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Hungry Hobby

Craving Balance Between Healthy & Happy

Sleep Enough & Sleep Better (Week 12)

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Hi, Friends!  Happy Monday!  How did last week’s challenge go for you?  Did you find that scheduling your workouts made it easier to stick to them?  I did a pretty good job; I stuck to all the workouts I had planned except Saturday.  
 
Saturday I was DOGG tired, so tired that I came home and slept for two hours in the afternoon, college style.  I seriously can’t remember the last time I did that when I wasn’t sick/getting sick. I’ve learned not to push it when I’m that tired; I take rest days when my body tells me I need them.
 
 Some weeks I need three days off a week, and some weeks I barely need one, it all balances out in the end. In light of my much-needed nap, I thought this week would be a good time to address the whole sleep thing….
How to sleep better and fix sleep problems
 
Research shows again and again that the less sleep you get, the more likely you are to gain weight, especially around the mid-section.  This is likely because of the effect fatigue has on your hormones, especially by raising Cortisol.
 
 Cortisol is your bodies natural stress hormone, and it has a critical job, save you from imminent danger.  Picture yourself running from a tiger; you would need energy, relatively immediately right? So Cortisol raises blood sugar so that you have the energy to keep on running.  Wait a minute, though; you are not running from a tiger, you are fighting the good Monday morning fight.  
 
You know, getting the kids up, trying to get everyone out the door, sitting in the commute, while running on less than optimal sleep, all of this causes a ton of stress aka cortisol to be released.   So cortisol raises blood sugar and since we don’t need all that sugar the body releases insulin (think of insulin as a key that opens the door to let sugar in the cell) to clear that sugar from the blood.
 
 Sadly, Cortisol and Insulin do not play nice, and they direct the storage of that sugar as fat directly to the mid-section.  So yeah… we all need to prioritize getting enough sleep, on average 7-9 hours.  However, regardless of how long you lay in bed (3 hours or 10) the quality of that sleep is just as important.  

 General Sleep Better Tips 

  1. Limit your blue light exposure (basically anything with a screen) at least 45-60 minutes before bed.  I use f.lux  which changes the hue on my screen at certain times to remove blue light late at night. 
  2. Meditate before bed to help shut down your mind.  
  3. Limit alcohol intake, while it may help you get to sleep, it also decreases the amount of REM (the deep restorative) sleep you get.  
  4. Sleep in the darkest room possible, get blackout shades or an eye mask if needed, ESPECIALLY if you are doing shift work which requires you to sleep at times of the day other than 10 pm to 6 am. 
  5. Do the between the sheets tango.  The release of certain hormones, including prolactin, may help you get to sleep a little easier.  
  6. Using a netty pot with distilled water can help clear nasal passages potential helping you sleep better.  
  7. Keep the bedroom for sleeping, making it more likely your body with trigger sleep hormones more readily when you climb into bed.  If it’s used to working in the bedroom that could be difficult.
  8. Create a routine.  Get your body used to a schedule and stick to it as best as possible, experts believe the most optimal pattern is 10 pm to 6 am.
  9. Limit caffeine after 2 pm.  Look for hidden sources of caffeine.
  10. Drink herbal tea at night.  Tea can have a relaxing effect and help you create a bedtime routine that triggers the release of the appropriate hormones and chemical messengers.
  11. Try Natural Calm to help you relax at night.

Cortisol Balance

The body produces a certain amount of cortisol, naturally. It is thought that an optimal curve is highest in the morning and dips throughout the rest of the afternoon. To find out what your curve looks like you can take a saliva cortisol test at 4-5 points through the day (like the one I did).
 
 This curve can tell you a lot about how to increase the quality of your sleep:
–  If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep your cortisol may be too high at night.
–  If you have trouble waking up in the morning, your cortisol could not be peaking correctly (potentially indicating adrenal fatigue.)
 
Fixing a cortisol problem is a combination of the appropriate type and correctly timed supplements, exercise, and nutrition. Testing cortisol patterns is one of the most powerful tools I’ve had a chance to utilize with my Hungry Hobby RD clients and myself.  
 

Other Considerations for Sleep Disturbances:

  • Wonky or imbalanced levels of sex hormones.
  • Nutrition deficiencies.
  • Incorrectly timed supplements. (For example, Vitamin D is suspected of throwing off the circadian rhythm if taken at night.)
  • Sleep apnea.
  • Sinus problems.
If you try the general tips and you still aren’t getting AT LEAST 6 hours of restful high-quality sleep a night, then it may require a deeper investigation into your personal hormone and nutrient status.  If you are interested in working one on one with me, check out my nutrition services website or send me an email via the contact page.  
 

 

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52 HEALTHY HABITS IN 52 WEEKS SERIES:

The 52 Healthy Habits Series is about ditching the diet mindset and making small changes to improve health overall naturally leading to a healthy body composition, increased energy and improved health. Please follow along and check out the past weeks!

About Kelli Shallal MPH RD

Kelli Shallal MPH RD is a Phoenix, Arizona based Registered Dietitian with a Masters in Public Health from Loma Linda University. She is a blogger behind the popular blog and nutrition practice Hungry Hobby. She is also the owner and creator of What to Eat? Meal Plans.

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