How to get a good night's sleep

-Adults typically require between 6 to 9 hours sleep per day

-We spend a third of our life sleeping, therefore it is crucial that we sleep wisely.

Advantages of good night's sleep

-A good night's sleep helps improve your mental awareness, memory, life expectancy and ability to ward of disease.

-Sleep is also involved in healing and repair of the body. It reduces stress, the risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes etc

Criteria for a good night's sleep

-Adopt a strict bedtime schedule. Go to bed and get up at the same time. 

-Adopt a consistent bedtime ritual to train your brain to become familiar with sleep and waking times. For example perform the same activities as you wind down, such as listening to relaxing music and reading.

-Write down a 'to do list' to clear your mind of any distractions. To reduce anxiety, always jot what's on your mind and set it aside for tomorrow.

-Finish eating meal two to three hours before bed and ensure snacks are taken at least 90 minute before bed as well.

-Regular exercise promotes healthy sleep. Ensure this is done much earlier in the day and not right before bed.

-Research shows that watching TV, using a computer or other electronic devices at night suppresses the production of a sleep-inducing hormone called melatonin. The artificial light emitted by these devices makes it more difficult to fall asleep.

What is Melatonin?

Melatonin is a hormone involved in regulating your sleep and wake cycle. It is referred to as the 'Dracula hormone' because its affected by our exposure to light. In order to make you sleepy, your body produces more melatonin during the evening when it’s dark. And conversely, melatonin levels fall during the day when it’s light. You can naturally increase your melatonin levels. 

How to naturally boost your bodies Melatonin levels:

-Avoid artificial lights (TV's, computers and phones) at night because they stimulate the mind and suppress melatonin production.

-Ensure that your bedroom is dark, ideally pitch black

-Avoiding caffeine, sugar and processed foods

-Eat foods which boost melatonin - bananas, oranges, oats, rice, peanuts, tomatoes and seeds.

Eat foods containing Tryptophan

Tryptophan is an amino acid that helps induce the production of serotonin, which is required to make melatonin. Foods containing tryptophan include:

Dairy products

Soy

Nuts

Seafood

Turkey and chicken

Whole grains

Beans

Rice

Eggs

Sesame seeds

Sunflower seeds

And some micronutrients are also important in the production of melatonin:

Vitamin B-6 (chicken, fish, banana and red meat)

Zinc (red meat, chicken, oysters, cheese, milk, eggs, seeds and nuts)

Magnesium (dark chocolate:1 to 2 ounces per day, bananas, milk, wholemeal bread, potatoes, oatmail and breakfast cereals)

Folic acid (cereals, rice, pastas, leafy green vegetables and oranges)

Interesting reads and Podcasts on sleep

The Peter Attia Drive - Matthew Walker, Ph.D on the Dangers of Poor Sleep.

https://podcastnotes.org/2019/04/02/sleep-4/

The Joe Rogan Experience – Sleep Expert and Neuroscientist Dr. Matthew Walker. https://podcastnotes.org/2018/04/29/why-we-sleep/