A good night’s sleep… there’s nothing more restorative — or elusive… for the 64% of Americans who report regularly having trouble sleeping. A disconcertingly high percentage of the sleepless (nearly 20%) solve the problem by taking sleeping pills, but you can guess how I feel about that! Not only do we know that sleeping pills are dangerous and potentially addictive, physically and/or emotionally — but swallowing a pill when you want to go to sleep doesn’t address the root cause of the problem. What, exactly, is keeping you up at night?
I have always felt strongly about this — and now even more so, since I had a conversation with Rubin Naiman, PhD, a psychologist and clinical assistant professor of medicine at the University of Arizona’s Center for Integrative Medicine, who called it “somewhat violent” that we expect to be able to climb into bed and fall immediately asleep… slumber soundly all night… and then rise and shine, on demand, at the buzz of the morning alarm! We discussed how to set more “natural” expectations, which can help bring about the “gentle experience” that he believes sleep is meant to be.
According to Dr. Naiman, most of our sleep problems have to do not with our bodies, per se, but with our habits. The modern American lifestyle — replete with highly refined foods and caffeine-laden beverages, excessive exposure to artificial light in the evening, and “adrenaline-producing” nighttime activities, such as working until bedtime, watching TV or surfing the Web — leaves us overstimulated in the evening just when our bodies are designed to slow down… and, importantly, to literally cooldown as well.
Studies show that a cooler core body temperature — and warmer hands and feet — make you sleepy. “Cooling the body allows the mind and the heart to get quiet,” said Dr. Naiman. He believes that this cooling process contributes to the release of melatonin, the hormone that helps to regulate the body’s circadian rhythm of sleeping and waking.
EXTRA: For 28 more articles with a wide variety of information on helping you sleep, go to Bottom Line’s Guide to Better Sleep…No Sleeping Pills Needed.
Dr. Naiman has developed an integrative approach to sleep that defines healthy sleep as an interaction between a person and his/her sleep environment. He calls this approach Deep Green Sleep. “My goal was to explore all of the subtleties in a person’s life that may be disrupting sleep,” he told me. “This takes into account your physiology, emotions, personal experiences, sleeping and waking patterns and your attitudes about sleep and the sleeping environment.” This approach is unique because it values “the subjective and personal experience of sleep,” he said — in contrast with conventional sleep treatment, which tends to rely on “computer printouts of sleep studies — otherwise known as ‘treating the chart.'”
It’s important to realize that lifestyle habits and attitudes are hard to change, so Dr. Naiman cautioned that it often can take weeks, even months, to achieve his Deep Green Sleep. The good news is that the results are lasting and may even enhance your waking life.
Here are his suggestions on how you can ease into the night…
“The secret of a good night’s sleep is a good day’s waking,” said Dr. Naiman. This includes getting regular exercise (but not within three hours of bedtime) and eating a balanced, nutritious diet.
It’s important to help your mind and body cool down, starting several hours before bedtime, by doing the following…
It is also important that where you sleep be stimulation-free and conducive to rest.
In your bedroom:
Each day, allow your mind and body to surrender to sleep by engaging in quieting and relaxing activities starting about an hour before bedtime, such as:
Sex seems to help most people relax and can facilitate sleep, in part because climaxing triggers a powerful relaxation response, Dr. Naiman said.
If sleep is still elusive after trying these Deep Green Sleep tips, Dr. Naiman often suggests a melatonin supplement. Dr. Naiman believes that this is better than sleeping pills since melatonin is “the body’s own natural chemical messenger of night.” “Melatonin does not directly cause sleep, but triggers a cascade of events that result in natural sleep and dreams,” he said, adding that it is nonaddictive, inexpensive and generally safe. Not all doctors agree however, so it is important to check with your doctor first.
If you’re interested in learning more about Dr. Naiman’s Deep Green Sleep program, you can visit his Web site (www.TheSleepAdvisor.com) and take a free quiz that helps identify your particular sleep challenges. But, since it is computer-based, make sure you do it several hours before bedtime!
