Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for overall health and well-being, but for many, achieving restful sleep can be a challenge. While there are various strategies to improve sleep, acupuncture and herbal medicine offer holistic solutions that promote relaxation and restore balance in the body. Together with good sleep hygiene practices, these natural therapies can target the root causes of insomnia and other disturbances, helping you wake up refreshed and revitalised.
Let’s explore how natural therapies, combined with healthy sleep habits, can support better sleep and improve overall quality of life.
Tip 1: Exposure to morning sunlight
Regular morning light exposure helps align melatonin production with your sleep-wake cycle, improving sleep quality and overall alertness during the day.
What does it all mean? It’s the morning sunlight that gets us up for the day. It blocks melatonin production, a hormone required for sleep, but sunlight also regulates melatonin production.
Tip 2: Reduce blue light exposure
Device screens (computer, tablet and mobile phones) emit blue light. Blue light is effective at suppressing melatonin, reducing the quality of your sleep. By reducing your daily, afternoon and evening blue light exposure increases the chance of improving sleep quality.
Suggestions: acupuncture, herbal medicines and melatonin tablets may help with sleep by reducing stress and increase general relaxation however, it is the reduction of blue light is something we can all aim for.
Tip 3: Calm the mind
Do you have too much on your mind to get a good night’s sleep?
Suggestions:
- Acupuncture is widely used to reduce stress and promote relaxation. It can also be very useful for different pain conditions that can hinder a restful night’s sleep
- If you are a chronic bedtime worrier, try scheduling a half hour of ‘worry time’ well before bed. Once you retire, remind yourself that you’ve already done your worrying for the day
- Try relaxation exercises. You could consciously relax every part of your body, starting with your toes and working up to your scalp. Or you could think of a restful scene, concentrate on the rhythmic rise and fall of your breathing, or focus on a mantra (repeating a word or phrase constantly). If you are still having difficulties relaxing and calming your thoughts, it is best if you go out of the bedroom and wait until you are feeling sleepy and tired before trying to go to sleep again.
Tip 4: Release body tension
Do you store tension in your jaw, neck, lower back and shoulders?
Solution:
- a good massage can do wonders for achy muscles and tired minds. It is a great way to induce relaxation while at the same time addressing some of the stress that can accumulate in the body. Maitland Wellness Centre has massage therapy available six days per week. Book in with one of our professional massage therapists today
- practice some simple neck rotations or yoga poses
Tip 5: Take melatonin
Have you heard about melatonin, a hormone that plays a role in the sleep-wake cycle? Natural levels of melatonin in the blood are highest at night. Some research suggests that melatonin supplements might be helpful in treating sleep disorders such as delayed sleep phase and insomnia.
Solution: book in with our naturopath and acupuncturist Patricio for a natural way to resolve any sleep problems.
Tip 6: Investigate how acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help improve sleep quality
Solution: Maitland Wellness Centre prides itself on providing personalised care for our patients. Our therapists take the time to fully discuss your health concerns.
Book in with one of our acupuncturists and herbalist today to see if they can help you.
