REST AND SLEEP - ESSENTIAL FOR HEALTH
by
Dr. Lawrence Wilson
©
February 2023, LD Wilson Consultants, Inc.
All information in this article is for educational purposes only. It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.
NOTE: 3/12/21. A new sleep remedy
that is quite amazing is to place a small bowl containing
3% hydrogen peroxide near your head when you sleep. For details, see the Peroxide Sleep Multiplier section
below.
Table Of Contents
How Much To Sleep
The Sleep Position
When To Go To Bed
Children And Teens
College Students
Sleeping With
Someone Else
Sleep Position
Body Orientation
Mattresses
Magnetic Mattress
Pads
IV. WHY SOME SEEM TO GET ALONG ON LITTLE SLEEP
They are burning
out
They are using
stimulants
They are energy
vampires
V. POOR EXCUSES FOR NOT SLEEPING
Rest
Muscle
Relaxation
Dreaming
Learning
And More
VII. HANDLING SLEEP DIFFICULTIES
The Peroxide Sleep
Multiplier
Handling
Difficulties During A Development Program
Handling
Difficulties When One Is Not On A Development Program
Natural Sleep
Remedies
“Junk” Sleep Threatens Teenager’s Health
If Afternoon Naps
Interfere With Sleep At Night
Random Sleep
Schedules
Night Work Shifts
Living In
Apartments And Some Condominiums
Snoring
Hot Flashes That
Keep One Awake
Sleeping With An
Ozonator/Ionizer Air Purifier
Yin And Yang
Related To Sleep
Hair Patterns And
Insomnia
Personal Experience
Recent Sleep
Research
Sleep Apnea
Biphasic And
Multiphasic Sleep Patterns
Update: July 2019: A
new finding is that taking lecithin helps many people relax. If you are
having sleep difficulties, we suggest trying this simple and safe nutritional
supplement. One can take up to 12
1200 mg capsules daily or the equivalent in liquid or granule form. For details, read Lecithin.
Millions of people
throughout the world do not get enough rest and sleep. This is a major
health problem.
A complete
development program can help solve sleep difficulties, even when nothing else
has been effective. This is because it can remove toxic metals such as
copper, and it can correct other imbalances in the body that interfere with
normal sleep.
Some do not sleep
enough due to insomnia or inability to sleep. Many, however, just like to
stay up late and yet they must get up early for work.
Some people are
tired all the time, and sleep does not refresh them. They may reduce
their sleep time because it doesn’t seem to matter.
Others do not sleep
much because they like walking around in a sleepy state all day. This
article discusses many aspects of rest and sleep.
How much sleep is best. Most people
need 8 to 10 hours of sleep daily for optimum health. However, it is best
to break this up into two four-hour periods. These are sleep cycles.
An easy way to do
this is to get up
once during the night and walk around for 10 minutes. Then go back to
sleep. I realize many people do not like this idea, but it is best.
If you get up anyway in the middle of the night, do not resent it, as it is
best.
The reason is that
when one sleeps for more than about four hours at a time, the brain goes into a
deeper sleep cycle. This is good for healing, but is a more yin condition in macrobiotic terms that
slows development. For details
about development, read Introduction To
Development on this site.
When you awaken at
night, rub your feet and twist your spine in bed. Then get up, go to the
bathroom, have a little water, perhaps, and then go back to bed after 10
minutes.
We do not recommend
staying in bed much longer than 10 hours at a time because this can have a
detrimental effect on some people. It is often best to get up, even if you
need more sleep. Take a nap or two later in the day, as needed.
When to go to bed.
We recommend that everyone go to bed between eight and nine PM every night. The
hours before midnight are far more valuable for rejuvenation than those after
midnight. Some say they are two or three times more useful for
healing the body and mind.
The hours after
midnight are less conducive because the energy of the earth has shifted and the
new day is starting. This brings a crescendo of solar energy that
interferes with sleep, to a degree.
Try not to make exceptions
to these rules for holidays, weekend parties, movies, television shows, or
anything else.
Ideally, start and end the parties early, leave the other
ones at an early hour, record the television programs, and go to the early
movies or rent them on DVD. These are just good lifestyle habits.
Babies.
Babies, at least up to the age of 1 and about 3 months, must
sleep with a parent. The parent’s energy field helps protect the baby
from negative entities and other problems.
Children and teens need more sleep.
Children and especially adolescents need 11 or even more rest and sleep!
Ideally, there should be no exceptions for sleepovers, camping trips, late
movies, or other distractions.
I realize this may
be difficult, so do your best as a parent to guide children with this. If
a child is up late one night, be sure he or she can sleep in and that the next
night the child goes to bed very early.
College-age students are the most sleep-deprived.
