Sunnyside Su Me Up: Get Energized, Stay Sunny with Su!

Episode 5-"Sunnyside Su's Snooze Solutions" [Tips & Tricks for Better Sleep]

• Susan Scrimgeour

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Welcome back to Sunnyside. Su Me Up. Get Energized, Stay Sunny with Su!. Today, we're diving into one of the most important elements of vibrant health. Sleep. Quality rest is essential for boosting energy, reducing stress and helping our bodies reset. If you're struggling to get those restful nights or just want to improve your sleep routine, this episode is packed with practical tips to help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer and wake up refreshed. Let's explore some simple, powerful ways to enjoy the best sleep of your life. Ready to rest easy? Let's dive in!

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Be sure to stay to the very end to hear Sunnyside Su's Short, Sweet Sassy Soupçon. Today will be three very unusual tips for better sleep.

Welcome to Sunnyside Su Me Up. Get Energized, Stay Sunny with Su! The podcast where your journey to a vibrant, healthier life begins. Hosted by Su, a lifelong educator, holistic wellness expert, and coach, this show offers quick and practical tips to boost your energy, release stubborn weight, and reduce pain and inflammation. With a focus on delicious ways to enjoy a gluten free, dairy free, sugar free lifestyle, each episode features quick and easy tips for a thriving mind, body, and soul. By subscribing, you can unlock the energy and vitality you've been missing. Get ready to get energized and stay sunny with Su!

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Let's get started. As you may recall, in the two previous episodes we've discussed poor diet and stress. Two of the factors contributing to chronic inflammation in our lives. Today, we'll chat about sleep. And in the next episode, we will discuss intentional movement. How does sleep deprivation affect us? Even a single night of inadequate sleep can spike inflammation.

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Prioritizing sleep is essential to decreasing inflammation and boosting your immune system. High quality sleep benefits your body in the following numerous ways: it fortifies your immune system, balances your hormones keeps your metabolism working optimally, increases physical energy and improves the function of your brain. In fact sleep is one similarity across the entire animal kingdom. While the amount of sleep needed, varies greatly by species all animals, humans included need sleep.

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The circadian rhythm affected by light and darkness, sets important timing for the release of key hormones that signal us to get tired(melatonin) wake up,(cortisol) build and repair tissue and metabolize fat,(growth hormone) and many more. When our circadian rhythm is disturbed, these key functions are easily interrupted. You might notice things like more stress, mood swings, poor energy, inability to focus, a compromised immune system, and weight gain.

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Three Systems that Suffer When We Don't Sleep Enough. We're going to talk now about mood and memory, physical health and performance. Mood and Memory. Even experiencing one day of not getting enough sleep can lead to irritability, being easily distracted, forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, lack of motivation, symptoms of depression and anxiety, chronic stress and trouble remembering. Physical Health

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Sleep deprivation has been linked to many severe health problems.

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While you sleep, your body restores and repairs itself, but if you are sleep deprived, not only do you miss out on this vital time, but your body's hormone balance is disrupted, which can lead to weight gain, heart disease. heart attack, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat,(arrhythmia), increased risk of stroke and diabetes. And finally Performance, One of the biggest problems associated with sleep deprivation is its effects on your performance, your brain power, and your ability to show up as your best self at work, school and in life in general. It can lead to a lack of overall energy, fatigue, poor decision-making abilities, decreased sex drive, lowered alertness and reaction timing, more likelihood of making errors and mistakes, short-term and long-term memory problems, and trouble learning new things.

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Of course not all sleep is created equal. Ideally your body will cycle through four different stages at night. But if you are constantly waking up and tossing and turning the cycles are disrupted.

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So even though you might be in bed for eight hours, the quality of your sleep is impacted, not allowing your body to reap the benefits of deep sleep. When focusing on sleep, the most important thing is the quality of the hours you are getting even more than the number. While you're sleeping your brain cycles through REM rapid eye movement and non REM sleep.

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The four sleep stages. Non REM 1 In this stage, you're falling asleep or drifting in and out of sleep. Your eye movement and muscle activity slows down. The level of various hormones at this critical time of falling asleep is very important, which is why it's so vital to create an optimal sleep environment.

