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Even if you get a full night’s sleep, you can still wake up feeling groggy if your alarm goes off during the middle of one of your sleep cycles.
the environment in your belly itself can either make or break getting a good night’s sleep,
upwards of 95 percent of your body’s serotonin is located in your gut. Serotonin is produced in the enterochromaffin cells in the intestinal mucosa.
The obvious sleep connection is that serotonin is the building block for the “get-good-sleep” hormone, melatonin.
Recently, scientists have uncovered that the human gut is a mass of neural tissue, filled with 30 types of neurotransmitters (just like the brain),
Because of the massive amount of brainlike tissue found in the gut, it has
rightfully earned the title of being “the second brain.
the gut has been found to contain at least 400 times more melatonin than the pineal gland in your brain.
The vagus nerve interfaces with the heart, lungs, and other organs on a pathway straight to your brain.
What researchers at UCLA were shocked to find was that about 90 percent of the fibers in the vagus nerve carry information from the gut to the brain and not the other way around.
Researchers discovered that your circadian timing system influences your bacteria balance. Common experiences like jet lag were enough to create bacterial dysbiosis in the gut, which, in turn, leads to metabolic disorders.
In the study, researchers analyzed fecal samples from people before, during, and after bouts of jet lag from a 10-hour flight spanning multiple time zones. They found that the jet-lagged participants showed an increase in a type of bacteria known to be more prevalent in people with obesity and diabetes. Then the levels of these microbes dropped back to normal once the travelers got back on a regular sleep cycle.
If you don’t sleep, or don’t sleep well, then it gives the opportunistic bacteria a chance to take over your gut (and thus, your brain).
Some of the things clinically proven to damage or disorient your gut microbiome are: •Agricultural chemicals (pesticides, fungicides, rodenticides): The suffix cide means “to kill” by the way! •Processed foods: The excessive sugars are shown to feed pathogenic bacteria. •Haphazard or repeated antibiotic use: Most antibiotics don’t care which jersey your bacteria are wearing, they are taking out everybody! •Chemical food additives and preservatives: A lot of times these have no business being in your food. •Chlorinated water: Chlorine is a known antibiotic. Though it’s an excellent cleaner,
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“Diet soda may be even worse for you than regular soda—in terms of what it does to your microbiome and metabolism. It can break your metabolism.
Selenium: A deficiency in selenium could play a role in sleep abnormalities. It’s also critical for your immune system function and thyroid function.
Great sources are Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, beef, oysters, chicken, and cremini mushrooms.
Tryptophan: This is a critical nutrient because it’s the precursor to your body’s serotonin production. Tryptophan is found in turkey, chicken, eggs, sweet potatoes, chia seeds, hemp seeds, bananas, pumpkin seeds, almonds, yogurt, and leafy greens.
Great sources of bioavailable calcium are kale, collard greens, mustard greens, sardines, sea veggies, and sesame seeds.
Some food sources of omega-3s are chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, halibut, salmon, and flax seeds.
Melatonin: Some foods actually have small amounts of melatonin in them. And some foods have been found to help raise your body’s production of melatonin. Tart cherries are far and away the food source with the highest amount of melatonin, but there is also a tiny amount found in walnuts, ginger root, and asparagus. Some of the foods that have been found to naturally boost your body’s melatonin levels are pineapples (the leader in one particular study), tomatoes, bananas, and oranges.
Vitamin B6: This essential vitamin helps to modulate your body’s stress response and relax your nervous system. Some of the best sources of vitamin B6 are bananas, yogurt (sugar free and organic, please!), cashews, peanut butter, almonds, avocados, fish, tomatoes, spinach, sweet potatoes, sea veggies, and eggs.
sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles (you can pickle pretty much anything!), miso, yogurt (dairy and nondairy), kefir (dairy and nondairy), and kombucha.
Proven prebiotic foods for a healthy belly and body are things like Jerusalem artichokes, raw garlic, raw and cooked onions, dandelion greens, and asparagus, just to name a few.