This is due to late night studies and classes, parties, outings, and other
distractions at this age. Young people also have more natural hormonal
activity, so they seem to “get away with it”. However, it causes illness,
in all cases.
Sleeping with someone else. While
it sounds unromantic, married couples usually get the best rest if they sleep
in separate beds. Sleeping in the same bed usually causes poorer quality
sleep.
It is fine to push
two beds together next to one another to be close to your partner. Short
naps in the same bed are fine.
Sleeping with your baby. This is okay and excellent for
the baby. Another option that works is to place the baby’s crib right
next to the mother’s or father’s bed. Placing
the crib across the room is not as good.
Sleeping Positions. The best
position for sleeping is on your back without a pillow. If you prefer a
pillow, it should be soft enough so that your spine remains fairly
straight. Also, the pillow should not cut off your air supply in any way.
Also, the pillow case
needs to be cleaned often, as otherwise you will be breathing lots of dust,
bacteria from your scalp, and other debris all night.
If possible, sleep
with your legs and arms straight and slightly out to the sides. This
prevents you from crossing your own energy field with your arms or legs.
GETTING INTO THE SLEEP POSITION
The following is a
simple way to fall asleep faster and sleep better. The method is to put
yourself in a particular position when you want to go to sleep.
To get into the
sleep position, do the following:
1. Use the bathroom just before going to bed to empty the
bladder. Also, wear comfortable sleep clothing
and be sure you are warm enough.
2. Sit on the bed and pull your bed clothing up at the back
of your neck. This will assure that the clothing is
not tight against the front of your neck.
3. Lie down on your back. Lie with
legs extended, knees are straight and near to one another.
4. Check to make sure your clothing does not restrict your
movement. If it does, adjust it.
5. Do a basic spinal twist.
This means to lift one leg in the air and then swing it over the other leg.
Then do the same with the other leg.
6. Pop the toes. Do this by pushing
down firmly on the top of the toes, one foot at a time. When you do this, you
may hear a distinct popping sound. This is good and relaxes the toes.
7. Then put at least a sheet or blanket over the body. Make
sure you cover up your shoulders.
8. Pull the sheet or blanket down, away from your neck, so
that it does not touch the neck. If it touches your
neck, it may tickle you while you sleep.
9. Put your arms and hands inside the sheet or blanket and
bring them to rest at your sides. Do not bend the
arms.
10. Turn the palms of your hands so the palms are facing
upward. This opens the body a little and helps posture.
Do this each time
you lay down to go to sleep.
OTHER SLEEP IDEAS
Sleep with your head toward the pole. Ideally,
if you live in the Northern hemisphere, sleep with your head to the North, more
or less, and legs facing to the South, if possible. If you live in the
Southern hemisphere, sleep with your head facing South.
The reason is there
is a flow of subtle energy or ether from the poles to the equator of the
earth. When you align with it, you move energy downward from the head to
the feet, which is extremely health-producing.
For much more on this subject, please read Down
Energy And Healing on this site.
Mattresses. Avoid sleeping on very soft mattresses
that distort your posture. A firmer mattress is often better.
People have various
preferences for mattresses. We don’t recommend mattresses that have a lot
of metal springs in them, which are the standard type.
Memory foam mattresses are good. However,
they are a little toxic when new, so if you get one, let it outgas for about a
week before using it.
If you want
something lightweight, use two or three three-inch memory foam mattress toppers
on top of each other instead of one thick one. This is also cheaper than
most memory foam mattresses.
Some conventional
beds and some air beds are also good. We do not
recommend water beds, although some people like
them. We don't think it is ideal to be sleeping on water. Some
mattresses are smelly when new and contain toxic fire retardants, so check on
this.
Magnetic mattress pads. We
do not recommend magnetic mattress pads. Most help for a while.
However, prolonged use usually is not helpful and may be harmful. A lot
of 'magnetic deficiency syndrome' is caused by iron and other ferrous metal
toxicity in the body. These metals will come out of the body with a
development program.
1. Most people are exhausted.
2. Healing requires extra sleep. During the day, one primarily uses the sympathetic autonomic nervous system.
It is associated with spending energy and tearing down the body.
This is balanced by
the parasympathetic autonomic nervous
system, which is associated with rest, nurturing and regeneration of body
tissues. This is equally important. The parasympathetic activates
primarily when one is asleep.
3. Detoxification requires plenty of rest.
Elimination of toxins, an issue for everyone, occurs primarily at night while
the body rests. The removal process requires energy and one's energy is
finite. If you use most or all of your energy running around all day, and
do not sleep enough, you will not detoxify the body well.
4. Mental and emotional processing occurs
during sleep.
Often, during the day, thought processes are not completed due to interruptions
or other distractions. The mind completes these processes during sleep.
