We have seen that one of the possible reasons why we sleep is to allow our body time to repair and refresh itself so that we function well the following day. However, modern lifestyles in the West have disturbed our natural sleep patterns. Instead of following nature’s cycle of sleeping when it is dark and waking when it becomes light, we use artificial lighting to stay active well into the hours of darkness. Our workplace is often a stressful environment and, as many of us find no time to relax, we go to bed exhausted and tense. If we take into account other factors that are detrimental to our health, such as poor diet, smoking, and a high consumption of caffeine and alcohol, we have a recipe for almost certain insomnia.
In this chapter we explore how to make our behaviour more sleep-friendly. By examining topics such as diet, exercise and physical relaxation techniques, both Eastern and Western, we learn how to adopt a healthier, more harmonious lifestyle, which will enable us to obtain plenty of the deep, restorative sleep we need to live life to the full.
Eating increases our metabolic rate and causes our body temperature to rise – in other words, it energizes us. We already know that the perfect time for us to try to go to sleep is as our body temperature is dropping – a process which usually begins about an hour before our normal bedtime. It stands to reason, then, that if we eat shortly before we intend to go to bed, our ability to fall asleep may be badly affected. However, we might also know from practical experience that a large meal at lunchtime makes us feel sleepy in the afternoon (because eating when our body temperature is high causes the brain to divert energy away from the muscles to work the digestive system, which makes us feel sluggish). So, if we are to get the right amount of sleep at the right time, when should we eat? The rules are straightforward: try to avoid having one big meal at the end of the day – and certainly try not to eat a main meal later than three hours before you intend to go to bed. Aim to eat little and often, rather than having one light and one heavy meal a day (or two heavy meals) – this will keep your metabolism on a fairly even keel and the food’s effects on your ability to sleep (or to stay awake) should be minimalized.
Why not try the following delicious nightcap made with milk, which contains the natural sleep-promoting chemical tryptophan. Place 8 fluid ounces (200ml) of milk in a small saucepan. Stir in one teaspoon of ground cinnamon and bring the mixture to the boil. Simmer for a couple of minutes on a low heat. Pour into a mug, add honey to sweeten, if necessary, and drink immediately.
Once we have looked at our eating routines, we should assess how the food we eat might affect how we sleep. Certain foods do have a particular reputation for either disturbing or promoting sleep. Take cheese – the popular belief is that it causes nightmares. Scientific evidence shows that there is indeed a link, because tyramine, an ingredient in cheese, increases the level of chemicals that cause high blood pressure, which is a stress symptom associated with nightmares. Conversely, lettuce was used by the ancient Egyptians for its soporific and pain-killing properties. But, despite the fact that recent research confirms the presence of a painkilling opiate in lettuce leaves, the amounts are so low that its effects on sleep are likely to be minimal.
The food that we eat has far-reaching implications in all aspects of our lives. If we eat unhealthily, we can suffer from heartburn, indigestion and numerous other food-related disorders, which can affect our sleep adversely. Eating to improve sleep is about ensuring that we eat healthily in general, not just to enhance the part of our lives that we spend sleeping.
Try to make sure that you obtain a full complement of vitamins from your food. In particular some researchers believe that a lack of vitamin B-complex (especially niacin, pantothenic acid, B6 and B12) in the diet can lead to sleep problems. If you are a meat-eater, try to eat lean cuts of pork, lamb and veal. If you prefer to eat fish, trout and sardines contain a variety of B-complex vitamins too. Chicken, tuna, and fortified breakfast cereals are good sources of niacin; broad beans are rich in pantothenic acid; wheatgerm, turbot, walnuts and baked potatoes contain Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B12 is found in yogurt, cheese and seaweed.
Research has shown that the mineral magnesium can significantly affect the quality of our sleep. One study proved that eating foods containing high amounts of magnesium resulted in an improved night’s sleep with fewer awakenings. Green vegetables, avocados, bananas, peanut butter, nuts and seeds are all good sources of this vital mineral.
Eat organic! Many foods we eat contain harmful additives that can injuriously affect our sleep. Monosodium glutamate (MSG), for example, often found in processed foods and fast Oriental foods, is known to cause digestive upsets, heartburn, headaches and many other disorders that can affect our sleep. (Note that apart from being an additive, MSG is also found naturally in mushrooms, carrots and some seaweeds.) Another additive to avoid is the yellow colouring tartrazine (E-102), found widely in fizzy drinks, cookies and candy – it has been linked with hyperactivity in children and is thought to trigger asthma, eczema, rashes and other irritations in susceptible people.
