How you feel during waking hours depends on how well you sleep at night. Sleep is crucial for both your health and well-being. If you are not getting enough sleep, your mental health, physical health, safety, and quality of life diminishes. While you sleep, your body uses this time to maintain both your physical and psychological health. There can be severe repercussions from lack of sleep. The results can occur in an instant, such as falling asleep at the wheel and getting into an accident. The consequences can also be long-term, as lack of sleep can lead to chronic health concerns.

Sleep is paramount for your well-being and health. It also strengthens your ability to solve problems and make decisions. Without restful sleep, your ability to control your emotions weakens. Unfortunately, sometimes, our body does not want to turn off, and we spend the night tossing and turning in frustration. Here are some general things people do to sleep better:

• Stay in sync with your body’s natural sleep cycle:To do this, we recommend going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day. This sort of schedule will set your body’s clock. When it is your scheduled bedtime, your body will begin to feel tired. Also, try to avoid sleeping in, even if you are trying to catch up on lost sleep. It will disrupt your sleep schedule.
• Monitor your exposure to light: When the sun sets, your brain releases a hormone called melatonin. When it is lighter out, your brain releases less of this hormone. The release of melatonin will make you sleepy, so it is helpful to go to sleep without the light of a lamp or a television screen and to avoid large amounts light one to two hours before bedtime.
• Exercise moderately: Regular exercise seems like a no brainer. Incorporating moderate exercise into your daily routine is important. Regular exercise decreases the symptoms of insomnia and sleep apnea.
• Be aware of what you are eating and drinking: Avoid caffeinated beverages as much as possible. Caffeine can stay in your system for up to 12 hours. Also, alcohol may help you relax, but it alters your sleep cycle, making it harder to go to sleep without depending on an alcoholic drink.
• Try your best to relax: If you are stressed out, your mind is in overdrive, and you can’t seem to calm your racing heart, which is not the best condition for sleeping. We recommend figuring out to relax that works best for you. You could try reading, meditation, visualization, and so on.

But what if you tried these methods and they still don’t work? How can Paradigm Wellness Medical Group help you get a better night’s sleep?

The answer may surprise you. Cortisol plays a vital role in controlling your response to stress. Stress elevates cortisol levels, and cortisol is directly linked to sleep. Your level of cortisol is generally high in the morning and falls as the day progresses. When you go to sleep, your cortisol level should be low. If you’re not sleeping well, you’re not restoring your cortisol, and your hormones risk becoming unbalanced. In response, some of you will turn to caffeine. Your high levels of stress are causing you to sleep poorly, and in response, you are drinking large amounts of caffeine to compensate for exhaustion, which will further throw your cycle out of whack.

If you are struggling to fall asleep, or the quality of your sleep is poor, we encourage you to contact Paradigm Wellness Medical Group. We will carefully evaluate your lifestyle to see what is causing your sleep patterns. We will thoroughly study your sleep architecture to pinpoint lifestyle habits that are adding stress to your life. Sometimes, a hormone imbalance is responsible for disrupting your sleep cycle. We will analyze your hormone levels to help determine the cause of your unrest. Paradigm Wellness Medical Group uses successful therapies that will help you sleep naturally; getting you back into a healthy sleep cycle.

If you want restful, deep sleep, contact Paradigm Wellness Medical Group for a consultation. We will test to see if lifestyle habits or a hormone imbalance lie as the root cause of your sleep issues. Then, we will develop a personalized plan designed to improve your quality of sleep and your overall health. Paradigm Wellness Medical Group has offices in Sonoma, Santa Rosa, San Francisco, and Dallas. Contact us today for a consultation.

Watch this video featuring Dr. Joe Cleaver discussing bioidentical hormones and how they help you sleep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D41MEf4iW0&t=1s

DISCLAIMER: The preceding information provided is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice; this information is provided for educational purposes only. You assume full responsibility for how you choose to use this information. Always seek the help of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers before starting any new treatment or discontinuing an existing therapy. Talk with your healthcare provider about any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.