6 Science Backed Tips to Support Sleep

Alekha Akkapeddi

Sleep is super important for a variety of different processes including immunity, emotional wellbeing, maintaining weight, reducing cardio-metabolic disease risk and many others. When dealing with a chronic illness for the last few years, sleep was one of the most important tools that put me into remission. However, as a society, we do not prioritize sleep nearly as much as we should. Here are some tips and tricks to help with your sleep.

• Minimize blue light and turn off devices at least 1 hour before bed

  It is no surprise that many of us spend way more screen time than we should throughout the day. However, blue light may have a detrimental effect on our circadian rhythm and sleep. Blue light suppresses the release of melatonin, a key hormone in regulating sleep. One hack if blue light cannot be avoided entirely is to get blue light blocking glasses.

• Try supplementing with magnesium

  Magnesium is an important cofactor that is responsible for a variety of functions including nerve and muscle function, heart health, bone health, relaxation and more. Unfortunately, due to the Standard American Diet(SAD), many of us are deficient in this crucial mineral. The underlying mechanism to how magnesium helps is due to regulating activity of GABA and the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor.
  
  Magnesium is naturally found in nuts, whole grains, soy products, dark chocolate, avocados and leafy greens. However, if supplementation is needed you can try magnesium glycinate or magnesium formulas that include L-theanine and GABA which also promote relaxation and sleep.

• Relax with chamomile tea

  Chamomile tea is another natural sleep aid and mild sedative that may assist with sleep quality and duration. The effects are associated with a compound called apigenin which binds to benzodiazepine receptors in the brain and subsequently the GABA system. Chamomile may also aid in digestion, reducing inflammation, blood sugar control, and more. Plus, it’s totally delicious—who doesn’t love chamomile tea!

• View sunlight for 20-30 min in the morning when waking up

  Proper circadian functioning is an essential component for our overall health, and one big regulator of this is light, specifically exposure to morning sunlight. Related to this, viewing sunlight at sunset can also help reset circadian rhythms, thus promoting a better night sleep.

• Red light

  There is some research to suggest that exposure to mild red light can improve sleep by increasing the production of melatonin. However, make sure the light is not too bright or it will have the opposite effect. One study even found that red light can help with sleep inertia, or that feeling of grogginess that persists after waking up, or that “drunk” feeling.

• Yoga nidra or meditation

  The ancients knew this trick for thousands of years on how meditation and yoga nidra assists with sleep. Turns out, there is some emerging research about this. While many people complain that a big reason that they can’t fall asleep is that “they can’t seem to turn their mind off”, meditation or yoga nidra may be able to help with this.

Not sure where to start with meditation or don’t feel “good” at meditation? Check out https://www.alekhaakkapeddi.com/meditatewithleeks to get started!