While this article may sound women specific, sleep related issues can come up in the life of any person, any time. Food related remedies have to be customized as per what the test results come up with. They have to be further customized for a woman depending on her age and lifestyle. Here are the broad guidelines which can be good start point. This article is also a case study of one of my clients and how I helped her sleep better.
She has sleep related issues which led to taking sleeping pills to tackle the anxiety related issues. It was ultimately her health concerns that brought her in contact with me.
Solution
There were two separate issues which I had to deal with one by one. Firstly she was worried a lot. She believed that eventually this lack of sleep issue will cause serious health problem which might even result in life threatening complications.
With sustained counselling, she eventually overcame this fear. While sleep is very important for good health, lack of sleep is not going to kill you, even in the long term. Chronic stress might kill but lack of sleep due to chronic stress can be dealt with slight changes in food habits.
The next round was advising her a few lifestyle changes.
Getting ready to sleep – the food and the shutdown routine
Sleep is a planned activity, especially in case you have a sedentary lifestyle and if you do almost no physical work the whole day.
While most situations, a heavy meal should automatically put you to sleep, this might not always work.
So what does work. The magic mineral for inducing sleep is Magnesium. It helps relax muscles in our body and simulates the secretion of melatonin, the sleep hormone. It also helps in production of Serotonin which is the ‘feel good’ hormone. A happy mood helps you to sleep well. Magnesium lowers the levels of stress hormone, cortisol. By working together with GABA, magnesium helps in changing the state of the nervous system from fight-or-flight to rest-and-digest. Magnesium helps in absorption of Vitamin D.
While this might sound a lot, in fact, magnesium is one mineral which in involved in about 300 processes in the body and it is an essential nutrient because our body does not make it and it has to come in by food.
Suggested magnesium rich food
Soaked pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, almonds and walnuts help in sleep but you need to shift the timings to late afternoon. Most of us eat soaked nuts in the morning after leaving them overnight. Soaking helps remove the phytic acid and tannins. It also helps remove chemicals and impurities on the outer layer of the nuts. Water soaking gives a smooth texture to the nuts and make them softer and easier to digest.
Traditional Indian Green vegetables are the best way to take in any minerals. Nature has provided magnesium in abundance. Do not overcook the vegetables in oils and masalas. A light sautéed should help preserve the minerals.
Avocados and potatoes are packed with magnesium.
Dark Chocolate should be at least 70% dark. It is a rich source of magnesium.
Important lifestyle changes
Do not attend weddings which serve food late night. If you need to attend, let the hosts know in advance that you are not going to have dinner. Have your dinner before going for the wedding. The harsh lights and loud music is not at all helping to sleep better.
If your family is habitual of eating late, try to take your food early and then join them for a meal but just sip water.
Switch off the mobile at a designated time of choice like 9 pm or 10 pm and use a bed side alarm clock to see the time.
Change the lights from bright white to soft yellow.
Stop consuming any sweet or sugary product before going to sleep.
Instead of a regular pastry switch to a good quality brand which gives pastry of dark chocolate.
Be determined to sleep better
As a woman, I always tell everyone, we put everything before self. Family first. So you need to be determined to make this work and get the lifestyle changes done, no matter how difficult to odds.