Tips for getting the Best Quality Sleep by Svetlana Kogan, M.D

10 Practical Tips for Naturally Getting Best Quality Sleep

Svetlana Kogan, M.D.

A whopping 50-70 million Americans have some sort of sleep disorder. Most of these folks have taken prescription medications for sleep as needed or on a regular basis.

There are many reasons for widespread insomnia. For younger working people, it is their overstimulated central nervous system due to heavy cell phone, TV, and computer use. For middle-aged working parents, it is all of the above stimulation, minus the video-games and parties, plus the stress of having to balance family, children, and a career. Sleep disorders in people over 50 years young are exacerbated by perimenopause and andropause. Additional health issues like urinary incontinence or pain syndromes can and do contribute to awakening at night as well.

Here are some holistic tips, which are sure to help anyone get a better night of sleep:

1. The bedroom is for sleep only. Do not use it for engaging in exciting activities or reading a book. When you learn to associate bedroom with exclusively sleep –then, when you walk into your bedroom, you should have a knee-jerk physiologic sensation of sleepiness come over you.
2. Do not overdo alcohol or caffeine – and make sure you are finished partying 2-3 hours prior to bedtime. This is especially true for Naples, where many happy retirees go out and consume substantial amounts of alcohol on a regular basis. You want to make sure that you have had time to process and eliminate all the stimulants, which tend to keep you wired.
3. Take a nice walk after dinner. Naples is truly a green oasis, and coupled with a proximity to the ocean, there is plenty of opportunity to get ample oxygen exposure – it helps to calm and soothe our central nervous system.
4. Take a relaxing bath or shower about 30 minutes before going to bed. Using lavender, chamomile, or bergamot aromatherapy oils helps to quell the restless mind.
5. Sleep naked or if uncomfortable, use loose cotton pajamas, which allow skin cells to breathe and will not skid against the sheets. Make sure the mattress is pleasantly firm. The pillow should help you maintain the natural S-shaped curvature of the neck, and cotton pillowcases will help avoid electric static, which can be so annoying when you are in bed.
6. Have a curfew for the use of electronic devices and TV with stopping to use any and all mind-stimulating gadgets about 1 hour prior- to going to bed.
7. Do not drink or eat anything within 1-2 hours of bedtime. Our urinary bladders are tiny when they are empty and all it takes is just several ounces of liquid to wake you up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. So, allow your digestive and urinary systems to rest and restore at night, and visit the restroom immediately prior to bedtime to empty that bladder.
8. Play soothing music about half-an hour before bedtime. The healing and soothing effects of calming music are astounding and scientifically based. You can watch the episode I have recorded on this subject by visiting the media page on my website: CustomLongevity.com
9. There is a plethora of supplements (such as magnesium, L-Theanine, Glycine, GABA, Melatonin, and many others), which claim to help with sleep and we will abstain from discussing them here because it is a huge topic in and of itself. However, I would strongly advise against using any and all over the counter supplements without discussing them with your doctor. Just because something is “natural” – does not mean that it is safe for everyone, especially if you are already taking other supplements and prescription medications which tend to react with other compounds.
10.  Write down positive affirmations just 15 minutes before going to bed and say them out loud. As you are winding down, you

are entering an almost hypnotic state, in which writing down words feeds the associated thought and emotion back to the body and mind. Additionally, spending 30-45 minutes meditating in a chair before going to bed works wonders, as it helps to prime your nervous system for a healing and restorative night of sleep.

The author of ‘Diet Slave No More!’, Svetlana Kogan, M.D. is a Board-Certified Internal Medicine, Holistic & Functional Medical Doctor with 25 years of experience. Her website is CustomLongevity.com Office Phone: 239-676-6883