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Do you have trouble falling asleep? Artificial light from your TV phone or computer could be the culprit. Try getting off of those devices at least an hour before bed and wearing blue light blocking glasses. Once it starts to get dark, to enable the natural hormone cycles to kick in, as they are affected by light to get to sleep easier. I know in our room, I even cover up the digital numbers on the clock to provide the darkest environment possible. And I have found that it has improved our sleep.

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The second stage of sleep is Non REM 2 where you're in light sleep. Your eyes stop moving, your brainwaves slow down, your heart rate and breathing regulate and your body temperature drops as your body prepares for crucial deep sleep where all the restoration occurs. Stages one and two are really essential for preparing you to get to that optimal, deep sleep. You simply can't get there without allowing the body to slow down and relax.

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Some tips for this phase of sleep, in addition to reducing exposure to light, which is always crucial, is to be sure that you're stopping eating about three hours before bedtime to give your body time to cycle down. Also be mindful of fluid consuption, too close to bedtime as this can affect your ability to sleep well and deeply without waking.

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The next phase of sleep is Deep Sleep. When you enter deep sleep, slow brain waves called Delta waves gradually predominate. Human growth hormone is released during this most restorative stage, repairing your body and muscles from the stress of the day. This is absolutely essential, especially if you're exercising regularly. Your immune system restores itself, your brain begins a filtering process, cleaning out non-essential information to prepare you for REM sleep.

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And the final stage is REM sleep. After deep sleep, you cycle into REM sleep, where dreaming happens, your eyes move rapidly and your brainwaves are similar to those when you're awake. Your breath rate increases. And your body becomes temporarily immobilized. During REM we move that previously filtered useful information from our short-term memory to our long-term memory.

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We create organization and substructure inside of our brain for pieces of information, kind of like organizing a filing cabinet. New information that came in during the day is filed in the right spot by your brain. So if it's important, you can retrieve it later. Getting through this vital sleep cycle takes time and you need to repeat it to get the full benefits of a good night's rest. The first full cycle of non REM and REM takes about 90 minutes and subsequent cycles average between 100 to 120 minutes with each cycle, gradually decreasing the amount of deep sleep

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And increasing REM sleep. On a typical night you'll cycle through this four to five times. Six simple tips to improve your sleep. Now that we know how important getting quality sleep is. Let's look at some ways we can improve our sleep. You may have a morning routine, but a great day actually starts the night before, which is why it's so important to create an evening success routine. The quality sleep you get determines how much energy and brain function you have the next day. Number one, as we've mentioned, stop eating three hours before bed. When you eat your body's core temperature rises to digest the food, and this can prevent you from falling asleep. Sleep is your body's time for detox and repair, and digesting a meal during sleep will impair these important processes. Also be mindful of your water or alcohol consumption before bed. If you find that you are waking up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, it may be best to reduce your intake to avoid sleep disruption. Tip number two. Get off your screens. Even 30 minutes of screen-free time before bed can raise your levels of melatonin, your sleep hormone, and help you fall asleep faster, and sleep better. Your body needs that time to cycle down and rest.

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So instead of watching TV or looking at your phone, try reading, journaling, talking to your partner, playing with your pets or just puttering around your house, phone free.

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Tip three.

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Use blue blocking glasses: exposure to blue light from your electronic devices can affect your circadian rhythm and trick your brain into thinking it is still daytime, making it much harder to fall asleep. I wear these blue light blocking glasses in the evening to help my brain down-regulate and prepare me for sleep.

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Tip four.

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Take a hot bath. Taking a bath is relaxing. It's time that can be just for you. Adding Epsom salts to your bath is also a great way to elevate magnesium levels in the body and important mineral that regulates over 300 enzymes and plays a role in muscle control, energy production, electrical impulses, and the elimination of harmful toxins. In addition, raising your body temperature with the heat from your bath and subsequent cooling that you'll experience afterwards can trigger feelings of sleepiness helping you fall asleep more easily. Number five, Go to Bed Earlier. This is easier said than done, but even going to bed 15 minutes earlier, can be a great start. This gives your body time to cycle through the various stages of sleep and do its job. One strategy is to set a series of alarms on your phone. One to get ready for bed. One to turn the phone on to airplane mode, one to get into bed and one to go to sleep. When it's time to go to sleep, or if you find that you are waking up in the night.

