More and more research points to inadequate sleep as a contributor to the cause of many chronic diseases in our society. A critical ingredient for getting a good night’s sleep is managing the last couple of hours of your evening. This is even more important in the time we find ourselves having to live with the uncertainty of COVID.

It is widely acknowledged that our addiction to social media (another expert sharing his/her opinions about COVID) and the widespread fascination with our devices fuels much of the global sleep recession the world is experiencing.

Blue Light

Blue light wavelengths (from either the sun, energy-efficient lighting or electronics) are beneficial during the day because they boost attention, reaction times and mood. However, at night, the blue light emitted from our tech toys and modern-day lighting is a powerful activator of photoreceptors called ‘intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells’ that reduce the amount of melatonin our brain’s pineal gland can secrete and knocks our biological clock out of whack. Essentially, that means your body does not know whether it’s supposed to be awake or asleep, and that is why you may feel tired – exhausted even – but can’t get to sleep.

Without adequate sleep, it is fiercely difficult to get up early and be productive during the day. And if that is not enough, there are a number of other highly damaging things that happen during sleepless nights that can impair your ability to function during the day, support vibrant health and experience happiness.

What Else?

Although our bodies may take a rest during the night, our little brains are very, very active. A lot of ‘maintenance’ occurs, and can only occur when we are off in the land of nod.

One activity that happens only when we sleep is ‘brain washing’ (not the kind you may be thinking!). When we sleep, our brain is literally cleansed by cerebral spinal fluid so it can operate at warp speed during our waking hours. (Reduced occurrences of this nightly brain washing have also been cited as a possible contributor to plaque formation found in people with Alzheimer’s disease.)

Another is the production of the human growth hormone (HGH), a hormone that raises your moods, cognition, energy levels and lean muscle mass, supports a strong metabolism and a long lifespan while reducing your cravings through the regulation of leptin (the hormone that decreases appetite) and ghrelin (the hormone that signals hunger). While HGH is released through exercise (a good reason to exercise first thing in the morning), 75% of HGH production happens when you sleep.

So, how much sleep do we need? Research shows that the sweet spot turns out to be between 7&1/2 and 8&1/2 hours.

Managing Your Sleep

There are a number of things you can do to prevent sleep-deprivation. Some of them may sound familiar, too, if you have children because they involve establishing a nightly routine.

* Start early. Expose yourself to lots of sunlight during the day. It will boost your ability to sleep at night, as well as your mood and alertness during the day.

* No caffeine after 2pm. Limit alcohol in the evening.

* Begin with scheduling the last meal of the day at least 3 hours before heading to bed. Let your stomach rest also.

* Establish a nightly routine that your body will begin to recognize as the wind-down period. Do some light stretching, take a bath (by candlelight) or shower, give yourself a relaxing, moisturizing reflexology session, engage in a meaningful conversation, meditate and/or read a physical book by lamplight. These activities will train the brain to release sleep hormones and will relax the mind and body in preparation for sleep.

* Turn off all electronic devices at least one hour before you plan to retire. (preferably for the three hours discussed above)

* Remove all electronic items from your bedroom. No phones, tablets, computers or digital clocks. Use the old-style alarm clock, and ideally no television in your sleep area either.

* Go to bed and rise at the same time every night and morning. Regularity is the number one thing you can do to improve sleep. Remember how important that was for setting the kids (and yourself) up for a good day?

* Sleep in a cool, dark room.

* Try reciting all that you are grateful for that has occurred that day before drifting off to sleep. Ending the day feeling gratitude is such a gift.

* If you are having a restless night, research tells us it’s best to get up, move to another room, read a book (not look at screens) in dim light until you feel tired again; then return to bed. Tossing and turning in bed for hours just trains the brain to associate wakefulness with the bed. The other strategy that works equally well is to sit up and meditate.

* If you regularly wake with muscular pain, check out the age and state of your pillows and mattress. It may be time to replace.

* If you are not yet ready to give up your devices at night, at least go to the Settings on your smartphone or tablet and look under Display and Brightness. You will see options to filter out the blue light. You can schedule a Night Shift/Blue Light Reduction between certain hours so as to automatically filter out the blue light. Slide the bar that appears for Color Temperature more to the warmer side.

Many of our clients are struggling with sleep disorders, even before the situation we find ourselves in now. Please feel free to share the above with anyone you think might benefit.

Sweet dreams!

Towards the end of April, a friend of mine, Kevan Breitinger, felt strongly that the 40 days of quarantine we had just endured couldn’t all be for nothing and so invited some people to answer three questions about their experience sheltering-in-place. The result, a raw, real, and uplifting exposé came together as a wonderful little book, entitled 40 Days in the Hole: Self-Care in the Time of the Corona Pandemic. I was one of the honored invited to contribute.

