Sleep Well and Regenerate by Dr. Bahnmiller

Many people overlook the benefits of a good night's sleep. Dr. Bahnmiller sheds light on the crucial role sleep plays in the body's regenerative processes and provides practical tips for achieving restorative sleep. We invite you to read on and discover how to improve your sleep habits and optimize your health.

Facts

1. Sleep deprivation increases risk of viral illnesses, weight gain, problems with blood sugar, slowed cognition, effects on mood, such as anxiety and depression and brain inflammation.

2. Studies show that less than 7 hours of sleep a night increases your risk of viral illness 300% compared to those who get 8 or more hours.

Questions to ask yourself

1. How many hours of sleep do you get a night?

2. What time do you go to bed?

3. What time do you wake up?

4. Do you have trouble falling asleep?

5. Do you wake up many times at night?

6. Do you wake up too early in the morning?

7. Do you wake up refreshed?

8. Do you or your spouse think you snore a lot?

Sleep Steps

1. Go to bed before 11 pm (Ideally no later than 10:00pm)

2. Melatonin release begins around 10pm in adults.

   1. Going to bed before 10pm will optimize your melatonin levels

   2. Going to bed later suppresses melatonin

   3. Decreasing Melatonin increases sleep problems and increases REM over stage 3 and 4 sleep, which is very important for brain rest

3. If you’re unable to fall asleep before 10pm, start by backing up your usual bedtime 15 minutes every night for a week at a time until your sleep clock is reset. 

4. You may supplement Melatonin to help reset your sleep clock.

5. Create an evening sleep ritual

   1. Shut down the computer and phone after 6 pm

   2. Use blue light dimmers on electronics. (f.lux is a free app which will do this automatically for you)

   3. Dim your lights after 9 pm.  Use less bright lights (more yellow and less blue lights in sleep areas) Yellow/amber lights suppress melatonin less than blue/white lights

   4. Sip calming teas (chamomile/lavender).  Sip only small cup, so as to not be awakened by a full bladder

   5. Read calming literature with an amber/yellow light if necessary.

   6. As you create a ritual your brain will find comfort in consistency. 

6. Keep the room dark and cool.

   1. Darker rooms help increase melatonin.

      1.  If you can see your hand one foot away from your face it is best to darken the room.

      2. Cover any LED or ambient light sources. 

      3. Charge phone outside of bedroom.

   2. Cool rooms help us sleep, ideally around 68 degrees

7. Do not eat too much before bed.

   1. Too much food in your stomach can inhibit melatonin production. 

   2. Some foods will irritate one's stomach and may increase acid production affecting sleep.

   3. If one has hunger pains before bed it is best to eat a small snack of complex carbohydrates and protein, such as cheese and crackers, apple and cheese or meat.

8. Journal before bed.

   1. Our hectic lives do not allow our brains to rest. Our brains in stress mode suppress our natural melatonin. 

   2. Journaling helps empty the brain of these thoughts, so our brains don’t think they need to keep processing or remember what our checklists are. 

   3. Journaling also helps structure our next day and keep track of where we have been and where we are going.  

   4. Bring a nightly journal with you.

Natural Remedies for Sleep

1. Try the above steps for 2 weeks before adding treatments

2. Magnesium

   1. Common and associated with chronic inflammatory stress

   2. Deficiency increases dysfunction in brain’s sleep center called the suprachiasmatic nuclei and pineal gland

   3. Disorganized sleep patterns

   4. Helps with sleep onset latency and early morning awakening 

   5. Take 400-500mg/day, may take 200-250mg 2 x a day with the last dose right before bed. 

   6. Magnesium glycine form is preferred, since glycine is an amino acid known for its calming effect. 

   7. May cause loose stools; therefore, reduce the dose until your bowels become used to the magnesium.  

3. Melatonin

   1. Helps with jet lag

   2. Take 1-3mg a half hour before bed on a regular basis. 

   3. If you have a hard time falling asleep and the Melatonin 1-3mg at bedtime is not working, take 0.125mg at 4pm and repeat at 8pm.

   4. May take with magnesium. 

   5. Helps the body know its time to fall asleep.

   6. Non-addicting. 

   7. Does not affect psychomotor function 

4. L-tryptophan

   1. Naturally derived amino acid

   2. Precursor to serotonin, and low levels contributes to generalized anxiety and depression.

   3. Low levels don’t allow the body to produce enough serotonin.  

   4. Take 500-1000mg at bedtime.

   5. Take with a carbohydrate snack, since carbohydrates increase insulin, which helps tryptophan absorption into the brain. 

5. Valerian

   1. Helps people with “nervous stomach” and strong anxiety. 

   2. Inhibits sympathetic nervous system neurons by enhancing levels of GABA.  A brain calming neurotransmitter.  The sympathetic nervous system activates the stress response.  

   3. Take 450-600mg 2 hours before bedtime.  May add an afternoon dose if not enough or significant anxiety.