Sleep

Meditation for better sleep

A Randomised Controlled Trial of Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Insomnia

Article from the BLOG

One of the first questions I ask during a consultation with a patient is, 'how are you sleeping'?

Many of my patients come in for seemingly unrelated issues and answer this with an; 'oh yeah, I've got insomnia'. Like it's no biggie or cannot be resolved. Well, there is much we can do to help.

It seems like such a simple concept, but so many of us aren't getting enough sleep or not good enough quality sleep. There's been a lot of research exactly why the human body needs sleep and what effect it has on the body. 
Here are just a few of the benefits:

  • Recovery: healing tissue damage, cleansing the blood, restoring cellular function to maximum capabilities

  • Clearer thinking: processing memories of the day to allow for new ones the following day, which will lead to a reduction in stress and apathy equally. (delete full stop)

  • Beauty: cellular repair means a brighter complexion and plumper collagen cells in the skin

But HOW do you sleep better, right?
Despite our busy lifestyle, we really need between 7 to 9 hours sleep per night.
And good quality sleep!

Sleep Hygiene is paramount. To begin with, there needs to be a reduction in stimulants: caffeinated tea, alcohol and electronic devices, (seem to be) are the main culprits I see.

Not using a TV/iPad/smart phone in the bed OR bedroom

Having quiet time before bed is so important because the light from these devices is super stimulating ... more than you think. Dimming the light and using blue light helps, but doesn't change the huge amount of information that is thrust into our brains. And we get so much of that at other times during the day. 

Going to bed with a busy mind is like closing all the curtains but not turning off the lights 
What a waste of electricity! Resisting the temptation to look at a cute kitty video in bed is tough (trust me, I know) but your brain, body and spirit will all thank you for it.

Having 20-60 minutes screen free time before bed is going to help tremendously. 
Ushering your mind into relaxation mode allows the transition from 'fight or flight' to 'rest and digest' to happen more cohesively and will encourage DEEP sleep to take place. Quiet time may include - reading, music, creative writing, beauty/relaxation regime, stretching, meal prep, meditation... the list goes on!

If you're doing all this and your sleep is still not quite right; you're waking during the night, can't get to sleep and/or feeling sh*tty the next day. There may be a deeper lying imbalance influencing your sleep.

From a Chinese Medicine perspective, the body needs to be in balance. *Qi and blood needs to be flowing freely and be of a good quality for the mind to rest at night. If there are emotions that are hindering this smooth flow of Qi and blood around the body, you may find you wake early in the morning then stare at the ceiling waiting to drop off again. Or if you're utterly exhausted and the quality of the blood is lacking, just when you think you're ready for sleep, the mind wont be able to settle and you may toss and turn for hours before you finally drift off to sleep. Or heat in the body may cause hot flushes at night when the body should be cool and calm.
Whatever the issue is, addressing the root cause of the problem may restore balance and allow deep sleep to occur so the body can do its thing!

Often when the sleep is disrupted a plethora of problems follow, this is why it is one of my first questions and first aims to resolve. Quite often when we address why the sleep is disrupted, good sleep follows and this has the capacity to heal in a powerful way.

- Dr. Stephanie Luxton (Chinese Medicine)


Here is a TED Talk on the benefits your brain receives from deep sleep, and how to achieve more out of sleep by increasing something called 'delta-waves'... by sleep scientist Dan Gartenberg

This one is very entertaining and hugely eye opening about the benefits of and research into sleep. CAUTION STRONG ADULT CONTENT & LANGUAGE.

Here is another TED Talk by Neuroscientist Jeff Iliff about exactly how your brain recovers and clears metabolic waste during sleep. Of scientific language but still accessible.  

*Please refer to the GLOSSARY for the descriptions of any unfamiliar Chinese Medicine terminology.