Stress less
I s stress sabotaging your sleep? COVID-19 chaos has made many people too wound up to unwind. Naturopath Caroline Robertson reviews supplements that will help you to relax and rest. My patient Sarah was tossing and turning after watching the news before bed. With headlines like “COVID carnage continues”, it is no wonder that nightmares are increasingly common. Stress is skyrocketing, with concerns over career, education, finances, health, relationships and travel. In over 30 years of clinical practice, I have never experienced such an epidemic of anxiety and insomnia. Overwhelming emotions spill into disturbing dreams, as people process fear and worry unconsciously. Many people are finding that sleep deprivation is deteriorating their psychological and physical ability to navigate daily demands. Less sleep means more confusion, errors, forgetfulness, moodiness, sensitivity and shakiness. And, according to The Harvard Help Guide , chronic insomnia is also linked
daytime siestas, restless legs syndrome, sleep apnoea, an uncomfortable bed and disturbing light or noises. Heavenly peace Support for sound sleep through stressful times is vital to survive. What helps you stay calm? What makes you feel worse? Commit to cultivating the helpers and cutting the harmers. Here are my favourite sleep saviours. California poppy dreaming: Native Americans used this non-addictive alternative to the opium poppy to induce sleep, calm nerves and ease pain. It helps to calm children with ADD and also eases withdrawal from addictive substances. Adaptogenic ashwagandha: Ayurvedic doctor Rama Prasad says “exhaustion and anxiety are alleviated by ashwagandha. By moderating the hypothalamus- pituitary-adrenal axis it reduces stressful cortisol, improves sleep and increases energy.” Ashwagandha’s withanolides are anti-inflammatory and restorative. Lemon balm bliss: This citrusy-smelling leaf calms the central and enteric
inflammation, kidneydisease, neurological disorders, obesity, pain, reflux, respiratory diseases, schizophrenia and stroke. Getting sufficient sleep, on the other hand, increases energy, immunity and cognitive function and reduces susceptibility to respiratory infections, according to a 2016 JAMA Internal Medicine study. Speed vs sleep Stress is the enemy of sleep, because our sympathetic ‘fight or flight’ systemoverrides our parasympathetic ‘rest and digest’ drive. Perceived problems or threats will trigger production of the stress hormones adrenalin, noradrenalin and cortisol, which in turn increase heart and respiratory rate, hormone secretion and circulation. This high gear is quite contrary to the calm needed in order to sleep. Chronic stress also causes a depleted, depressed, inflamed and immune-suppressed state that is connected with adrenal fatigue. Other sleep stealers include blue light emitted from electronic devices before bed, caffeine, recreational and prescription drugs, EMFs, energy drinks, hormonal imbalances, an irregular routine, lack of
exercise or sunlight, chronic pain, eating too late at night, prolonged
to an increased incidence of cancer, depression, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension,
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ISSUE 58 • 2020
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