Except for Arizonians and Hawaiians, a collective groan is being moaned across the U.S., this week as people hit the snooze alarm to compensate for the hour’s loss of sleep from springing ahead with Daylight Saving Time. But even Arizonians and Hawaiians cross-country travel, so they, too, can be heard calculating hours lost from time zone changes and Daylight Saving. With a few minor adjustments in your schedule, though, you can bounce back from the lost hour without using over-the-counter or prescription sleep aids.
The circadian system is a flexible, internal clock which adjusts to time changes. You can accelerate the synchronization by adjusting a few daily habits:
- Avoid caffeine in the afternoons and evening,
- Open your shades and curtains as soon as you see some light in the mornings and shut them early in the evening.
- Avoid using your computer, television, and other electronic devices in the evening. The light from these devices tricks your brain into thinking it is still daytime.
- Keep your bedroom set aside for sleeping, and not as a second den.
- Use a 10 to 20-minute relaxation routine with diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation and restful yoga or stretching poses.
- Go to bed at the same time every evening, following your usual sleep schedule.
- Limit the use of alcohol and other mind-altering drugs, which can severely impact your sleep.
A recent trend which can cause potential problems is the use of over-the-counter sleep aids. It is best you check with your personal physician to confirm the use of the popular supplement, melatonin and other sleeping pills. The brain naturally produces melatonin as a hormone in response to light and dark.
Without the guidance of a trained health professional, self-medicating using these medicines and supplement can possibly disrupt your sleep even more, especially if you use them past what is considered short-term use. You may not become physically addicted to these over-the-counter sleep aids, but it is possible to develop a psychological dependence.
However, nature offers a solution by providing you with the nutrients in food which support your body’s own ability to develop restorative sleep routines. Several foods naturally contain melatonin. Plan your meals for the next few weeks with these melatonin-rich foods. They include:
- Fruits and vegetables such as tart cherries, corn, asparagus, tomatoes, pomegranates, olives, grapes, broccoli and cucumber
- Grains such as rice and barley and
- Nuts and seeds such as walnuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, mustard seeds, and flax seeds.
Three other naturally occurring minerals in foods which help induce sleep are tryptophan (especially combined with foods rich in vitamin B6), magnesium, and calcium.
You can find tryptophan in:
- dairy products,
- poultry,
- seafood, nuts and seeds,
- legumes,
- fruits such as apples, bananas, peaches, avocado
- vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, turnip greens, onions and asparagus
- grains, such as barley, rice, corn and oats.
Magnesium is a natural relaxant and is often referred to as the sleep mineral. You can find it in:
- dark leafy greens, such as spinach
- nuts and seeds
- wheat germ
- fish, such as salmon, halibut, tuna and mackeral
- soybeans,
- bananas,
- avocados,
- low-fat yogurt.
That glass of warm milk your mother told you to drink before bed offered you two benefits to help you sleep. The warmth is a soothing sensation. Research has shown that calcium-rich diets can help with insomnia. Pick foods with the combo of tryptophan and calcium for the best results.
- Dark leafy greens
- Low-fat dairy products
- Sardines
- Fortified cereals
- Fortified orange juice
- Enriched grains and cereals
- Okra
- Broccoli
Daylight Saving Time may take the spring out of your step with the lost hour of sleep. But you can get it back fast by following a consistent schedule and nourishing yourself with the best foods which promote relaxation and health.
But if you’ve tried these things and still aren’t able to sleep because you’ve got something on your mind, then reach out for help so you can find clarity about what the next New Thought, Right Action could be.