Of course, it is not only what we eat that affects our overall wellbeing, and therefore, our sleep, but what we drink, too. Apart from avoiding the substances that are obviously detrimental to sleep, such as caffeine (see pp.78–9), we should remember that our body requires three to four pints (1.7 to 2.3 litres) of water a day to replace fluids that are naturally lost every twenty-four hours. Unfortunately, most of us rarely drink anywhere near that much water, and yet dehydration is often ignored as a possible cause of a bad night’s sleep. Think how often you wake up in the morning feeling lethargic and thirsty. Many of us even wake during the night to go to the kitchen for a glass of water.
Over the next three days, why not conduct a little experiment? Make a conscious effort to drink between three and four pints (1.7 to 2.3 litres) of water each day, at regular intervals, commencing tomorrow (but make sure that you start early in the day because otherwise you may find yourself waking up to go the bathroom during the night). As you do the experiment, note down in your sleep journal how you felt on waking each morning. Do you feel brighter and less lethargic? Is your head “clearer”? Even if something else is affecting your sleep and drinking more water seems to have little or no effect, you will be replenishing your body with the essential fluids it needs to function at an optimal level, and this will improve your overall health and wellbeing, which in turn will have a beneficial effect on your sleep.
Drinking beverages such as coffee, tea and cola, having a couple of beers or glasses of wine and a smoke to help us wind down, are accepted social behaviours in modern life in the West. But how many of us realize that between them these drinks and cigarettes contain the three main “sleep thieves” – caffeine, alcohol and nicotine – which are powerful compounds that stimulate or depress the brain and have a considerable impact on our sleep.
Many people would feel lost without a cup of coffee or tea to kick-start their day. The stimulating action of these beverages is caused by the chemical caffeine (tea contains less caffeine than coffee, but enough to make us feel “awake”) which activates the wakefulness centres in the brain, making us more mentally alert and also increasing our physical powers of endurance. But the more caffeine we consume, the more tolerant to it we become, and the more caffeine we need to obtain the same level of alertness. Conversely, if we cut down and start to ration our intake, the little that we do consume will eventually become more effective.
Caffeine remains in the body for several hours – and up to five times longer in pregnant women. If we have a lot of coffee over the course of a day, caffeine can have a cumulative effect that makes it difficult for us to both fall and remain sleep. To ensure that caffeine does not disturb your sleep, it is best to avoid drinks containing this chemical for ten hours before bedtime. If you really cannot do without your morning boost, limit your intake to one or two beverages early in the day.
However, if you really wish to improve your sleep, it is wise to consider adopting a caffeine-free regime from the middle of the day onward. If you fear that you will really miss the taste of coffee and tea, do not despair – decaffeinated brands are now widely available. Or you could try herbal drinks, such as dandelion-root coffee, or teas, such as rosehip, peppermint and fennel (see also below), which are healthier, chemical-free alternatives. If you normally drink lots of cola and other carbonated drinks, substitute fizzy mineral water instead; in so doing, you will beneficially increase your water consumption.
While hot and cold drinks containing caffeine act as stimulants, alcohol has the opposite effect. Most of us drink occasionally at social events, or we may have a small tipple every evening to help us relax. While a small amount, such as a glass of wine, can have a calming effect, a larger quantity of alcohol can interfere with the quality of our sleep by reducing the amount of deep and REM sleep that we obtain. After consuming alcohol, it is not uncommon to wake up periodically perspiring heavily, experiencing palpitations and generally feeling restless.
Although you can buy herb teas from supermarkets and health-food stores, why not make your own infusion to help you sleep? Choose one to three of the following, mixing any combination: hops, valerian, camomile, passion flowers, skullcap, lemon balm. Steep the herbs in hot water for five minutes. Drink this tea in the early evening to give it time to work before you go to bed.
Let us assume that you have decided to give up alcohol altogether to improve your sleep. You will need to devise a strategy to help you resist temptation at parties, receptions and visits to bars with friends or work colleagues. Choose alcohol-free wines, beers or fruit juices, or drink mineral water, but take care to avoid caffeine-rich colas and sodas containing additives that can affect sleep. Some bars and restaurants also offer a range of non-alcoholic cocktails, freshly made to order, that contain health-promoting natural fruit juices.
