To Sleep, Perchance to Dream...

July 27, 2009

Can you believe the lazy days of summer are almost over? When I think of summer and being lazy, I like to think of sleeping...mostly thinking about how I would like more sleep. Too many of us seem to believe that sleep can be optional, or that we can minimize the number of hours we sleep so we can seemingly be more productive. But did you know that sleep may actually make parts of your brain bigger and help it recover from injury? Like most things in life, it’s about moderation - you don't want too little sleep, but then again, you don't want too much sleep.  How much is enough?

According to the National Sleep Foundation, teenagers should getup to 9-1/2 hours of sleep a night, and adults from 7 to 9 hours. If you're like most folks, getting enough sleep can be challenging.  And I know many of you have trouble falling asleep or maintaining sleep. So here are some tips to get those 7-9 hours of restful sleep.

• I'm sure you've heard to keep the room as dark as possible.  The reason why is that the dark apparently triggers your brain to release melatonin, a hormone that helps with sleep.
• Many of you know not to eat right before going to bed or your digestive system will keep you up. However, a glass of warm milk an hour before bedtime might help. It has a substance called tryptophan which is broken down in your body into serotonin which helps induce sleep. Other foods with tryptophan include turkey, honey, oats and bananas. Eating a bit of these foods (don't go eating a turkey sandwich at 9 pm!) will enhance this sleepy effect by increasing the level of tryptophan in the blood.
• Cut down on the alcohol. It doesn't help with restful sleep. Studies show it can cause shallow sleep, night sweats, early awakenings, as well as headaches.
• EXERCISE! The more active you are during the day, the better you will sleep that night. Just avoid doing it right before sleeping because the hormones that exercise release will keep you awake for a while.

Follow these tips and you can enjoy the remaining days of summer!

Comments

[Billie Freeman]

Please let me know how I may write a question to Dr. Whyte? This is so very important. It concerns my son who is 27 years old.
PLEASE do not delete this,it is so very important.
Thank you for your help