Natural Remedies for Insomnia
As a holistic and functional medicine practitioner, I believe sleep is one of the most important factors to healing. We often hear about the importance of getting a good night's rest, but the quality of our sleep is just as critical as the quantity. As a functional medicine practitioner, I have witnessed the profound impact that balancing the circadian rhythm can have on improving sleep quality. In this article, we'll explore the science behind balancing the circadian rhythm, and how you can harness its power to achieve better sleep quality and overall well-being.
Balancing the Circadian Rhythm and healing insomnia
The circadian rhythm is your body's internal clock, regulating various physiological processes over a 24-hour cycle. It influences your sleep-wake cycle, hormone production, and even your metabolism. Maintaining a balanced circadian rhythm is essential for good health and quality sleep.
Here are some simple things you can do to improve your sleep quality and get your circadian rhythm back into balance:
1. Morning Sunlight
Get sunlight exposure first thing in the morning. This helps your body produce serotonin, which is later converted to melatonin at night.
2. Eat Breakfast
Get 20 g of protein within one hour of waking up. This helps balance blood sugar for the rest of the day.
3. Eat dinner at least 3 hours prior to bed
If you eat a heavy meal right before bed, it can disrupt sleep. Make sure to eat a well-balanced dinner with protein, fat and fiber to balance blood sugar. If you are someone that wakes up in the middle of the night, this might be due to low blood sugar, and in that case eating a small snack prior to go to bed can be helpful. But long term regulation of blood sugar is necessary by eating well-balanced meals at regular intervals every day.
4. Exercise
Get AT LEAST 20 minutes of exercise every day. This helps manage stress and once again balance blood sugar (see the theme here?)
5. Watch the sunset
The golden and orange hues signal to your brain that serotonin should be converted into melatonin to prepare you for sleep.
6. Limit blue lights
Ideally limit screen time after sunset, however many homes also contain blue lights throughout so one of the easiest things to do is to buy a pair of blue light blocking glasses and wear them for a few hours prior to bed. Also keep your room cool.
7. Get regular acupuncture
Acupuncture does a great job of reducing stress and allows your body to get into a parasympathetic state, aka rest and digest. An acupuncturist can also recommend the perfect herbal formula to improve your sleep. There isn’t an herbal formula that works for everyone because there are so many causes of disrupted sleep. This is why working with an acupuncturist and trained in herbalist can be a game changer!
Struggling with insomnia?
At Michelle Malloy Acupuncture and Wellness, we specialize in holistic and functional healing. We will address your sleep concerns with a variety of modalities to help you gain better sleep quality, stay asleep longer, and wake up refreshed. A good night’s sleep is the key to a balanced lifestyle! Schedule an appointment at our Beverly Hills office to experience our relaxing and rejuvenating services for sleep.