Managing Sleep Issues with Naturopathy
Sleep issues are something that I encounter quite often through my work as a naturopath. Indeed, it is a problem that affects a significant number of Australian adults, with some sources estimating that up to 30% of Australians experience some form of sleep problems. Sleep problems may present in a variety of ways, such as difficulties with sleep onset, or with sleep maintenance, inability to maintain sleep for adequate periods so as to wake refreshed, or poor sleep quality. These issues may sometimes be due to external factors resulting in an environment that is not conducive to getting a good night’s sleep, but often this is not the case. Some factors which may be contributing the sleep problems may be sleep apnea, stress and/or anxiety, menopausal symptoms or pain. As a result of chronically poor sleep, people experience issues such as fatigue, mood swings, headaches, poor work or school performance, among others. So how can we address sleep problems naturopathically? Read on!
The Effect of Stress on Sleep
Something I see very commonly in my clinic when clients do present with sleep issues, is that they are under quite a lot of stress in their day to day life. In this day and age, we have a tendency to fill up our to-do list that already keeps us super busy, but then we keep piling tasks onto this list to make ourselves even busier. This can often make it difficult for people to “switch off” at the end of their day. So when clients come in to my clinic wanting me to assist them with their sleep issues, very commonly what we need to work on is managing their day to day stress in their life, and this has the knock-on effect of often also assisting with improving sleep. I will often prescribe herbs that are adaptogenic and therefore assist with modulating the stress response, as well as herbs that are adrenal tonics and assist with balancing the melatonin and cortisol patterns throughout the day and night.
Pain and Sleep Issues
Chronic pain is a factor that needs to be assessed by a medical doctor in order to ascertain the cause of the pain. This is another reason why many people may experience sleep issues. Once there is a diagnosis, this makes it easier to target naturopathic treatment (alongside mainstream medical treatment) in order to deal with the root cause of the pain, to then assist with improving sleep issues. Stress that occurs as a result of chronic pain leads to disruptions to the circadian rhythm, and this can end of feeling like a never-ending cycle of stress, pain and the resulting fatigue.
Sleep Hygiene
This is a factor that is really commonly one I need to address with clients who are experiencing sleep issues. There is a lot than we can do in preparation for bedtime to ensure that our environment is more conducive to sleep. Dim the lights, avoid screen time an hour before bedtime, diffuse some calming essential oils. Having a bath can also help to relax before bedtime, as can having a chamomile or lemon balm tea.
Dietary Stimulants & Stimulating Activities
Avoid stimulants in your diet such as caffeine from midday each day, to ensure that it is not still floating around in your bloodstream at bedtime. This includes tea (including some herbals), coffee, chocolate and energy drinks. Also, ensure that you are not over-eating at dinnertime, so that you are feeling comfortable at bedtime.
High intensity exercises increases cortisol (the stress hormone), and therefore is best avoided in the later parts of the day. Stick to higher intensity exercise in the mornings, and gentler exercise in the afternoons and evenings.
As always, I recommend being assessed by your medical doctor to discuss any sleep issues, and integrating mainstream medical care alongside naturopathic care is something I very strongly recommend and believe in, to get the best results for my clients. If you’ve been experiencing sleep issues and would like to try naturopathy to assist with these, you can get in touch with me here or book an appointment here.
About Magnolia Naturopathy
Magnolia Naturopathy is owned and operated by Brisbane naturopath and herbalist Iwa Brown. At Magnolia Naturopathy, we offer online telehealth naturopathy consultations to assist our clients all over Australia to reach their health goals. Contact us here to find out more, or book your online telehealth naturopathy appointment here.