So why this name?

When she realized she had been in isolation for that many days, Kevan was reminded of the significance of the number 40 in numerous spiritual practices.

* Both Jesus and the Buddha are said to have started their ministries with a time of testing in the wilderness that lasted 40 days.

* The Prophet Mohammed fasted for 40 days in a cave.

* Muslims today fast and pray for 40 days during the Ramzan period.

* Christians fast and reflect for 40 days between Lent and Easter.

* Hindu and Zoroastrian communities include 40-day periods of prayers.

The number 40 also carries within it the idea of completion, as in 40 weeks of pregnancy.

As Kevan admits, “My own story is a bit less illustrious, so my first thoughts went to jail slang and song lyrics about 40 days in the hole!”

Whatever, I think it’s a catchy title to summarize a variety of perspectives and experiences that manage to remind us that, although we may be apart, we are #alonetogether.

Purchase your copy from Amazon for only $9.99. You’ll likely recognize parts of yourself in this collaboration, and perhaps close the book feeling inspired and encouraged.

For many years, researchers have suspected a link between low-grade chronic inflammation and many critical diseases. Numerous studies have pointed to it and now one, in particular, may finally provide the evidence needed to prove it.[i]

Ten thousand subjects were tested with an anti-inflammatory drug to see if it would lower the rate of heart disease. It did. But the surprise was that it also reduced lung cancer mortality by more than 77% and reports of gout and arthritis!

I’ve read many articles regarding the ill effects of low-grade inflammation in the body, but none was as succinct and as simple to understand than The Cure for EVERYTHING, in a recent AARP Bulletin. I think the information is worth sharing:

Two Kinds of Inflammation

Not all inflammation is bad. On the contrary, acute inflammation is a necessary part of the healing process our bodies innately know to call upon in the event of injury or trauma to the body.

If you sprain an ankle and it swells up, or you cut your hand resulting in pain and redness, or become infected with a flu virus that causes a fever to spike – these are all signs that your body is responding to the need for healing chemicals to be released to help remedy the situation. Once the condition improves, the inflammatory process ends. All good.

And then there is acute inflammation’s troublesome cousin – chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is caused by a misfiring of the immune system that keeps the body in a constant state of alert.

The danger with existing in this chronic state of inflammatory alertness is that eventually all healthy cells in the body are damaged.

The culprits in this destructive attack are the neutrophils, the second line of defense that the body releases when inflammation just won’t go away. They are referred to as the ‘hand grenades of the immune system’. And for good reason. They destroy all cells, not just sick or damaged ones, but healthy ones as well.

The linings of your arteries or intestines are attacked, as well as the tissue in your brain, pancreas, liver, muscles, and joints. Cellular damage can trigger diseases such as diabetes, dementia, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and depression.

Nothing to sneeze at.

Reducing Chronic Inflammation

There is a lot written about diet and lifestyle choices that affect the level of inflammation in the body. Suffice to say, it is worth investigating for yourself and implementing some of what is suggested. Remember that internal inflammation is not something we can see or even feel, even though it may silently be mounting a lethal attack on our tissues.

Here are some commonly-referenced suggestions for lowering a chronically inflamed environment in the body:

1. Eat plenty of anti-inflammatory foods, such as cold-water fish (salmon and tuna are examples), tofu, walnuts, flax seeds, soybeans, garlic, olive oil, black tea, ginger, rosemary, and turmeric. Load up on fruits and veggies.
2. Cut back or eliminate foods that create inflammation: red meat, and anything with trans fats, such as margarine, corn oil, deep-fried foods, and most processed foods.
3. Control sugar intake. Avoiding ‘white foods’ will do much to cut out the highly-refined simple carbohydrates that spike blood sugar and play havoc on the pancreas.
4. Exercise regularly. Do anything – something – doesn’t matter what. Exercise helps to prevent inflammation.
5. Manage your weight. Excess weight carries with it more inflammation.
6. And, finally, manage your stress. Living with chronic stress releases a cascade of hormones in the body that inflame and damage our body’s tissues.

Make stress reduction a regular part of your healthcare strategy. Pick your medicine: meditation, yoga, walks in nature, intentional breathing, tub soaks by candlelight, and of course, reflexology and massage.

The above measures will pay off over time. Your health will improve, and you will reduce the risk of chronic disease.

[i] ‘The Cure for EVERYTHING’; AARP Bulletin November 2019

Six Keys to Reducing Inflammation