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IMPROVE YOUR SNOOZE
Sleep Aids versus Sleep Sappers
by Judith Fertig C
an eating a whole-wheat peanut butter cracker or sipping tart cherry juice help us sleep? Either
is certainly worth a try, because most of us aren’t getting enough shut-eye. Ac- cording to the nonprofit National Sleep Foundation, 64 percent of America’s adults frequently experience sleep problems; nearly half wake up at least once during the night. This deficit of restorative rest can affect our health. “Lack of sleep can affect the im-
mune system,” says Dr. Timothy Mor- genthaler, of the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center and an officer of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “Studies show that people that don’t get a good night’s sleep or don’t get enough sleep are more likely to get sick after
being exposed to a virus, such as the common cold.” A concept called sleep hygiene
refers to good health practices that pro- mote sleep. For example: Is the room dark or quiet enough? Is the mattress comfortable? Have we allowed suf- ficient time to wind down after daily activities to become relaxed? What we eat or drink also can have a profound effect on getting a good night’s rest.
Sleep Sappers Physicians, naturopaths and nutrition- ists generally agree that these key fac- tors delay or disrupt sleep. Food and drink. According to Ja-
mie Corroon, a naturopathic physician
with Seattle’s Bastyr University, eating or drinking too much during the day may make us less comfortable when settling down to sleep. Also, spicy foods may cause heartburn, which can lead to difficulty falling asleep and discomfort during the night. Caffeine. “Caffeine’s stimulant ef-
fect peaks in about one hour, and then declines as the liver breaks it down. So, if you go to bed by 11 p.m., you’ll have to stop your caffeine intake by 2 or 3 p.m. to avoid insomnia,” advises best- selling author Joy Bauer, a registered dietitian and nutritionist in New York City. She also cautions about energy drinks that incorporate herbal caffeine that may include guarana seeds, kola nuts and yerba mate leaves. Nightcaps. Although many people
think of alcohol as a sedative, it actu- ally disrupts sleep, according to experts at the National Sleep Foundation.
Sleep Aids What helps us sleep may be either a food’s chemical properties or the psychological and physical comfort we associate with a certain food or drink. Options include some old reliables. Walnuts and tart cherry juice.
Studies conducted by the University of Texas Health Science Center, in San Antonio, and published in the Journal of Medicinal Food found that these two foods are great sources of melatonin, a natural hormone that helps regulate sleep cycles. Tart cherry juice was found to be especially effective in reducing the time it took subjects to fall asleep. Herbs. According to the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University
CENTER FOR HEALTH ANDWELLNESS New Location: 1728 Bissonnet, Houston TX 77005
Lisa G. McFarland, L.M.T., C.C.I., CST CranioSacral Therapist
Certified Medical-Counseling Intuitive Certified Somatic Therapist
www.CenterforHealthandWellness.org 713-528-7200
www.naturalawakenings-houston.com
@ THE HEALING SPACE
natural awakenings February 2012 29
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