You may notice that
problems that seemed difficult are less daunting or even solved after a good
night's rest. This can be due to increased energy, but is also due to
actual problem-solving that goes on during sleep.
5. Learning. One actually learns
new information at night while resting. The entity soul flies around and
may study at night.
6. Development requires a lot of extra rest and sleep. Development
is the goal of all our healing programs. For details,
read Sleep And Development and Introduction To Development.
Ideally, find a job
or career that allows you to take a short nap every day. This is very
helpful for development and healing, as well.
State work laws in
America require a 15-minute break in the morning and again in the
afternoon. Although this is hardly enough time, it is a start and anyone
in any job should, if possible, take advantage of this rule.
7. Dreaming. Dreaming is another important activity
that only occurs during the sleep state. Dreaming is complex and can have
various purposes, such as processing past or present events. Even
unpleasant dreams, nightmares, premonitions and other phenomena may be
important. Retracing during
development programs may involve dreams.
In summary, there
is no substitute for sleep. Also, sleep is anything but a waste of
time. It is an essential part of each person’s daily life that can also
be a rich time of not only rejuvenation, but of insights and other healing
processes.
IV. WHY SOME SEEM
TO GET ALONG ON LITTLE SLEEP
You may envy those
who seem to have lots of energy, yet get by on little sleep. Please let
go of this envy, and don’t try to copy these people. Reasons why some
seem to get along on not much sleep are:
1. Burning themselves out.
Many of them don't know it, or they know it and don't care, or they care but do
not know what to do about it. Some are “driven” by emotions or
biochemical imbalances, which is not healthy.
2. Using
stimulants. This is common today because people are so tired. Stimulants
can include sugar, caffeine, energy drinks, eating too much meat, kombucha tea,
vigorous exercise, or taking pills such as amphetamines. Other stimulants are
too much worry, fears, or anger.
The problem with
using stimulants is that one's energy is false and often delicate. Eventually,
one will have a “crash” or become ill.
3.
Energy vampires.
Some people get by with less sleep because they know how to steal energy from
others. This is called energy vampirism, and it is very real. For
more about this subject, please read Energy Vampirism
on this site.
V. POOR EXCUSES
FOR NOT SLEEPING
We hear many
excuses why people do not sleep enough. None of the following are valid,
so we hope you do not use them:
1. “I don't have time.” If
this is really the case, then it is time to restructure your life.
Schedule naps, nap with your children after lunch or even after all meals, get
help so that you are freed up, take on fewer projects or otherwise restructure.
This may mean your
house is not quite as clean, or perhaps you will not volunteer at church.
However, making such changes can save your life.
2. “Sleep is unproductive.” Resting
more makes some people feel guilty, lazy or unproductive. Let these
feelings go!
These problems are
the worst if you identify yourself with what you do, instead of with who you are. Although perhaps it is not
obvious, you affect others much more by who you are
than by what you do.
For example, if you
are good to others, but not good to yourself by resting enough, you will
radiate a non-respectful vibration, although this can be very subtle.
Many people remain
busy and active because they are afraid or uncomfortable resting and
relaxing. One may busy oneself with the problems of others, because in a
resting state, one is faced with one’s own life, and one’s own concerns.
A key to learning to rest more is to be at peace and fully accepting and loving
of yourself. Otherwise, resting more may bring
up vague feelings of anxiety or even panicky feelings.
In order to slow
down, know that these feelings may come up and do not let them get in the way
of your rest periods.
3. “Sleep is a waste of time.”
We have explained in the section above why this is incorrect. Plenty of
sleep is an absolute necessity.
4. “I could sleep for days and sleeping more doesn't make me
feel better, so why bother.” Most likely
your body chemistry is out of balance. Correction may be simple, but
usually it is not. It often requires a development program for a year or
perhaps several years.
Ninety percent of
people have exhausted adrenal glands, and many have sluggish thyroid gland
activity. These can make one very tired. The answer is not to take
replacement thyroid hormones, but to rebuild the glands with a development
program. Not sleeping enough only makes the problem worse.
5. “I don’t want to miss my favorite television programs,
movies, and parties.” It is possible to leave parties
early, schedule parties and movies earlier, and record late television programs
and watch them the next day.
6. “I can't go to sleep earlier. If I do, I'll be up
at 3 AM”. This is a common excuse.
The section below regarding sleep difficulties may be helpful.
7. “I have loads of energy.”
Most often, people who say this are out of touch or somehow stimulating
themselves to keep going. In this case, it is nervous energy, and it
won’t last for too long. It is better to slow down now rather than
experience a crash, which may be more difficult to overcome.
8. “I just love staying up.”