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One strategy to consider is a breathing strategy where there is a longer exhale than an inhale. This longer exhale, activates the parasympathetic nervous system. Which of course encourages a relaxed state and make sleep that much easier. The rhythm that I use is a 4, 7, 8 breathing rhythm. So I breathe in for four hold for seven and release for eight. And I do that five times in a row. So that's when I'm falling asleep. Or if I find that I've woken up in the middle of the night to get back to sleep, I often invoke this breathing method, and it helps me downregulate calm down and get back to sleep fairly easily.

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Another tip is to create a comfortable sleep environment. I know we've already talked about reducing light exposure. And I talked about how I cover up the digital numbers on our clock, just to ensure a dark room environment. You need to make sure that your room is cool and dark. Of course, sometimes people use a white noise machine or fan. And I know that I wear a sleep mask to block out all light, which I find very helpful. And I also use earplugs at night. Just to try to cut down the sensory information coming into me so that I can down-regulate my body to get to sleep.

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And of course, part of the comfortable sleep environment is to make sure that you have comfortable bed, obviously pillows and sheets. When your room is comfortable, you'll be more likely to sleep better. And the final tip is to try to keep your sleep times consistent. Your circadian rhythm functions on a set loop, aligning itself with sunrise and sunset. So being consistent with your sleep and waking times can really help improve the quality of your sleep. Try to get in the habit of going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day. It's especially important to wake up at the same time, even on the weekends.

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Lack of sleep can cause us to snack more during the day and to look for energy boosters. How about indulging in guilt-free healthy snacks or desserts that are good for you will energize your body and will not cause inflammation in your body. Go to Sunnysidesu.ca now to see what's available for purchase locally. To those living near Midland, Ontario. All products are gluten free, dairy free. Conventional sugar-free and low calorie. And there are some vegan options as well.

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My products are sweetened naturally with maple syrup, dates and bananas, to prevent inflammation in the body by using conventional sugar. For those of you farther afield, you can go to Sunnysidesu.ca to see the blog posts there with a number of fabulous, simple foodie ideas and recipes, featuring some of these anti-inflammatory super foods, and all gluten-free.

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And now it's time for Sunnyside Su's Short, Sweet Sassy Soupçon today, it will be three unusual tips for better sleep. Tip number one, try earthing or grounding. Walking barefoot on natural surfaces like grass or sand can help balance your body's natural electrical charge. It may reduce inflammation, improve blood flow and regulate circadian rhythms, supporting deeper sleep. If going outside, isn't an option, grounding mats are available to simulate the effect indoors. And I've also heard of some people using grounding blankets. So that might be something worth checking into.

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Tip number two. Activating your mammalian dive reflex. Splashing cold water on your face or submerging it for a few seconds can activate the mammalian dive reflex. This reflex triggers the parasympathetic nervous system, which slows your heart rate and lowers your blood pressure, which of course can help you relax before bed.

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And the final tip is to play with the aromatherpay scents. There are a few scents that have been connected to better relaxation and sleep. Strangely, one of them is the scent of tart cherry.

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Tart cherry scent is rich in melatonin. And some find that diffusing cherry centered essential oils can reinforce the brain's association with sleep.

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Pine scent also has a calming effect. And studies show they reduce stress and increase relaxation. Helping you to ease into sleep. I have found the combination of essential oils in this. Australian sleep oil to be very effective. Lavender, chamomile, bergamot, orange, sandalwood, and patchouli combine to create an effective pillow spray and aromatherapy scent diffuser, and a body night oil. I have actually created my own version of this formula. with help from Sandy Powell at Nascent Naturals in Midland, Ontario. And if you check out Sunnysidesu.ca, you will see Sunnyside. Su's Snooze Therapy Aromatherapy Formula that you might be able to create yourself to create a pillow spray or a diffuser, or even a body oil that can help enhance sleep. And that's all for today. Thanks for joining me. Please give this a like, or a share or a review so we can spread some Sunnyside Snooze vibes today.

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And don't forget to go to Sunnysidesu.ca for some great gluten-free recipes and for my products, for those who live locally wish to order, or they can even be sent across Canada. So check it out.