Barbara L. Heller - Sleep and Relaxation: A Natural and Herbal Approach

A Natural and Herbal Approach

Barbara Heller, M.S.W.

How many hours a night do you sleep? Is your sleep deep and refreshing? Or do you find it hard to fall asleep, your mind racing with worries and thoughts from the day? Do you toss and turn, rouse often, and wake up tired? Or do you consistently wake too early? If you experience any of these symptoms, you are not alone.

One in three Americans doesnt get enough sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, two thirds of Americans report a recognizable sleep problem. The National Commission on Sleep Disorders asserts that America is sleep-deprived with serious consequences. Consider the following:

Estimates suggest that 95 percent of those with sleep disorders go undiagnosed.

Thirty-seven percent of Americans report being so sleepy during the day that it interferes with daily activities. This increases to 52 percent for shift workers.

More than 5 billion doses of tranquilizers and sleeping pills are prescribed annually in the United States.

For most of us, sleep problems are temporary and are caused by stress, the demands of work, an impossibly long chore list, travel, or recuperation from illness. Some people, like shift workers and the parents of newborns, may experience longer periods of disturbed sleep. Aging can also affect the quality and quantity of our sleep.

What are the effects of all this sleeplessness? Tiredness correlates with decreased productivity and effectiveness, as well as irritability. You become unfocused and short-tempered, quick to project your ill humor onto others. In addition, fatigue can have tragic consequences. Drowsy drivers cause an estimated 100,000 car crashes yearly, many with fatal results. Everything from crises at nuclear power plants to train wrecks have been attributed to the poor judgment of overtired workers.

Although sleeplessness takes many forms, there are two important levels of sleep problems. One is the persistent, serious, and long-term inability to get a good nights sleep. The first step in getting help for this is a visit to your doctor or healthcare practitioner, who may refer you to a sleep clinic. Sleep disorders, when not properly diagnosed, are serious and potentially dangerous. For example, snorers and overweight sleepers are prone to sleep apnea, a breath-stopping disorder that increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death. Tests performed at sleep clinics can properly identify the various sleep disturbances, including apnea, and provide treatment.

The other level of sleep problems is occasional or periodic insomnia. Almost everyone goes through a period during which getting a good nights sleep is difficult. Sleep can be disturbed in three major ways: difficulty falling asleep, the inability to remain asleep through the night, and waking too early to function well.

For those of us with this level of sleep disturbance, there are many natural alternatives to sleepless nights and sleeping pills. This bulletin provides practical, safe, and simple home remedies to help you relax naturally and sleep better. You can choose sleep-inducing strategies and relaxation techniques, or you can try changing your sleep habits and attitudes. Or you may want to try herbal aids, including calming medicinal teas and tinctures, soothing baths, and sleep pillows.

Relax and enjoy! Heres to your sound slumber.

Sleep is essential to our physical and emotional health. Each night, every 90 minutes, we cycle through five different levels of sleep. We experience many physiological changes, including muscle contractions and relaxations as well as alterations in temperature, blood pressure, and pulse. During periods of deeper sleep, our bodies repair and heal themselves. In other phases, sleep is shallower, our bodies still, but our brains are more active. The increased brain activity of the REM (rapid eye movement) period helps consolidate our daily memories and signifies that we are dreaming. Most sleep researchers agree that dreaming is a creative process that can be healing and emotionally soothing.

The simplest answer to this question is that you need enough sleep to feel alert when you are awake. Every individual is different, but the average person needs 7 to 8 hours of sleep to function well. Most of us get somewhere between 5 and 10 hours, but nearly one third of Americans get by on 6 hours or less.

In the past, people lived more in tune with the cycles of natural sunlight. As a result, in 1910 the average American clocked in more sleep than her contemporary counterpart: nine hours a night. Many researchers think we should return to the natural patterns of the past, rising with the sun and going to sleep soon after sunset.

Do you dread facing the day after a sleepless night? Are you dragging in the morning or prone to losing steam too early? Do you start to doze after dinner in front of the TV? Are you generally irritable or forgetful? Does your boss, spouse, or a friend comment on your grumpiness or low energy level?

Look at the facts of your sleep habits. Do you routinely sleep seven hours or less? Would you like to sleep more if you just had the time? How you feel and the feedback you get from others about your mood or performance are two keys in assessing a sleep problem.

If you are sleeping poorly, a physical exam can help identify medical conditions and medications that are known sleep-thieves. Insomnia can be a secondary effect of heart disease, diabetes, chronic sinus infections, depression, gastroesophageal reflux, and a host of other conditions. Certain drugs prescribed for allergy relief, asthma, and heart conditions, as well as several painkillers, antidepressants, and antihistamines, can contribute to sleeplessness. Talk with your healthcare practitioner about the possibility of changing your medication or the dose or time you take it.

The best way to start getting more sleep is to keep track of your sleep patterns and your level of satisfaction with the quantity and quality of your slumber. This assessment can help you choose possible remedies for refreshing sleep and can be valuable to a healthcare practitioner if self-help strategies are not potent enough. See the box at right for questions to ask yourself about your sleep patterns.

What can you do to ensure fewer sleepless nights and more refreshing rest? After assessing your sleep habits and patterns, you must first address any specific mental or physical concerns. Have a checkup if you have any questions about your condition. Identifying and treating the underlying cause of insomnia are paramount.

The goal is to reestablish refreshing, nonmedicated sleep. There are a number of self-help strategies to help you achieve this.

Is your bedroom generally conducive to sound sleep? Is it comfortable, cozy, cool, and quiet enough? Is your mattress old or saggy? Perhaps it is time for a replacement or a new pillow.

Light levels in the room may affect how you fall asleep and awaken. Although a bright light may make for easier reading (no business tomes or thrillers before bed, though), overall room illumination should not be harsh. And remember, do not turn on the lights when you get up in the middle of the night. Doing so may trick your body into thinking it is morning. Use a night light or flashlight.