A Personal Look at Sleep

03/09/20 • 38 min

Dr. John and Beth Yim have a candid conversation about sleep, how it can negatively impact health, what individuals can do to get more sleep and what they are doing to improve their quality and quantity of sleep.
Here some Actionable Steps for Getting Enough Sleep

Ö Check in with your routine, do you have one? Go through the steps mentioned above, if you find you aren’t doing them, break the suggestions into smaller steps and do just one of the smaller items. For example, set the alarm at 9 pm to brush your teeth. Don’t worry about any other steps or going to bed, just start with this small step, do it consistently for 21 days and then add having a warm shower. Consistent changes reap big rewards.

Ö See your ND and get tested for food sensitivities; hormones with the salivary hormone test that includes cortisol; specific nutrient deficiencies with the hair mineral analysis and other tests as advised.

Ö If you do not have access to an ND, keep your diet simple by eating more vegetables, two cups of fruit a day, eating less animal products and limiting gluten grains.

Ö Avoid white products, including sugar and white flour, use yams more instead of potatoes and make your meal plate as colourful as possible.

Ö Follow his/her directions for avoiding sensitive foods and getting hormones and nutrients back in balance.

Ö Avoid caffeine after 2 pm and alcohol at night, it may put you to sleep initially but it also has a rebound affect, waking you up later.

Ö If you live in North America, more than likely you are deficient in magnesium. Talk to your ND about the right dose for you before bed.

Ö Learn some simple meditation techniques and use in bed. Progressive Relaxation can work wonders.

Ö Try soaking your feet in a warm tub of Epsom salts and water. It can stimulate a visit to the bathroom, preventing an annoying wake up later in the night and soothes muscles. Add a couple of drops of lavender and you are in for a sleepy treat.

Ö Avoid a heavy, fatty or sugary meal for dinner or before bed.

Ö Try having a banana before bed.

Ö Add 10 minutes every day to your time outside in nature. If you sit in an office with no access to nature, hang a picture of a tree. It releases feel good serotonin, relieving anxiety.

Ö Avoid exercise 2-3 hours before bedtime.

Ö Hang black out curtains and avoid blue light before bed.
Turn off all electronics at least an hour before bed.
FYI
See your naturopathic physician for products mentioned in podcast: Designs For Health, Insomnitol, SagoPro.
Tests: Salivary Hormone Panel

Ö If you do not have access to an ND, keep your diet simple by eating more vegetables, two cups of fruit a day, eating less animal products and limiting gluten grains.

Ö Avoid white products, including sugar and white flour, use yams more instead of potatoes and make your meal plate as colourful as possible.

Ö Follow his/her directions for avoiding sensitive foods and getting hormones and nutrients back in balance.

Ö Avoid caffeine after 2 pm and alcohol at night, it may put you to sleep initially but it also has a rebound affect, waking you up later.

Ö If you live in North America, more than likely you are deficient in magnesium. Talk to your ND about the right dose for you before bed.

Ö Learn some simple meditation techniques and use in bed. Progressive Relaxation can work wonders.

Ö Avoid a heavy, fatty or sugary meal for dinner or before bed.

Ö Try having a banana before bed.

Ö Add 10 minutes every day to your time outside in nature. If you sit in an office with no access to nature, hang a picture of a tree. It releases feel good serotonin, relieving anxiety.

Ö Avoid exercise 2-3 hours before bedtime.

Previous Episode

Detox with Colon Hydrotherapist, Chantal David

In this Vital Moments episode, Chantal David, LPN, Colon Hydrotherapist, Spa Therapist and Laser Technician will share her Detox Tricks.
Always wanted to know what a colonic is? Want to find out why Chantal chose Colon Hydrotherapy as a career? Curious about the Foot Detox experience?

Next Episode

Becoming Better: Creating a Better Health Story

Rituals, Melatonin and a Continuation on the Conversation about Sleep
Sleep is important for good health at any time, but now, in the face of a deadly pandemic, it's even more important and for many harder to come by. Stress and anxiety can have you staying up late with eyes glued to the news, or wide awake fretting about things you want to control but can't.
With immunity needing to be optimized more than ever, enough quality sleep is often times put on the bottom of the to-do-list.
Dr. Yim goes into detail about the cycle of stress and how melatonin production can be negatively impacted. Both Beth and John also talk about their journey to improving sleep, how food impacts quality of sleep and how gratitude and refocusing is helping both of them become better.
Resources and Further Reading
Fighting Fatigue
More podcasts and videos on sleep, check out the video on detoxification with Chantal David
Find out if your lack of sleep is due to imbalances. Interesting info on tests offered by one of our labs.