SLEEP
Sleep is a non-negotiable aspect for good foundational health. If sleep is elusive for you everything else in your life can start to gradually unravel.
There is nothing quite like a good nights sleep. You know when you have had a good night, and, you are also definitely aware when you have not had a deep restful sleep.
There are different aspects and influences to sleep and so when I have a client requesting sleep support we start with checking in with the following and work through the layers to find out what is happening.
First we work out whether it is:
Sleep onset - the ability to drift off to sleep with little struggle
Sleep maintenance - staying asleep through the night, or if you do wake due to needing to pee, or being woken by the cat, it is your ability to go back to sleep.
Restorative sleep - when you wake do you feel restored?
There are in fact many factors which may influence your sleep and this is where we peel back the layers to identify what may be happening for you. This is what I work through with my clients and what you can start to consider if sleep is an issue for you.
Environment
The environment can be your physical surroundings and your behaviours before bed.
I realise many people have already been working with their sleep routine - the behaviours before bed to ready the nervous system for rest. But sometimes I am surprised when I realise some people are not aware how much the hours leading up to bedtime will influence the ability to get to sleep, and the sleep quality.
Is this you? A busy day at work, being mum, studying, just life, and then you have raced home, cooked, cleaned, studied, homework, dealt with unruly house members, and then perhaps scrolled for a bit because you finally have time to yourself, and then fall into bed expecting to go to sleep….yet not be able to?
Or perhaps you have fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion. But, from a holistic perspective your nervous system has not had the opportunity to switch to the parasympathetic response, it is still switched on and hyper vigilant and therefore your sleep may feel light. The scrolling on devices will continue nervous system activation with stimulation, or, the time in front of netflix is passive, and not an active method to support and shift your nervous system to rest.
Make sense?
So that time before bed, hopefully at least an hour, is very important to set you and your nervous system up for sleep and rest. A shower/bath, low lights and candles, a herbal tea, some reading/journalling/knitting - activities that relax and shift the nervous system. Active meditation, mindful breathing or Yin type yoga further amplify the rest response. I appreciate that you may be in full family mode and life is full and busy, and therefore this time frame may be concentrated into a 15 minute ritual before bed,
but this is a practice that I recommend for all, and, especially for women to help regain a sense of self. All day you have been giving, and now is a snippet of time to give to yourself in an active nourishing way.
Daily Stress
Chronic daily stress is the biggest influence on sleep - sleep onset, sleep maintenance and sleep quality. Stress and busyness is a fact of life, no matter what stage of life you are at, that daily stress influences your health, including your sleep. This is one of the biggest discussions that I have with my clients as I believe that the far reaching influence of stress on our health is both misunderstood and under appreciated. Stress hormones drive inflammation, gut health, immune function, reproductive health, energy and sleep. When these aspects are affected then imbalance will express differently and uniquely in every single person.
So what do you do when there is overwhelm and no perceived way out of where you are at?
My strongest recommendation is to find at least 15 minutes a day for you.
So then I often hear - I do yoga, I walk, I eat healthy and yet I still am stressed - my gut/immunity/sleep/poor menstrual cycle/fatigue.
I ask - Where is the joy? what brings lightness to your heart, that is not effort?
We are so used to pushing in this modern world….pushing ourselves. To what purpose I am not sure? Priorities have been lost, the simplicity of finding joy around the dinner table, or reading a book, listening to music, watching the sun set and the winter light change….
These are moments that will assist to reset your nervous system on a daily basis, to bring change to your everyday, and to bring a restful sleep.
Menopause….Hormones
The shifting and changing time as our body adapts to the new rhythms of hormonal patterns definitely influences our sleep as women. It is also coupled with critical times of managing older children in the household, caring for elderly parents, at the peak of careers or new studies, and even relationship shifts and changes.
I refer you to all that I have written above to adapt and move with the changes that are occurring to you and the environment around you. Breathe deep and then exhale.
Oh…..big one….coffee and alcohol do not work during this time. Maybe you could drink alcohol weekly or nightly previously, but now during this phase, these two cruxes are not your friend. Your nervous system and liver during this time just does not tolerate the extra load. Even weekly indulgences is enough to continually keep you feeling like you need to catch up.
Herbal Medicine - Tonics and Teas.
And therapeutic doses of specific nutrients will help you as you adjust to hormonal changes, will assist to reset the nervous system and adrenal response. These medicines will help you get back into balance and find sleep
Reach out if you would like some support for your sleep - nervous system, adenal and menopause hormonal changes.
The naturopathic treatment approach that I take involves listening to you, understanding you and your health and everyday life - your health history, your stresses, nervous system, diet and lifestyle. Then we will most likely launch into blood pathology testing to get a clearer picture of what is happening for you. Then step by step we prioritise what we need to do for you and start.
If you have any questions as to whether I can help you as part of your health team please reach out, otherwise I hope to see you in naturopathic clinic at Nourish and Breathe.
Naturopathic Clinic
As a university trained naturopath with a clinical practice - meaning I see clients in clinic consultations for their health concerns - I look at a client's entire health picture.
Please reach out for further guidance and naturopathic treatment that can assist and guide you back to wellness.
See me in naturopathic clinic or at the apothecary for nutrient and herbal medicine to support the nervous system, gut health, hormonal health, stress, detoxification and methylation pathways.
Your Gut Health
An informative session with Renae on the digestive system.
Your digestive function is the basis of your foundational health. How well you digest, absorb and assimilate the food you eat, and the type of food that you eat, is one of the main factors that will determine your state of health. Gain an understanding of the digestive system in its entirety, and, understand the clues that your signs and symptoms of digestion is indicating about your digestive health.
Join Renae for an informative hour on digestive health - there is a lot of information out there online, let’s work through some myths and truths. Bring your questions along.
The digestive system from top to bottom
What can go wrong with digestion - the signs and symptoms
What you can do - the tests available, diets and food, gut healing
Email if you have any questions: renae@nourishandbreathe.com
Renae is a University Qualified Naturopath & Herbalist, with a Masters in Reproductive Medicine (UNSW).
WHEN - Monday, 4th September 2023, 6:15 pm - 7:00 pm
WHERE - Nourish & Breathe, Studio 7, Blg 3.3, 1 Dairy RdFyshwick, ACT, 2609
WHAT - Workshop will include herbal tea and snacks