This is a lovely article written by Jodi of Vibrant Blue oils, to add to the lifestyle, diet and supplements advice that we give you here in the clinic:
We keep almost all of the Vibrant Blue oils product range in the clinic for use with healing treatments; clients LOVE them <3
Before you get stuck into the article I would like to draw your attention to this wonderful article on sleep and how a solid 8 hours sleep may not be natural to the majority of us. This will help remove a lot of anxiety around the topic! Nightly 8-Hour Sleep Isn’t a Rule. It’s a Myth.
Also that sleep may cycle with the moon cycles and many clients including myself report less sleep and more vivid dreaming around the time of the full or new moon.
Also there is a significant amount of seasonal variation in relation to sleep; we tend to need more sleep in Winter and less in Summer; roll with it!
Women need more sleep than men, athletes need more sleep than ‘normal’ persons, women athletes will require even more and children need a lot more sleep than adults….
Sleep is Critical for Health and Healing
Restful sleep, defined as the ability to both fall asleep and stay asleep, is critical for health and healing. It allows time for the body to rest and repair, detoxify, balance blood sugar levels, burn calories and reset our energy reserves. Without restful sleep, we feel fatigued and our body compensates with cortisol spikes, sugar cravings and other tricks to keep us awake and functioning.
There is also growing evidence that sleep cycles impact other cycles in the body including the rhythmic patterns of the digestive and immune systems. When we sleep, the brain produces 90 minute cycles of slow wave sleep. This is followed by periods of rapid eye movement (REM) during which dreams occur. During the night, the gut also produces 90 minute slow wave muscle contractions which are followed by short burst of rapid movement. Poor sleep cycles can disrupt this digestive function and the healing process within the gut.
Jodi’s article continues here so please click here to read on for practical and helpful advise.
FYI Sleep is both my nemesis and my most favourite place in the world to be. I have a vivid dream life as much as I have problems with insomnia. I have struggled ALL of my life with sleep issues as well as night hunger (not related to going to bed hungry). I feel an expert at this stage to assist and guide you and also for you to understand more about what may be triggering your problems.
In a nutshell what I have found works for me is aromatherapy oils, energy essences (available in the clinic), my Lumie desttop lamp at work a help to regulate my melatonin in wintertime, and also my selenite and white salt lamps at home in the evening to wind me down… Supplements have been hit and miss; however I dislike taking strong ones.
Please contact the clinic should you need support as restful sleep is the cornerstone to good health and your body’s ability to heal.
In the meantime here is another helpful practical article on night-eating written by Mark Sisson
Love,
Andrea (a big believer in the day-time nap)
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