5 common questions about sleep
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Find the answers to your biggest sleep questions…
Like millions of other people, I have spent much of the past few weeks isolating myself at home with my family , due to the coronavirus outbreak .
If you’re doing the same, you’re probably feeling a little restless, just like me. But this downtime has also given me a great opportunity to reflect on some of the most frequently asked questions I receive on a daily basis — and I wanted to share some answers with you this week.
Whether it’s having nightmares or knowing how to approach your teenager to sleep, here are some questions I hear regularly. Here they are :
1 — I have trouble falling asleep at night. Do you have any tips for falling asleep faster?
This is perhaps the most frequently asked question about sleep . And luckily, I have a few things you can try.
First, always think about melatonin. Melatonin is the engine of sleep. I recommend taking 1–1.5 milligrams of melatonin about half an hour before bedtime, especially for those entering their 50s and 60s when melatonin production begins to drop. Also make sure your sleeping environment is dark ; it may seem obvious, but light interferes with the production of melatonin. By keeping your bedroom as dark as possible, coupled with a little melatonin before bed, you’re already off to a good start.
Also, to reach an unconscious state, your heart rate must hover around 60 beats per minute . But sometimes, after a long day, it can be hard to relax, even when we’re trying to relax in bed. For this, I normally turn to the 4–7–8 breathing method. Inhale for 4 seconds, hold it for 7 seconds and exhale for 8 seconds. This flushes all the carbon dioxide out of your lungs, brings all the fresh oxygen to your heart, and most importantly, helps lower your heart rate . It’s a technique often used by snipers in the military, and I’ve found it to be a great way to fall asleep, too.
And to help you stay asleep at night, maybe you can take some raw honey before bed. I know you ‘re probably thinking “Raw honey? How’s that going to help?” It turns out that raw honey is very difficult to metabolize, so it keeps your blood sugar stable and helps you stay…
