN BABU., M.D. (Hom) (Gen.med)

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In India, at least 10% of the people can’t sleep without the sleeping pills. In Mumbai the percentage of people suffering from insomnia is high. We believe that if this condition prevails for the next hundred years, not a single person will be able to sleep without medication.  Our whole being is totally connected to the sleep we have. Depression, heaviness, acidity, hypertension, tension all are related to the sleep problems.

A common concern of those who sleep poorly is that lost sleep will damage their health. Recent research demonstrated that the nightly loss of four hours of sleep over 10 days in healthy young adults reduced a number of measures of immune function. Two research papers described how sleeping less than five hours per night lowered the life span.

We all have trouble sleeping from time to time. But we can make it easier to get a good night's sleep every night with these simple steps.

• Cut caffeine. Simply put, caffeine can keep you awake. It can stay in our body longer than we might think – the effects of caffeine can take as long as eight hours to wear off. So if we drink a cup of coffee in the afternoon and are still tossing at night, caffeine might be the reason. Cutting out caffeine at least four to six hours before bedtime can help you fall asleep easier.
• Avoid alcohol as a sleep aid. Alcohol may initially help fall asleep, but it also causes disturbances in sleep resulting in less restful sleep. An alcohol drink before bedtime may make it more likely that we will wake up during the night.
• Relax before bedtime. Stress not only makes us miserable, it wreaks havoc on our sleep. Develop some kind of pre-sleep ritual to break the connection between all the day's stress and bedtime. These rituals can be as short as 10 minutes or as long as an hour. Some people find relief in making a list of all the stressors of the day, along with a plan to deal with them this can act as "closure" to the day. Combining this with a period of relaxation perhaps by reading something light, meditating, aromatherapy, light stretching, or taking a hot bath can also help us to get better sleep. And don't look at the clock! That "tick-tock" will just tick you off.
• Exercise at the right time. Regular exercise can help us to get a good night's sleep. The timing and intensity of exercise seems to play a key role in its effects on sleep. If we are the type of person who gets energized or becomes more alert after exercise, it may be best not to exercise in the evening. Regular exercise in the morning even can help relieve insomnia, according to a study.
• Keep bedroom quiet, dark, and comfortable. For many people, even the slightest noise or light can disturb sleep like the purring of a cat or the light from laptop or TV. Use earplugs, window blinds or curtains, and an electric blanket or air conditioner everything possible to create an ideal sleep environment. And don't use the overhead light if  need to get up at night; use a small night-light instead. Ideal room temperatures for sleeping are between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures above 75 or below about 54 can disrupt sleep.
• Eat right, sleep tight. Try not to go to bed hungry, but avoid heavy meals before bedtime. An over-full belly can keep us up. Some foods can help, though. Milk contains tryptophan, which is a sleep-promoting substance. Other foods that may help promote sleep include tuna, halibut, pumpkin, artichokes, avocados, almonds, eggs, bok choy, peaches, walnuts, apricots, oats, asparagus, potatoes, buckwheat, and bananas. Also, try not to drink fluids after 8 p.m. This can keep us from having to get up to use the bathroom during the night.
• Restrict nicotine. Having a smoke before bed -- although it feels relaxing actually puts a stimulant into your bloodstream. The effects of nicotine are similar to those of caffeine. Nicotine can keep us up and awaken at night. It should be avoided particularly near bedtime and if wake up in the middle of the night.
• Avoid napping. Napping can only make matters worse if we usually have problems falling asleep. If we do nap, keep it short. A brief 15-20-minute snooze about eight hours after we get up in the morning can actually be rejuvenating.
• Keep pets off the bed. Pet sleep with us may cause us to awaken during the night, either from allergies or pet movements.
• Avoid watching TV, eating, and discussing emotional issues in bed.The bed should be used for sleep and sex only. If not, we can end up associating the bed with distracting activities that could make it difficult for us to fall asleep.

DIET AND SLEEP

How much of a direct effect diet has on sleep is still unclear. Adjusting our eating routine may also help us to get a better night's sleep. Most people in our country eat a light breakfast, a moderate lunch, and a large meal in the evening. Yet leaving the largest meal to the end of the day may not be the best choice, since it can result in uncomfortable distention and possibly heartburn when we retire for the night.  

Pattern for a more sleep-friendly meal plan: 

• Eat a substantial breakfast. Because we are breaking our nighttime fast and consuming the nutrients will need for energy throughout the morning, breakfast should be our largest meal of the day. Whole-grain breads and cereals, yogurt, and fruit are just a few examples of good breakfast choices. 
• Opt for a moderate lunch. Choose brown rice, pasta, or whole-grain bread and a serving of protein -- fish, eggs, chicken, meat or beans. 
• Finish with a light dinner. It is particularly important to eat lightly for our evening meal in order to prepare for a good night's sleep. Plan to finish our meal at least two hours before going to bed, preferably longer.
• Homoeopathic medicines like Aconite, Arsenicum album, Arnica, Bryonia, Calcerea, Chamomilla, Coffea, Hepar sulp, Kali Carb,  Mercurius, Nux.vom, Opium, Passiflorra, Pulsatilla, Sepia, Silicea are very much useful in treating sleeplessness.

References

1. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine
2. Repertory of the Homeopathic Materia Medica, Dr.J.T.Kent
3. Repertory to Homeopathic Materia Medica” by Oscar E. Boericke
4. www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders
5. Boenninghausen's therapeutic pocket book by Clemens von Boenninghausen
6. Principles of Prescribing, Dr. K.N.Mathur.
7. LILIENTHAL S., Homoeopathic Therapeutics
8. DEWEY W. A., Practical Homeopathic Therapeutics

Dr. S. R. AMEERKHAN BABU., M.D. (Hom) (Gen.med)

Reader, Dept. of Practice of Medicine

VMHMC&H,Salem, Tamilnadu.

SHARME HOMOEO CLINIC,

109, Dr.Babu house, Nallithottam,

Erode – 638011, Tamilnadu