Some people are night owls. They enjoy the peaceful feeling at night when
activities slow down and others go to bed. Sometimes creative work is
easier to do at night.
However, going to
bed late or depriving yourself of sleep are not the
answer. Go to bed very early and get up early when the world is still
peaceful and quiet, in order to experience the peace you need. If that
does not work, you may need to live in a quieter environment so you can
experience peace during the day.
Sleeping actually
involves at least four aspects of human physiology. These are:
1. Rest.
This is extremely important to do for a number of hours each
day. Otherwise, the body wears out sooner.
2. Muscle relaxation. Although this is similar to
rest, it is listed separately because it is somewhat different. The
muscles require rest, as well. Even putting your feet up on the couch or
in bed is excellent to relax most of the musculature of the body.
3. Dreaming. This unusual human activity
requires that the conscious mind be put aside for a time.
4. Processing and learning. This
is somewhat complex. Most souls travel out of the physical body during
sleep. They learn, teach, heal, assist others and may have other
experiences during the sleep state.
VII. HANDLING
SLEEP DIFFICULTIES
THE PEROXIDE SLEEP MULTIPLIER
A newer sleep remedy (3/10/21) is to place a bowl containing at least one tablespoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide from the drug store near your head when you sleep. It needs to be just a few inches from your head.
You can place the bowl on a night table near your head or on the bed itself near your head. You can use the same peroxide for days, although it will likely evaporate and you will need to add some more each evening or every other evening.
Don’t allow the peroxide to contact the bed sheets because it will make holes in the sheets. If you spill some on the bed sheets, immediately pour some water on the area, rub the water around, and then let the sheet dry.
To prevent spills, you can soak a washrag with the peroxide. Using a polyester cloth or rag will last longer than a cotton one, since peroxide is somewhat corrosive.
How it works. We are not sure how this method works. It definitely super-oxygenates the brain. Peroxide has many benefits.
You may want to try this method even if you sleep fairly well to see if you sleep even better.
Feedback about this
method indicates that peroxide is not just a remedy. It actually enhances,
extends or multiplies sleep. This means you get more rest from the same amount
of sleep time. Quite amazing!
CAUSES FOR SLEEP DIFFICULTY
Sleep problems can
be related to diet, lifestyle, the sleeping environment, biochemical
imbalances, one’s temperament, and other factors. I will divide this section
into:
1. Handling sleep difficulties during a development program.
2. Handling sleep difficulties if you are not following a development
program.
3. Natural Sleep
Remedies
1. SLEEP PROBLEMS DURING A DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
During development
programs, at times some people complain of sleep difficulties. Reasons
this occurs are:
1. A copper
elimination can stimulate the brain and cause sleep difficulties.
2. Development can
cause lighter sleep. In fact, development proceeds faster if you get up
at least once during the night and walk around for a few minutes. Perhaps
have a glass of water or use the bathroom. This is perfectly normal.
3. Your development
program needs changing because body chemistry has shifted. This can occur
at any time.
4. Retracing a
trauma or incident may cause strange or fearful dreams.
5. You may just be
processing a lot of information during the
night. Try to go to bed early so you will have time to obtain enough
sleep. Also, take naps during the day if you are tired.
Suggestions for sleep difficulties during a development
program:
1. Do the pushing
down exercise in bed, as this puts some people to sleep. Also, be sure to
twist the spine, and push the toes down until they pop. This will relax
the body and can help sleep.
2. Rubbing the feet
in bed is also excellent. There is a “sleep point” on the bottom of the
big toe, near the middle of the soft toe pad.
3. I find that
taking a quick shower if I cannot sleep usually causes me to fall asleep.
I am not sure why it works, but it does.
4. You may do a
coffee enema at night, even in the middle of the night if you have a headache
or other toxic symptoms. I have often been able to fall back asleep
afterwards. Perhaps use a little less coffee at night.
5. You may also get
in the sauna in the middle of the night to help fall asleep.
6. Do not
panic. Nap the next day if you can to make up for missing sleep at night.
7. Have your
consultant ask me to check your program to make sure it is still correct.
8. Be sure you are
following the program correctly.
9. A copper
eliminations will pass. However, ask for help, please, and sometimes we
can identify a cause and suggest help.
10. The suggestions
below may also be helpful.
2. HANDLING SLEEP DIFFICULTIES WHETHER OR NOT
YOU ARE FOLLOWING THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
1. Make sure your bedroom is dark and quiet. Install
black velour fabric or other light-blocking material behind curtains, or use
other methods so your sleeping area is very dark, and preferably very quiet as
well.
2. Eat dinner early. Eating late may leave
undigested food in the stomach that interferes with sleep, especially if the
food quantity is excessive or you have gas or other symptoms of indigestion.
