A Recipe for Perfect Sleep
A comfortable place to lie down
Peace and quiet
A dark room
Combine all ingredients at once and let rest for 8 hours. Wake feeling refreshed.
If only it were that easy! So many Americans have a hard time falling and staying asleep. With society’s culture, it can be hard to turn off the mind and let the body rest. It’s no wonder that melatonin is the 4th most commonly used natural product in the United States*. However, did you know that your body makes melatonin naturally? That’s great news! Not only can you save some money, but you can trust that the body takes care of itself much more elegantly than any medical intervention. There are a few ways to help the body make melatonin more effectively. Here is the recipe:
Darkness — melatonin is made in a gland in your brain called the pineal gland, and this gland is sensitive to light. When our surroundings get dark, the pineal gland naturally starts to make melatonin.
Tip: Make the room dark enough so that you can’t see your hand in front of your face. It may help to sleep with a sleep mask or scarf over your eyes.
Avoid artificial light 1 hour before bedtime — fluorescent lights and blue light screens, like computers and TVs, artificially stimulate daytime, which signals to the brain to not make melatonin.
Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day — establishing a pattern helps the body find its circadian rhythm, which helps make falling asleep and waking up easier.
Sleep well!
* Clarke TC, Black LI, Stussman BJ, Barnes PM, Nahin RL. Trends in the use of complementary health approaches among adults: United States, 2002-2012. Natl Health Stat Report. 2015;(79):1-16.