Are you Sleeping Well?

Sleep, so elusive for some, and a luxury for others. Getting enough sleep is crucial for the overall functioning of our body and mind. It is as important to our health as diet, nutrition and exercise.  Without it, or the continuous lack of it, it has consequences associated with a host of negative health outcomes, not to mention a shortened lifespan. But have no fear, because, in this month’s blog, we are all about helping you build a better sleep regime and get that much-needed restful slumber.

Well, Giovanna, it’s no surprise to learn that getting the right amount of hours of shut-eye each night is vital for our physical and mental health.  What is disturbing is that most of us are not sleeping great, and who would be as we live through these stressful times. Feeling tired all the time has become the new normal.  Stress and anxieties are definite obstacles to sleep. Experts have been preaching that we need to aim for at least seven to eight hours of sleep, but what does that really do for you?

 GD: Forgive me, Wendy, as I cover up my yawn, not at you, but at the truth, which is yes -we are all exhausted! And dealing with everyday challenges certainly makes sleeping through the night an almost impossible feat to master. But we have tools and proven methods that can go a long way to help us conquer this growing insomnia epidemic! As you mentioned, the inevitable health implications of insomnia and chronic sleep deprivation are extremely vast. When we catch the right amount of quality sleep, we are improving our attention and focus. Sleep regulates our mood, improves memory, and helps our body maintain weight and energy levels, and regulates many vital functions.

Giovanna, what exactly is insomnia and does it affect women more than men?

GD: Well, the short answer is that “insomnia” is best described as difficulty going to sleep, falling, or staying asleep, or a sensation of unrefreshing sleep, and as we noted, it is a growing common problem and yes even more so for women.

Why is that?

GD: Something we know all too well about – women are more likely to have bouts of insomnia and sleep issues because women experience unique hormonal changes that can cause insomnia-related symptoms. Women go through various life cycles that can disrupt their hormones. The major culprits are the rise and fall of hormonal and estrogen levels that occur during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and in older women perimenopause and menopause when hot flashes and night sweats can disturb sleep. There are also some additional health problems that can contribute to insomnia, which are found to be more common in women than in men, and these include depression and anxiety. Not getting enough sleep may make mental health conditions worse. Overall, when looking at insomnia, it’s a little like the chicken or egg dilemma. Is it the physical and mental health issues causing insomnia, or does insomnia lead to these negative conditions? Several factors are at play here, which may lead to sleep deprivation and alterations in sleep patterns, and a reduction in melatonin production, leading to insomnia.

This brings us to what is melatonin and the pineal gland and what role does it play in our sleep?

GD: The pineal gland is a small gland in the brain. It is part of the endocrine system and it plays an important role in regulating hormones and almost every function in your body, including sleep.  The pineal gland secretes the hormone melatonin, and it is this hormone that helps regulate sleeping patterns. Melatonin’s job is to control the circadian rhythms, to either wake or keep you asleep.

What is amazing is that some studies have found that reflexology can have measurable benefits for sleep. Could you expand on this?

GD: Absolutely! As we know, built-up tension in our body could contribute to sleeping problems and, with reflexology, the goal is to help relax the body and mind, ease anxiety, stress and reduce pain. When we put all those objectives together and demonstrate this in our foot routine practice, combined with the deep relaxation already achieved by reflexology, the result is that it can have a direct impact on improving sleep. 

In reflexology, certain parts of the feet are known as reflex points, and a few of these correspond to sleep. By stimulating them with reflexology, we are sending a signal to those inner organs and glands. Which reflex points and areas would you pay some extra attention to for improving sleep?