Blog two- sleep,and lighting

Lets talk 10 different ways to support your sleep and enhance metabolic health.

Firstly, I will share some insights and information that explains why I have wanted to share these tips with you.

Sleep is one of the most important building blocks for our health. Good sleep hygiene or healthy sleeping habits are important for our mental and physical health, as well as our overall quality of life and bodies circadian rhythm.

Your morning routine is essential in creating an aligned circadian rhythm that is crucial in supporting your health.

Our behaviors during the day, not just before we go to bed can affect how well we sleep. Your food and drink choices, daily schedule, evening routine, stress levels and many other activities all play a part in your ability to sleep.

Artificial blue light, which comes from our screens, TV’s, overhead lighting in our homes, offices, buildings, our LED lights or lamps in our homes, impact on our cortisol levels and ability to create melatonin at night.

So if used when it gets dark, our ability to produce melatonin is suppressed (hence why melatonin is often prescribed for people to take to get to sleep)

Although they have their place, instead of opting for sleeping pills, watching the television or scrolling on your phone, consider implementing some of the below to support your sleep cycle, circadian rhythm and help to encourage “sleepiness” before bedtime.

What about red light therapy?

Red Light Therapy simply uses specifics wavelengths of light, the same wavelengths of light that are also naturally emitted from the sun. Red light therapy is a process of emitting specific wavelengths of red and infrared light which have the ability to penetrate through the skin into the tissues. These wavelengths have been extensively studied and proven to have a wide range of benefits.

Red Light therapy works at the cellular level, in your mitochondria. They're the powerhouses of your cells, always hard at work making more ATP {adenosine triphosphate) energy to fuel your body. The photons in red and near infrared light excite the electrons involved in cellular respiration, breaking up nitric oxide bonds and letting hydrogen and water move through the process. The more efficiently your cells create ATP energy through cellular respiration, the better your cells function on all levels, and the better your body feels and performs.

Some of its benefits

• Improves skin appearance

• Supports recovery and healing

• Relieves pain and discomfort

• Stimulates cellular energy

Habits to consider integrating into your daily routine:

• Utilise night shift or red light mode on your cellphone

• Get natural, unfiltered light in the mornings (preferably at sunrise, watch the sunrise!!)

• Use ‘Flux’ to block the blue light on your computer screen for the evenings

• Engage in calming practices in the evenings such as yoga, reading, taking some time for yourself in your preferred form, or drinking magnesium rich cacao

• Consider a Magnesium supplement (Make sure it is Magnesium Glycinate) Be Pure do a great one if you are in NZ or Australia.

• Support Seratonin levels by getting sunlight (unfiltered aka not through windows) during your day for at least 5-10 minutes

• If you are a night shift worker, work in an office, parent, or up at times during the night, utilise blue blocking glasses, lamps and light bulbs to block blue light when it isn’t needed

• Utilise calming herbs or tea (check with your Dr first to ensure these don’t impact on any medications

• Consider purchasing or using a red light therapy panel for the health benefits noted above

• Avoid caffeine including drinks with caffeine such as energy drinks, matcha, english breakfast tea after 12pm.
  

Get your morning routine right and your night time routine should follow. Remember, when introducing new habits. Start small to give yourself a better chance of it being sustainable!

I would never share information I didn’t think would be truely helpful and beneficial for people to consider incorporating into their lives. However, I don’t know everything about this topic so feel free to do some more research! The more in the know and informed we can be, the easier it is to make informed, and conscious decisions.

Some podcasts that share more insights are Well and Good podcast on Sleep, the Dr Huberman podcast on sleep at night and the @Blockbluelight website.

Happy light adjusting!