Ask Aunt B

Dear Aunt B Readers,

As we bring this fundamental conversation to a close, remember that anything that assists you to live your best life would be considered a fundamental of living well. We have discussed a few of them but our list is far from exhaustive. We have discussed social connection, mastering your mind and movement. We mentioned drinking filtered water (not necessarily bottle water), eating healthy foods, relaxation, and hygiene. Today we are going deep on the aspects of sleep. I didn’t mention but should have: “IF YOU SMOKE, QUIT”.

Sleep is so important. I think we have often seen it has a luxury or talked yourself into believing we just don’t need as much sleep. Our body does so many processes in our sleep that are FUNDAMENTAL. We need to take it seriously.

What gets in the way of good quality sleep? Many factors inhibit our ability to get good and adequate sleep. There are medical conditions including insomnia, sleep apnea, vitamin D deficiency, acid reflux, bathroom needs, and many more. Always check with your healthcare provider. There can be underlying conditions that need medical treatment.

What you are eating or not eating can interfere with sleep. Eating too late can be a problem but also going to bed hungry can have it’s own set of problems. Excess belly fat has been found to decrease the quality of sleep.The types of foods that can assist some with better sleep are bananas, fatty fish and chickpeas to name a few. Spicy foods and tomatoes can cause problems for some of us. Alcohol is a major contributor. Most think alcohol relaxes them so they can possibly go to sleep easier. This is usually not the case and the quality of sleep you get after drinking alcohol is impaired at best.

Anxiety and minds that can’t turn off not only affects our ability to fall asleep but factors in being able to stay asleep. Reading can help some of us fall asleep faster but I would caution you from reading disturbing information or even information where you need to focus. The lights from our televisions, phones and computers cause problems, tricking and alerting your brain.

How much sleep do you need? It is a very personal thing. Most experts state that 7-9 hours is optimal for most adults. Our sleep needs change as we age. The best way to determine how much sleep is to start with the time we need to awaken, set your bedtime for 7.5 hours before. If you naturally awaken you are figuring your sleep needs. If you don’t wake naturally then go for 8 hours and so on.

A few suggestions for your best sleep:

Stop phone, computer and television at least 30 minutes prior to bed. More time is better.

Best to go to bed drowsy. As stated, simple easy reading is best.

Develop an evening routine.

A warm bath before bed.

End the day wrap up: Let what happened go in the day and set your intention to rest and sleep well.

Relax your body, one part at a time with deep breathing. When your mind is too busy, don’t argue with it, just tell it to relax. You will not solve problems at this time no matter how loud your brain tells you to.

Go to sleep and awaken at the same time each day.

Sleep well my friends,

Love,

Aunt B

If you would like to send Aunt B a question please email your question to news@forneymessenger.com.