Magnesium is a certified anti-stress mineral. It helps to balance blood sugar, optimize circulation and blood pressure, relax tense muscles, reduce pain, and calm the nervous system. Yet, because it has so many functions, it tends to get depleted from our bodies rather fast.
Magnesium deficiency is likely the number one mineral deficiency in our world today. Estimates show that upwards of 80 percent of the population in the United States is deficient in magnesium.
“This critical mineral is actually responsible for over 300 enzyme reactions and is found in all of your tissues—but mainly in your bones, muscles, and brain. You must have it for your cells to make energy, for many different chemical pumps to work, to stabilize membranes, and to help muscles relax.
the most effective method of safely and effectively boosting your magnesium levels is through topical application onto your skin.
taking a bath in Epsom salts was great for eliminating pain, reducing stress, and getting a good night’s sleep?
Epsom salt is actually a form of magnesium called magnesium sulfate.
my favorite topical magnesium, Ease Magnesium,
Keep the topical magnesium right by your bedside and apply it right before you hop under the covers. The best places to apply it are: 1.Anywhere that you are sore
In the center of your chest (a major position aligned with your heart—one of the most magnesium-dependent organs in your body—and your thymus gland—one of the major regulators of your immune system) 3. Around your neck and shoulders (where many people carry a lot of their stress)
Spray it on liberally and massage it in. Four to six sprays per area is a great baseline to go with.
Green leafy veggies, seeds like pumpkin and sesame, and superfoods like spirulina and Brazil nuts can provide very concentrated sources of magnesium for you.
Be sure to get in three to five servings of foods that contain the good-sleep nutrients above every day, and you’ll be well on your way to improving your sleep from the inside out.
Myelin is a fatty material that coats, protects, and insulates nerves, enabling them to quickly conduct impulses between the brain and different parts of the body. Myelin wraps around nerve pathways (which control your activities), and it grows each time an action is repeated—making the signal move much faster and much more smoothly over time. This is what’s responsible for what we often refer to as muscle memory.
When it comes to your sleeping environment, if you allow your bedroom to be a place where a lot of random activities take place, then you probably aren’t creating a strong neuro-association to sleep when you go in there.
One big takeaway point is that bringing your office work to bed with you can be one of the most offensive sleep crimes you can commit. Not only is it creating a negative association with sleep, but it can also spell serious trouble for your love life if you’re not careful.
Fresh air is very important. Did you know that the ions in the air you breathe can become “stale” and less energizing? The air you breathe carries more than just oxygen into your cells; it also carries other ionic elements that are vital for your health and well-being. As the air inside your home becomes stagnant, the ions in the air start to lose their (negative) charge. To fix this, you simply need to get the air moving again. Something as simple as opening a window or turning on a fan can re-energize the air in your bedroom.
you can use a high-quality air ionizer to revitalize the air in your home.
Negative ions are present in abundance near waterfalls, ocean surf, rivers, and mountains.
Air ionizers are not just good for your sleeping space; they are good for your home in general. There are several air ionizers on the market, but you can find a list of my favorites in the bonus resource guide at sleepsmarterbook.com/bonus.
At a minimum, if you’re in a situation where fresh air can’t flow through your room via a window or fan during the winter months, try using a basic humidifier.
studies show that both your heartbeat and breathing slow down after listening to running water.
Take the English ivy, for example. NASA listed it as the number one air-filtering houseplant. It has an unmatched ability to absorb formaldehyde
Another great plant for your sleep sanctuary is the perennial snake plant.
It doesn’t require much light or water to thrive. What’s most impressive about it is that it absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen during the night (while most plants do this during the day), so it’s the perfect plant to keep in your bedroom for a boost in air quality.
jasmine has a positive effect on the quality of sleep one gets,
You can use an essential oil diffuser or simply dab a couple of drops right onto your pillowcase just before bed if you’d like to utilize the benefits that way.
