Sleep Heigene

Sleep Heigene 

Sleep is vital to our cognitive function and lacking sleep can greatly affect our health and well being. A Sleep Test Technician spoke to my anatomy class yesterday about how the brain reacts during sleep.  He introduced us to a concept called "Sleep Heigene."  Ways to have clean, healthy sleep.  Because many people out there suffer from sleep disrders, I thought it was interesting enough to share.

- Do not eat or exercise heavily 2 hours before bed
- Do not drink alcohol right before sleeping (Alcohol-induced sleep sends you right past stages 1-3 of sleep and right into REM which will leave you easily awoken when the alcohol metabolizes.)
-Our brains are very sensitive to light.  Avoid exposing yourself to computer, tv, tablets, and phone screens an hour before bed.  Also try to have low- lighting in the hours before bed.
-Many sleep medications will mess with your brain waves.  If you are to use sleep aids, choose natural ones like melatonin (two natural sources of melatonin are bananas and oatmeal so consider this as a pre-bed snack.)
- Avoid naps during the day and try to sleep at night when its is dark- it is better for the brain to have a full sleep cycle than little spurts of sleep here and there.

Winter Ayurveda Daily Health Routine

The crisp of winter is in the air!  This week I took a wellness workshop with my friend and Ayurvedic Practitioner, Bridget Puchaslky who had some great tips for staying healthy through the season.

Ayurveda is an Eastern science for maintaing the balance and health of the body, mind, and spirit.  According to ayurveda, there are 4 elements to one's purpose in life: duty (dharma), financial sustainability (artha), Fulfillment of positive desires (karma), and enlightenment (moksha).

The following routine is a guide to maintain health during the winter season:
-Wake around 7 am
-Gentle oil massage on feel, legs, arms, and abdomen
-warm shower
- observation of the tongue and scraping
-Drink warm water to stimulate bowels
-yoga (sun Salutations, lion's breath, chest opening poses and twists, bellows breath)
-Sit in Sunlight Daily
-Exercise Daily
-Stay warm with layers and wear a scarf to protect the throat
-Tea: 1/2 tsp ginger powder, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and a pinch of cloves to improve circulation
- Eat less dairy, and focus on foods with lighter, warmer constitutions.
- Get plenty of sleep!