Sleep and thyroid health, part 4: food, booze and other sleep-affecting habits

October 22, 2017

There’s a lot going on in the world right now.  How has your sleep been lately?  Which tips that I’ve recently shared (why sleep matters for health,  embracing the dark, wind-down routines) have been working for you?

 

Today I’m sharing some food and beverage tips, and more…

 

Helpful habits for better sleep

 

• Avoid drinking a lot of liquids in the evening.  Get most of your hydration earlier in the day or your bladder will wake you up.

 

• Avoid caffeine too late in the day  – or forgo it altogether for a few weeks and observe whether your sleep improves.

 

• Avoid alcohol too late in the evening – people seem to sleep better if the alcohol is with their meal, and early enough so that they can re-hydrate (alcohol is a diuretic and thirst can wake you up) before bed.

 

• Diet.  Are you on a low-carb or low-fat diet?  Maybe having just a salad for dinner?  Sometimes insomnia can result from dips in blood sugar, which causes cortisol (energy) to be released, leading to tossing and turning or waking.  Adding in starchy vegetables, like sweet potato or squash, to your salad/dinner, along with healthy fats like olive oil, coconut oil, or butter, will keep your blood sugar stable and your sleep more peaceful.

 

• Get regular physical exercise and movement throughout the day

 

• Spend time outside each day, soaking up some vitamin D (important for your circadian rhythm and sleep quality) by exposing your skin for minimum of 15 minutes without sunscreen.  If this isn’t possible, consider a light-therapy box.  See www.cet.org for more information.

 

• Get bright light first thing in the morning (stimulates cortisol, which wakes us up); try having your morning coffee or tea while looking out the window, or going for a brief walk outside.

 

• Consider regular acupuncture as a new habit for overactive nervous systems to help you relax and fall sleep faster.

 

Incorporate a few of these tips and watch how your sleep can improve!  Coming soon:  Herbs, oils and other tools that aid sleep.

Sleep well,

Colleen

p.s. If these awesome suggestions aren’t helping and you’d like my help trouble-shooting your sleep, contact me and we’ll set up a special 30 minute sleep consultation (currently $75) with customized recommendations for your situation.