Sleep can be a huge frustration when it is just not happening as it should.  Let’s look at a few different areas of sleep factors.

Environment - Is it too dark, light, cold, hot, noisy, quiet, comfy, challenging.  What things come to mind about your sleep area?  Try the opposite of what you have.  Dark and cool with some white noise in a comfy area would be normally the best, but we are all different.  You can look to alter each of these and see how it affects your sleep.  Maybe some white noise so that small noises don’t bother you is something to try.

What happens before bed - Next, what do you do before you go to bed?  Screen time, exercise, eating, caffeine, alcohol, over thinking, worry, just to name a few,  These are things that can affect sleep long term.  Making lifestyle changes to see what may be related to lack of ability to sleep is helpful.  Things to add in could be diffusing lavender or eucalyptus, a fan to help with both white noise and cool air.  Deep breathing is helpful and very relaxing.  Listening to guided meditation can also help to distract the brain.

Also I want to mention something called EFT - Emotional Freedom Technique.  Nick Ortner has the Tapping Solution which has many people following and finding benefits to the simple steps of tapping and working through things that may be keeping them awake.

Nutrients - Relaxation nutrients can be very helpful.  Magnesium is an incredible muscle relaxing nutrient.  Many people who can’t sleep have restless leg syndrome.  One helpful factor for restless legs is magnesium.  Also nutrients like melatonin, and some herbs are specially formulated for insomnia.  Helpful to get support from someone who specializes in this area like a herbologist or nutritionist to help with finding additional options as there are options that do work for many people.

A more complicated factor, but worth mentioning, is the GABA / Glutamate neurotransmitters.  GABA is a calming neurotransmitter versus glutamate which is excitatory and can stimulate the nervous system.  Add in more GABA rich foods, such as, cruciferous vegetables, beans, peas, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, sprouted grains, rice (particularly brown rice), and chestnuts. Also, enjoy fermented foods (kefir, yogurt, tempeh, kimchi, etc.) and oolong and white teas, which all naturally contain GABA.   Also less glutamate excitatory foods is helpful.  This includes MSG additives, in many processed and commercial made and restaurant foods.  Free glutamate includes MSG and foods such as tomatoes and cheese.

These can all be helpful, just be open and give one a try at a time.  What if you do enjoy or?  Or what if even if you don’t enjoy it, your sleep improves.

Below I have a link to a nice sleep supporting homemade beverage to try at night.

A few past blogs to read….

https://qualitygreens.com/blog/page:3/post/154/Sleep/

There are other blogs on Quality Greens.  Feel free to search as some of the others have information on sleep or other health areas as well.

Have a great week!

Lisa..