Sleeping better

     Sleep tips.

     Most of my friends know that I suffered from anxiety for my 1st 40 years.  I never really had a tough time sleeping that I can recall because I went 100% until I just passed out at the end of the day/night.  I couldn't nap for the life of me unless I was sick.

     Once I got my anxiety under control, I noticed I didn't race through life at a 100 miles an hour, but I also didn't sleep as well.  I've come up with a list of things that has really made a huge difference for me.

     1. Magnesium and Zinc before bed.  I've read a number of times that this plays a role in slowing down central nervous system activity.  I take 500 mg chelated Mg and 50 mg chelated Zn.  I also take this after exercise too.  

     2. Breathing thru the diaphram.  This is a technique that if done right can settle or "reset" your autonomic nervous system and stimulate the parasympathetic branch of the ANS.  The technique I use is essentially breathing all the way out using a contraction of the obliques.  It's something worth googling and practicing.  But it seems to really settle my system down quickly.  When you think you've exhaled all the way....you haven't....keep it going and you'll feel like you are about to cough from the little spasm in your diaphragm.

     3. No alcohol or food after 7.  This is to keep the body from processing food and alcohol while you are trying to sleep.  Often sleep follows alcohol or big meal consumption, but its rarely "good" sleep.  I can't tell you how many times I've had a nice meal later at a restaurant with a few glasses of wine and throughout the night I wake with my heart racing.  Not good. 

     4. Eye mask.  People ask me "can you really sleep with an eye mask???".  It's really no different than getting used to a new pillow or adjusting to becoming a back sleeper if you've been a side or stomach sleeper.  The benefits though are great.  Without an eye mask, I wake through the night, lift my head and glance at the clock wondering if it's time to get up or how much time I have left.  With the eye mask, I think that I still wake through the night, but I just don't know it.  I've been able to stay asleep most mornings until my gentle iphone alarm goes off.  And I love that!  I hate waking up before my alarm!

     5. No caffeine after ????.  I actually don't drink it except 1st thing in the morning before I exercise.  However, there have been times I've taken it for an afternoon workout and it made me have a tougher time falling asleep.  There is research on people having a genetic pre-disposition for fast or slow caffeine metabolism.  So this affects some folks differently than others.  Certainly though if you are dealing with anxiety, it is likely you are highly effected by caffeine. 

     These are the things I do to sleep better and it makes a HUGE difference in my recovery, mood, how my body feels, etc....