Page 18 - HOH

A24 HEALTH
Wednesday 19 June 2019

Health and Beauty Sleep

has grown shorter since the beginning of the music. 3) Create a sleep-conducive environ-
century, from 9 hours to 7.5 hours. People who ment that is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool.
give up sleep to make more time for work and 4) Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows.
leisure are aging must faster than they should 5) Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex. It
be. is best to take work materials, computers and
During sleep-deprivation, researchers found, televisions out of the sleeping environment. 6)
men’s blood sugar levels took 40% longer to Eat a healthy diet and finish eating at least 2-3
drop, compared with the natural sleep-recov- hours before your regular bedtime. 7) Exercise
ery period; and their ability to secrete and regularly. It is best to complete your workout
respond to the hormone insulin, which helps at least a few hours before bedtime. 8) Avoid
regulate blood sugar, dropped by 30%. These caffeine (e.g. coffee, tea, and soft drinks, or
By: Dr. Carlos Viana changes reflect the effects of insulin resistance. chocolate) close to bedtime. It can keep you
In addition, the sleep-deprived men had higher awake. 9) Avoid nicotine (e.g. cigarettes, to-
After greeting our patient, the first question I nighttime concentrations of the hormone corti- bacco products) Used close to bedtime, it can
ask is: “How did you sleep last night”? Sleep sol, which also helps regulate blood sugar, and lead to poor sleep. 10) Avoid alcohol close to
is a basic human need, as important for good lower levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone. bedtime. It can lead to disrupted sleep later in
health as diet and exercise. Only when we are These raised cortisol levels are often seen in old- the night. 11) Do not run electrical wires under
sound asleep do our bodies repair. When we er people, and may be involved in age-related or over your bed.
sleep, our bodies rest but our brains are active, insulin resistance and memory loss. Pharmaceutical drugs to get to sleep are not
laying the groundwork for healing and produc- Many childhood sleep problems are related a healthy solution. These drugs do not produce
tivity. Most people need eight hours of sleep to irregular sleep habits or to anxiety. Persis- the deep curative sleep needed to regain our
nightly. Unfortunately, for 10% to 25% of us, not tent sleep problems may also be symptoms of health and are habit-forming. There are natu-
being able to get to sleep or insomnia can be emotional difficulties. “Separation anxiety” is a ral food supplements like 5 – HTP and Theanine
a chronic condition. Approximately 98 million developmental landmark for young children. (from Green Tea) can help considerably if tak-
dollars a year is spent in the United States alone Bedtime is a time of separation. Some children en with a little natural fruit juice thirty minutes
on over-the-counter sleep aids. Not getting will do all they can to prevent separation at or more before you eat. If your sleep cycle
enough restful sleep results in daytime sleepi- bedtime. has changed because of travel or work shift
ness, increased accidents, problems concen- The average woman aged 30-60 sleeps only six change the natural supplement melatonin will
trating and poor performance on the job and hours and forty-one minutes during the work- help reset your sleep cycle. Acupuncture helps
in school, and increased sickness and weight week. Conditions unique to women, like the balance your body and encourages restful
gain. menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause, sleep. A visit to a natural physician could help
can affect how well a woman sleeps. This is be- you determine the cause of your sleep problem
Lack of sleep seems to be a major stress factor. cause the changing levels of hormones that a and how to best help it. Remember, you can-
Regularly catching only a few hours of sleep woman experiences throughout the month, like not restore your health without sound sleep.
can hinder metabolism and hormone produc- estrogen and progesterone, have an impact Get the Point! Getting the right amount of sleep
tion in a way that is similar to the effects of ag- on sleep. Understanding the effects of these is vital, but just as important is the quality of your
ing and the early stages of diabetes. Chronic hormones, environmental factors and lifestyle sleep. An adequate amount of sleep is as im-
sleep loss may speed the onset or increase the habits can help women enjoy a good night’s portant as an adequate amount of exercise.
severity of conditions such as type II diabetes, sleep. Most of us do not fully appreciate the value of
high blood pressure, obesity, and memory loss. Having trouble getting to sleep? The follow- a full night’s sleep. I believe that seven hours
Medical researchers have shown that just one ing ten suggestions might help. 1) Maintain a is an absolute minimum for most all of us, and
week of sleep deprivation altered subject’s hor- regular bed and wake time schedule including most of us would benefit from closer to 9 hours.
mone levels and their capacity to metabolize weekends. 2) Establish a regular, relaxing bed- Ask any woman how much better she feels and
carbohydrates. Research has shown that in time routine such as soaking in a hot bath and looks when getting her full allotment of beauty
developed countries, the average night’s sleep then reading a book or listening to soothing sleep.q