Sleep better, naturallyMarianna Shimelfarb, M.D.

Integrative Family MedicineMontclair Family Practice at SMG

February 1st, 2017

“What are we going to talk about tonight?”

• What is Insomnia?

• What causes Insomnia?

• Why is it important to do something about it?

And, most importantly,

• What you can do tonight to make it better, naturally!

What is Insomnia?

It is a fancy medical word to describe any kind of sleeping problems. -60 million adults in the U.S. struggle with insomnia every year-10-30% of adults suffer from it and prevalence increases with age and female gender, as well as with concurrent health issues

Types of Insomnia

1. Difficulty falling asleep2. Waking up in the middle of the night (and not being able to fall back asleep)3. Awakening too early in the morning

Or all of the three

What happens when we do not sleep well?

• Feeling like “_”• Feeling tired• Feeling moody• Lack of concentration• Memory problems• Trouble loosing weight

What causes trouble sleeping?

Many, many factors:• Alcohol, caffeine, nicotine• Over-the-counter medications• Reflux disease (chronic heartburn), sleep apnea• STRESS• Diet• Anxiety, Depression• Prescription medicine• Lack of physical activity or excess of physical activity• Age

 

“If there is a secret to good night sleep, it is the good time waking”

Healthy Diet

• Decrease sugar, carbohydrates • Eat warm, nutritious breakfast, lunch

with greens and protein, and light dinner• Eat your food mindfully• Decrease number and size of

caffeinated drinks, switch to decaf, herbal teas

Reduce mind noise

• Disconnect from electronic devices • Put the phone on airplane mode at night• Avoid using all electronic devices –

phones, computers, TV, IPADS at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before bedtime

“But I cannot relax…”

• Here is how:4:7:8 Relaxing Breath Exercise

Daily meditation – Headspace App, Calm App

I call it a GYM FOR YOUR MIND

More ways to relax

• Engage in regular exercise• Pursue relaxing hobby • Journaling• Practice yoga, tai chi, or qigong • Reflexology, acupressure• Hypnotherapy, guided imagery

Pranayama Breath

Acupressure points

Herbal Teas for sleep

• Lemon Balm• Chamomile

Nature’s plants

Lemon Balm Passionflower

Herbs and Supplements

• Melatonin • Valerian • Hops• Lemon Balm

Minerals

• A “relaxation” mineral• Magnesium Glycinate or Magnesium

Citrate: 200-300 mg before bedtime

Establish a healthy evening ritual

• Establish time to finish or stop “doing” chores or tasks and start winding down

• Disconnect from electronic devices• Dim lights 1-2 hours before sleep• Limit evening exposure to stressful

imagery• Maintain peace with sleep partners

Finally,

• “It can be incredibly freeing simply to accept that our sleep cycles vary and that there will be nights when we don’t sleep well.”

• Dr.Tierona Low Dog

References:• Mary Bove, N.D., Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis), An Overview of its Versatility,

Effectiveness, and Indications• Tieraona Low Dog, M.D., Life is your best medicine, 2014• Rubin Naiman, PhD. ,Chapter 8: Insomnia, Integrative Medicine, Third Edition, David Rakel,

M.D.• Michael Reed Gach, Ph.D ., Acupressure.com• Dr.Michael Traub, Passionflower (Passiflora), An Overview of the research and clinical

indications• Cartoonstock.com• Glasbergen.com