3. Before bed, try to dissipate harmful or stray energies
that we all pick up during the day. Possible ways to do this are:
- Take a quick
shower just before bedtime. This is very good! Do not take a bath every night,
as many people do. This can cause you to absorb too many toxins in the
bath water, and it is quite yin, as well, in macrobiotic terminology. A
quick shower is best for this purpose.
- Get in a near infrared lamp sauna for at least 10-15 minutes. Other saunas are not as good, but might work, too.
- Go out in the sun for several minutes after using the computer or television. Do this also if you feel uncomfortable after being with a person whom you know is ill or has a ‘difficult’ personality.
- Shine a reddish heat lamp on your abdomen for 10 minutes or more before going to bed.
4. Avoid sweets, juices, chocolate and alcohol, especially
at night.
Sugar upsets body chemistry and may cause one to toss and
turn, or to get up hungry in the middle of the night.
5. Avoid stimulants, particularly in the evening. Stimulants
just whip your body. They always result in more tiredness
eventually. These include coffee, tea, caffeinated soft drinks, kombucha
tea, chocolate and sugar in any form. More subtle stimulants include
anger, hatred, resentment, worry and fearfulness. Remember this next time
you listen to the news or watch a violent movie.
6. Reduce mental activity in the evening. If
you have trouble sleeping, it is wise to forgo intense intellectual effort at
night. Relax, do light reading or other
activities that do not overstimulate the mind.
For example, you
may need to turn off the computer at 6 PM, and only read or watch programs that
are relaxing or engage in social activities after this time. Also, decide
you will not initiate or take phone calls after 6 PM, since this can easily
stimulate a person and keep one awake.
7. Avoid vigorous exercise in the evening. Better
to exercise in the morning or during the day. In the evening
, limit exercise to perhaps a gentle walk, an excellent way to end the
day.
8. Do some spiritual reading before bed each night, rather
than watch the nightly news or a movie. This
can make quite a difference for some people. It is relaxing, uplifting,
and can help one to have a sense of peace and tranquility.
9. When you go to bed, be sure you are warm enough, but not
hot. This
includes your feet. Wear socks if needed, or heat your feet with a
heater.
10. Do not ignore drinking water. Dehydration can
cause restless leg syndrome, leg cramps, muscle tightness and other things that
interfere with sleep.
11. Some ventilation and movement of air is often helpful
for sleeping. This might mean running a ceiling fan
or opening a window a small amount.
12. Let go of physical tension in the body. Methods
that can be used include ten minutes of slow, deep breathing, or gentle
stretching in the evening. The spinal twist exercise is very good when
going to sleep to relax the body.
13. Foot reflexology is superb to relax before bed. This
is excellent to calm the nerves and help restore the natural energy flow in the
acupuncture meridians of the
body.
Rub both entire
feet, for at least five to ten minutes each. Be sure to include rubbing
all the toes, the top of the foot, the heel and a little ways up the
legs.
Rub more in any
area that is tender or painful. “Popping” the toes by pushing them down,
and twisting the toes gently are also very good.
A reflexology sleep point. A reflex point that
may help sleep is on the big toe of both feet. It is on the bottom, in
the soft area around the middle of the toe.
14. Use a chi machine just before bed. This
is a box that sits on the floor and you place your ankles in cradles on top of
the box. When activated, the machine gently moves your legs back and
forth, relaxing the spine and the entire body. These are not too
expensive, as a simple one usually works just fine and cost about $120.00 new.
15. Do your best to let go of fears and worry at bedtime. This
may be why spiritual reading is so helpful for some people. A simple
affirmation might even be enough, particularly if repeated for a while so it
becomes part of your lifestyle.
The prayer could be
something like "Thank you for this day. It is complete. I now
release all worries and concerns to the Holy Spirit, (or the High Self, or God,
or Jesus), and I rest peacefully."
16. Ear plugs. These are helpful
for some people who are in noisy environments, when traveling, or when sleeping
with a partner. The foam rubber ones are fine,
but not as good as the silicone type. They cost more, but block more sound.
17. When traveling, many people sleep
better by bringing their own pillow and even their own sheets or sleep pack if
you are not sure how clean the sheets will be. Also bring earplug and
blinders to cover your eyes if the room is not dark enough.
18. Separate beds for partners can be a
helpful idea, though it sounds horribly unromantic to some. It is better
energetically for many people. It also helps assure that a partner’s visits
to the bathroom, or just random tossing and turning, will not wake you up.
19. Avoid becoming overtired. When
one is overtired, the adrenal glands are overstimulated. If this happens,
one may need to “unwind” before going to bed.
This is one of the most
important reasons to go to bed early. If you stay up late, the
sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal glands “kick in” and can keep you
awake.
