You may have noticed that I talk about anxiety and sleep on this site. A few years ago I spoke with Dr. Divi Chandna, a physician of mind-body medicine about both depression and anxiety. It was pretty profound. I even talk about it in my intro video to EatLifeBalance.com where my stressful corporate job and an unbalanced lifestyle led me to anxiety issues. And, over this summer, I wrote a post on the 10 Ways To Upgrade Your Sleep – these are my essential must have’s for the healthiest zzzz’s.
Anyone who is close to me will know that there is one unusual sleep issue that I have had for years.
I literally wake up at 10:30pm every night of the week.
And, when I mean “wake-up”, I mean sit up from the bed gasping for air. It’s been extremely frustrating and scary at the same time. My husband will contest that it’s been a challenge for him to see me this frustrated.
Over that time, I went on a fact finding mission.
I asked a coach a year or two back what she thought it was, thinking that it was just my “spiritual unconsciousness” telling me that I needed to step into my truth, or something of that effect!
I asked my acupuncturist what he thought it was. He said that it was likely my liver that was relaxing and releasing that may have perpetuated a serge of energy (or something like that).
Needless to say, the issue continued to happen. Given my on and off struggle with anxiety over the years, I always felt like there was still a connection to that issue. Although it was rare that I would have an attack, it was likely still looming in the background.
So, about a year ago, I started to make some changes to my eating lifestyle and recently some adjustments to my supplementation plan that have made an impact on the quality of my sleep. Here are 5 Natural Solutions To Help Support Restlessness & Sleep:
Culprits to Avoid
Blood sugar imbalance, which is often associated with the overconsumption of sugar, carbohydrates and stimulants such as coffee, are big perpetrators for restless and sleep issues. Gluten is also best to be avoided as this is one of the biggest allergens next to sugar and coffee. It is best to decrease consumption or avoid these three culprits all together. I’ve also incorporated moderate organic meat, and omitted grains to a more paleo-style of eating. My previous vegan eating lifestyle was high in carbohydrates that left me starving most days. However, I still ensure that 1/2 of my plate is predominantly plant-based.
Sleep-Improving Fighting Foods
Seeds, nuts, dark leafy greens and fruits are high in magnesium. Although I’ve omitted most grains from my diet, I choose complex carbohydrates from yams and sweet potatoes and mostly low-carbohydrate vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, and brussel sprouts, as examples. I also increased my fats such as avocado, olives, olive oil, and ghee. This has really helped to support my hormones which can also be a culprit to disruptive sleep.
Breakfast
Eating breakfast ensuring that you include a component that includes a protein helps to level blood sugar which is proven to reduce anxiety. Blood sugar can definitely yo-yo if you are not consuming enough in your day.
Get Zen
Try meditative techniques to calm the mind. I personally like getting out in nature as it has such impact on our mental health, including physically!
One of my favourite tricks to calm the mind are essential oils. I’ve been using them for years and they are truly a gift from natural. My favourites are lavender, clary sage, vetiver, bergamot, ylang ylang, and any scent that is woodsy like sandalwood. DoTerra Essential Oils and Organic Aromas Essential Oils are my absolute favourites.
But, as always, you may want to consult in a medical professional/therapist to help you talk through the root cause of your anxiety or if your are struggling with your sleep.
Supplements
Magnesium is a supplement that helps us relax. In fact, it is common to be deficient in this mineral (500 mg per day is recommended). You may also want to consider using a good multivitamin, a good B complex and the amazing amino acid supplements tryptophan or GABA for short-term relief of anxiety, worry and stress.
I also like to supplement with small does of melatonin (1.5 mg) since this naturally decreases as we get older.
PASCOFLAIR Herbal Remedy – you would have read in my last post that I was offered to trial PascoFlair, a herbal remedy, from Pascoe Canada. PASCOFLAIR’S main ingredient is Passionflower and when I was first dealing with restlessness issues, it was an ingredient that I researched and tried to help support my health. It is a plant that is found in nature and Native Americans and Peruvians used to use it to treat all sorts of health issues, beyond stress! I love that we often lean on our ancestor’s practices to treat our health issues today, naturally.
PASCOFLAIR is traditionally used in herbal medicine as a sleep aid, in cases of restlessness or insomnia due to mental stress. I have been taking it, religiously, since the beginning of December (about 1 month). As with most supplements, it usually takes 2-3 months (sometimes longer) before you see the effects of it.
However, with PASCOFLAIR, the results are immediate! It is proven to work within 30 minutes of use. You don’t have to use the product daily to get the affects.
I can truly say that my sleep has been much deeper and with less periods of waking up. It’s not perfect, but it’s certainly better and that’s a bit win. I should also add that this product is not intended to boost energy but rather, helps with restlessness and sleep.
Therefore, talking about how running thoughts (due to mental stress or just restlessness) are keeping you from falling asleep (whether when you go to bed or in the middle of the night) is how you may benefit from this product!
Now it’s your turn: do you have issues with sleep or restlessness? From the list above, what tips can you adopt?
Please note that this is a sponsored post. I am being financially compensated for this post and I received a sample for review purposes. As I only promote products that I know, have personally tried, tested, reviewed, and loved, the opinions are completely my own based on my experience. I do not promote products that haven’t provided value to me personally.
Julie Pecarski Nutrition and its materials are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. All material on Julie Pecarski Nutrition is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health related program.
