Getting out of sleep debt: Part II
In Part I, we discussed some of the problems with sleep deprivation, likening it to financial debt — too much uncontrolled debt can eventually lead to bankruptcy! In the case of a health bankruptcy or crisis, learning what to do and what not do that leads you down that spiral is the first step in getting a foothold on that slippery slope.
Understanding what we have control of gives us some initial tools to help us get a handle on our sleep. First of all, there are two main issues: one is not being able to fall asleep and the second is not being able to stay asleep.
If you are unable to fall asleep, it is usually due to either an excess of something or a deficiency of something. Excesses include consumption of sugar, coffee, alcohol (even though alcohol is a sedative, for many it does interfere with sleep). The more you consume of these things, the more likely you are to have issues with your sleep. Even medications can keep you awake.
Deficiencies would include mineral deficiencies. The brain, for instance, requires minerals to shift from sympathetic dominance, which is the active mode of the brain into parasympathetic dominance, which is the quiet functions of the brain. Deficiencies in calcium can contribute to sleep disorders and things such as leg cramps that can keep you awake at night.
Other deficiencies that disrupt sleep could include the fats necessary to the manufacture of sleep hormones, a deficiency in your digestive enzymes which can create digestive stress and health challenges such as pain and itching that are distractive and can keep you awake.
When you awake at night for no reason (this is different than being awakened because of a noise, because of an animal or because of snoring), it is generally because of a blood sugar imbalance. There are certain measures that you can do to help your blood sugar in the middle of the night so you can fall asleep easily and stay asleep, and hopefully, even have good blood sugars when you wake up in the morning.
For each of these problems discussed there’s a myriad of enzymes, herbs, dietary changes and other such things that can be done to help with proper sleep. If you are having a difficult time with sleep, acupuncture may be the vital key that you need to help you. Acupuncture works on the systems that both help you fall asleep and stay asleep. By correcting the underlying problem (digestive insufficiency, pain, blood sugar imbalances, anxiety, stress, pure exhaustion) acupuncture can prove to be your new best friend! It is important when you pursue acupuncture to make sure that you have somebody who is an investigator — someone who will dig deep to find out why you are not sleeping in the first place and not just treat the symptoms.
Learn more by attending our upcoming health class, 7 Secrets to Getting to Sleep, Staying Asleep & Waking Refreshed, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 27 at Vital Health in Coeur d’Alene. Fee: $10. RSVP: 208-765-1994 or register here: http://bit.ly/SleepClass
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Holly Carling is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, Doctor of Naturopathy, Clinical Nutritionist and Master Herbologist with nearly four decades of experience. Carling is a “Health Detective.” She looks beyond your symptom picture and investigates WHY you are experiencing your symptoms in the first place. Carling is currently accepting new patients and offers natural health care services and whole food nutritional supplements in her Coeur d’Alene clinic. Visit Carling’s website at www.vitalhealthcda.com to learn more about Carling, view a list of upcoming health classes and read other informative articles. Carling can be reached at 208-765-1994 and would be happy to answer any questions regarding this topic.