20. If possible, turn off electronic devices near where you
sleep. Also, sleep at least 10 feet away from wifi routers, cell phones,
TV sets, computers and all other sources of EMF (electromagnetic fields).
In general, battery
powered devices are not as much of a problem as those that plug in to the wall.
However, try keeping them away from you at bedtime as well.
Turning off some
electrical equipment is not always enough. Some radios, amplifiers,
televisions, boom boxes, and other electronic devices have transformers that
stay on even if the device is off. These can disturb sensitive
individuals and are not healthful for anyone during sleep.
House wiring. In some
cases, sleep will improve radically if you make sure the electric power is off
in your bedroom. This is because even the wiring in the wall gives off
EMF and RF frequencies. It is more work to install a special switch or
circuit breaker, but I know people for whom it has made a lot of difference in
their rest.
21. In a few cases, reduce your salt intake, but only if you
are eating a lot of salt. Even good quality
sea salt can be somewhat stimulating for some people. Avoid all table salt, which is a junk
food. Especially if eaten late at night, it can possibly be a stimulant
that interferes with sleep.
22. Definitely avoid sugar and alcohol in the evening.
These keep some people awake.
23. Hydrotherapy. Taking a brief shower if you wake up at
night helps some people fall back asleep. No need to soap up. Just
get wet all over and relax a few minutes in the shower.
A more unusual
method to help one fall asleep is to stand in the back of a shower and allow
cold water to run just on the legs and feet. The water must be quite
cold. Wear a night shirt, if needed, to keep
warm. This procedure draws the blood down from the head to the feet very
effectively.
To make it even
more powerful, do not dry your legs. Get into bed with them wet, as it
will keep working once you are in bed.
24. Empty the bladder and bowels. This
may be obvious, but having a full bladder or even a full colon can interfere
with sleep.
25. Listen to a boring lecture or other boring CD or tape. This
can be surprisingly good, and much better than listening to music or watching a
movie before bed. However, if it works better, you can listen to quiet
music instead.
26. Experiment with clothing. Some
sleep better with less clothing, while others may do better with pajamas.
3. NATURAL SLEEP REMEDIES
Calcium and magnesium. One
can take a little more of these an hour before bed. Several clients have
also reported that taking more calcium and magnesium during the day, not just
before bed, helps them sleep better.
One reason this may
work is it keeps the nervous system calmer all day and avoids one becoming as
overtired or overstimulated. The amount to take is usually about 250-500
mg extra of calcium and about 150-300 mg extra of magnesium three times a day
with meals.
During the night,
if you cannot sleep, you can take a little more calcium and magnesium.
For the fastest action, chew your supplements or you could use a liquid
calcium/magnesium supplement. Beware that excessive magnesium is laxative
for some people.
Strong chamomile tea. This
is very relaxing. Use 2 teabags and ideally use organically grown
chamomile tea.
Valerian root tea. This
is also relaxing, although I have not found it as good as chamomile tea. Both
are quite safe, however.
Milk near bedtime. An
old sleep remedy is a small cup of warm milk. Milk is high in
tryptophan and calcium. This works well for some people, and is quite
safe.
L-tryptophan or 5-htp
help some people sleep, and are safe.
Melatonin is a hormone
produced by the pineal gland. It helps sleep in some people, and it seems
to be harmless when used correctly.
Others.
Other sedative products include choline, inositol, L-threonine, and sedative herbs such as hops, passionflower and others. ONLY
USE SLEEP REMEDIES IF NEEDED. Try not to make them a habit. As you develop,
sleep will eventually improve.
Sleep remedies to Avoid. I suggest staying away from
Chinese patent herbal remedies such as An Shui Wan and Worry Free, Sleep Easy
(Shui de An). Chinese herbs can contain toxic metals, even the best
brands, in my experience.
I also do not
recommend homeopathic remedies because they are very yin in macrobiotic
terminology.
Drugs for sleep are
toxic and rarely needed if the suggestions above are followed. They
should be used only as a last resort.
In a few rare
cases, sleep is so important that a sleeping pill can be helpful until your
body chemistry is corrected so your body will relax enough to rest. Do not take sleeping pills any longer than
absolutely needed. The following was excerpted from an article at
www.Mercola.com:
“A startling study in 2012 revealed that
people who take sleeping pills are not
only at higher risk for certain cancers (35 percent higher), but they are also
nearly four times as likely to die as
people who don't take them.
The list of health
risks from sleeping pills includes:
- Higher risk of
death, including from accidents
- Increased risk of
cancer
- Increased insulin
resistance, food cravings, weight gain and diabetes
- Complete amnesia,
even from events that occurred during the day
- Depression,
confusion, disorientation, and hallucinations
- Impaired driving
to a degree that increases the risk of an accident, especially for women.
RELAXING VERSUS DRUGGING YOURSELF TO GO TO
SLEEP
A lot of people
believe they must drug themselves to go to sleep. They may use sleeping
pills for this, but other ways to drug yourself to
sleep are:
1. Eating late at
night.
2. Using sedative
herbs.
3. Staying up late
until you are exhausted.
4. Exercising until
you are exhausted in order to sleep.
These methods are
not ideal. It is better to relax to go to sleep. Some of the
suggestions below can help you to do this.
“JUNK SLEEP” THREATENING TEENAGER’S HEALTH
Electronic
gadgets have overtaken many teenagers’ bedrooms, damaging their health due to
lack of sleep, according to a British survey.
The
Sleep Council warns that “junk sleep” could rival the unhealthy junk food craze
as a major lifestyle issue for parents of teenage children.
Their
poll of 1,000 teenagers between the ages of 12 to 16 revealed that 30 percent
got only four to seven hours of sleep. And almost 25 percent said
they fell asleep while watching TV, listening to music, or using some other
electronic gadget.
About
40 percent said they felt tired each day, and some 20 percent of the boys
admitted their quality of sleep was affected by leaving their TV or computer
on. However, only 11 percent said they were bothered by the lack of quantity,
or quality, of sleep.
Dr.
Chris Idzikowski with the Edinburgh Sleep Centre stated, “What we are seeing is
the emergence of Junk Sleep – that is
sleep that is of neither the length nor quality that it should be in order to
feed the brain with the rest it needs to perform properly at school.”
References:
The Sleep Council Press Release
The Sleep Council Teenage Sleep: Facts, Figures & Tips
Scientific American August 28, 2007
IF AFTERNOON NAPS INTERFERE WITH NIGHTTIME
SLEEPING
This happens, at
times. It can be due to low vitality. One is somewhat delicate and
the nap upsets the normal rhythm. Often, as health improves, this problem
disappears by itself.
In some cases, a
person may, by taking an afternoon nap, upset their body chemical patterns
enough to begin eliminating a stored stimulant such as caffeine, cadmium from
cigarette or marijuana smoke or something else. Releasing this chemical
into the blood could also interfere with sleep later in the evening.
RANDOM SLEEP SCHEDULES
Some people do remarkably
well with a random sleep schedule. It is necessary in a few occupations
such as flight attendants and commercial airline pilots, for example.
However, as a general rule, the more similar the sleep schedule each day, the
better.
NIGHT WORK SHIFTS
This is often hard
on the body. If one is not feeling well on this schedule, do whatever you
can to change it to a regular day shift, even a late day shift.
LIVING IN APARTMENTS AND SOME CONDOMINIUMS
Living in a
detached house is usually preferable to living
in an apartment or attached dwellings because there is less electromagnetic
fields and often less noise in detached dwelling. This can affect one’s
sleep.
If you must live in
an apartment, try to live in an end unit, with as few people above or below you
as possible such as a garden apartment. If possible, get to know your
neighbors and ask them to turn off the TV and other electronic gadgets early in
the evening, so you can go to bed early in a peaceful electronic environment.
SNORING
This can and does
interfere with one’s sleep, not just your partner’s sleep. Snoring occurs
usually when the tongue blocks the airway a little.
Many methods can
help overcome snoring. Losing weight helps stop some snoring. Nasal
strips often work well by opening up the nostrils a bit. Plastic strips
and mouth guards are also sold that go inside the nose and mouth.
Special physical
exercises are also available that may help snoring. These are available through
the intenet.
HOT FLASHES THAT KEEP ONE AWAKE
Some women at or
near the menopause experience hot flashes at night that keep them awake.
For safe, simple ways to deal with this problem that often work well, without
the need for drugs or natural hormones, read the article entitled Menopause.
SLEEPING WITH AN OZONATOR/IONIZER AIR PURIFIER
This is highly
recommended. It adds a little oxygen to the air, which everyone needs
today. The machines are offered by Atlas and other manufacturers via the internet. For more on how to acquire one of these
machines inexpensively, click here.
Place the machine
in the bedroom, preferably high off the floor on a book shelf.
Set the ozone production to about half or less. Full power is too much
and will irritate the lungs. Close the bedroom door most of the way,
ideally, to keep the ozone in the room.
Do not be afraid of
ozone – it is not harmful when used correctly. Adding a little more even
in a polluted city with a higher natural ozone level is good for most people.
SLEEP AND YIN AND YANG
Sleep is actually a
yin activity, but it has a yang effect of rejuvenating the body. The
prone position is more yin. This is the
reason I do not recommend staying in bed for more than 10 hours at a time.
HAIR MINERAL PATTERNS OF INSOMNIA
Hair mineral
testing can sometimes, but not always, help one understand the reasons for
insomnia. Here are mineral patterns that may be associated with insomnia:
Copper Imbalance. Copper causes the mind to race
and enhances emotions, both of which interfere with sleep.
When copper is out
of balance, the hair copper level may be normal or even low. However, hidden copper imbalances are usually
present. Assuming the hair test is performed correctly, which means the
hair is not washed at the lab, indicators for copper imbalance include:
·
Copper greater than about 2.5 mg% or less than 1 mg%.
·
Zinc less than about 14 mg%
·
Calcium greater than about 70 mg%
·
Potassium less than about 4 mg%
·
Mercury greater than about 0.03 mg%
·
Na/K ratio less than about 2 or greater than 10
Biounavailable calcium and/or magnesium. A hair
calcium level greater than 175 mg%, or perhaps even less, often indicates some
degree of biounavailable calcium and perhaps magnesium. This is closely
associated with insomnia, in some instances, because it is functionally the
same as a calcium and/or magnesium deficiency.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
I used to have a
lot of difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, starting around age
30. Copper toxicity was definitely a culprit. I also had a
lot of adhesions and muscle tension that made relaxing difficult. For
more on this topic, please read Adhesions.
I tried most of the
methods in this article. Sometimes one would work better than
another. At bedtime, doing the spinal twist, pushing the toes down, and
doing some foot reflexology definitely helped relax me. A little exercise
during the day also seems to help. Chamomile tea was often helpful.
Taking a quick shower at bedtime and again if I woke up helped.
I decided I would
not waste the time at night. So I listened to instructional tapes or CDs
if I could not sleep, and I would do the pushing down exercise for an hour or
two in the middle of the night. Eventually, I would fall asleep, though I
was often tired in the morning.
I learned to take
naps, not to plan too much during a day, and to go to bed early so that
hopefully I could get enough sleep sometime during the night. Only rarely
would I get up and work or watch television at night if I could not sleep.
The insomnia
problem definitely got better about 10 years ago when my central channel or
conception vessel opened. This required at least 15 years on a
development program. Now I sleep well. I still do the spinal
twist, rub the feet and pop the toes every evening when I lie down to
sleep. To read about opening the central channel, please read The Conception Vessel on this website.
RECENT SLEEP RESEARCH
The Jawbone
Activity Tracker Study (2014)
found that sleep times in the 21 largest cities in the USA
were remarkably similar, ranging from a low of 6.82 hours in Houston, Texas to
a high of 6.93 hours in Orlando, Florida. On average, that’s just over
6.8 hours of sleep a night.2
Another study, the
2013 International Bedroom Poll by the National Sleep Foundation, which found,
on average, Americans get only 6.5 hours of sleep on weeknights (but report
needing 7.25 hours in order to function optimally).3
The average bedtime
for New Yorkers is 11:15 p.m. – and that’s earlier on average than people in
some other parts of the nation!
SLEEP APNEA
Some people do not
rest well, though they may sleep. One cause is sleep apnea. With
this condition, one stops breathing periodically during sleep. The usual
cause is the tongue slips back into the throat, blocking the air
flow.
Detection of sleep apnea.
Sometimes a partner will just notice that you stop breathing, at times. However,
the other way the problem is identified is to go to a sleep clinic. These
are available in many locations. One goes to sleep at the clinic and
cameras observe one’s breathing and movement during the night.
Correction. The common medical treatment is
to wear a face mask connected to a machine that pumps
air into the mouth and nose. It is called a continuous positive air pressure machine or CPAP machine.
Instead of this
machine, which is somewhat costly and inconvenient, some doctors just recommend
a splint in the mouth that keeps the tongue positioned correctly. Also, a
complete development program, especially losing weight, if needed, may correct
the entire condition.
BIPHASIC SLEEP
As one develops,
sleep patterns may change. At some point, one needs less continuous
sleep. Some complain that they are up after three or four hours and
cannot get back to sleep easily.
Biphasic sleep. This is
because there is a need at some point in development for a biphasic sleep pattern. This means two short sleep phases
every 24 hours. This is normal and not a problem. It works well,
although it is somewhat unusual, at first.
Typically, one goes
to bed early, between 8 and 9 PM. One gets up at about 12 to 2 PM for
three or four hours and can work, read, clean house or whatever. Then one
goes back to sleep around three or four AM for another four hours or a little
less.
References
1.
Dement, W.C. and Vaughan, C., The Promise of Sleep, Dell Publishing,
NY, 1999.
2. Wiley, T.S., Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar and Survival. 2001.
Home | Hair Analysis | Saunas | Books | Articles | Detox Protocols