If you usually have an alcoholic “nightcap” before going to bed to help you sleep, examine your underlying motive. Think back to when you first started doing this. What was happening in your life at the time? Was it because you were depressed or having emotional problems? Perhaps your circumstances have now changed and you are only drinking before bedtime because it has become a habit. If this is the case, substitute a hot milky drink or herbal tea, which promotes sleep. But if problems with sleeplessness persist, perhaps you could try a different approach. Instead of using alcohol as a prop, you might arrange to telephone a sympathetic friend or close family member to discuss your worries before you go to bed. Airing your difficulties in this way should help to restore your peace of mind and so aid sleep.
The third of our sleep thieves is nicotine, the stimulant we inhale with every puff of tobacco smoke. Although the initial effect of the nicotine is to make smokers feel more alert, this does not last long and they invariably feel relaxed shortly after having a cigarette. This may give them the erroneous impression that smoking can help them sleep. Unfortunately, what smokers are experiencing as relaxation is really the satisfaction gained from quenching an addictive craving for nicotine. They may fall asleep but, as soon as the nicotine is metabolized, the brain wakes up the smoker to remind them that they need more. Nicotine also triggers the release of epinephrine (adrenaline), the body’s stress response, stopping us from getting our required quota of deep sleep.
Proof that our sleep suffers from smoking is shown in recent research from Pennsylvania State University, which found that smokers took approximately twice as long to fall asleep as non-smokers. However, interestingly, within two nights of giving up, the time it took the ex-smokers to go to sleep fell from an average of 52 minutes down to 18 minutes.
There is no such thing as a “best” way to kick the habit – there are many different methods. For example, you could gradually cut down on cigarettes, substitute them with nicotine patches or gum, or you could try an alternative approach such as hypnotherapy or acupuncture. Help yourself by avoiding situations in which you usually smoke, and ban smoking in bed or in the bedroom, especially just before you go to sleep.
Our bodies are designed for vigorous action, but if we lead a sedentary life, sitting at a desk for most of the day or spending hours in a car, the natural range of our movements becomes restricted, with consequences for our wellbeing. If we spend long periods in one position, tension builds up in our muscles. Then, when we try to sleep at night, this accumulated physical stress makes us restless and uneasy – our body cannot relax. This is the beginning of a cycle of sleeplessness: we cannot sleep so we lie awake worrying about the fact that we cannot sleep (and compounding the problem by adding psychological stress), so we become even more tense, and so it goes on. It would not be an exaggeration, then, to say that some insomnia is caused simply because we do not move our bodies often or energetically enough during the day. However, there is a simple remedy to release tension and help you sleep – it is called exercise!
But if the mere thought of exercise makes you shudder, it is worth remembering that it has gentle forms which do not require you to push your body to its physical limits. For example, someone suffering from a build-up of tension can benefit greatly from gentle stretching (see opposite) before going to bed. Or, you can incorporate exercise into your daily routine at work and stop the build-up of stresses before they accumulate. If you habitually take the elevator in your office building, start using the stairs instead. You can begin by walking down, just one flight, then increase it to two, and so on. Once you feel good about walking down to the bottom, you can set yourself the more demanding challenge of walking up. The important thing is to make a start. However, if you are overweight, have heart problems, or suffer from any other medical condition, you should consult your doctor before embarking on any exercise regime. Remember to “listen” to your body and respond sensibly to its needs.
EXERCISE SIX
Exercise need not be vigorous to be beneficial. A sedentary lifestyle can adversely affect our posture and we often find ourselves complaining of aching necks and stiff backs. As much of the tension of daily life is stored in your spine, a pre-sleep exercise that stretches this area can help to relieve any tightness there, and so help you to fall asleep more easily and to avoid waking up during the night, or in the morning, with muscular pain.
1. Kneel, with the tops of your feet flat on the floor, and sit back on your heels. Bend forward, stretching your arms out in front of you and “folding” your upper body over your thighs until your forehead touches the floor. Swing your arms round so that they lie beside your body, the palms of your hands facing upwards. Breathe deeply and slowly for one minute.
2. Move up onto all fours, with your hands at shoulders’ width apart and your knees directly beneath your hips. Inhale, lift your head up and at the same time push your bottom outward, dipping your back in a catlike stretch. Exhale and breathe rhythmically, holding the position for approximately 30 seconds.
3. Inhale, and lower your head as if to look between your legs. As you exhale, tuck your chin into your chest. Arch your back upward and tuck in your bottom. Breathing rhythmically, stay in this position for approximately 30 seconds.
4. Repeat the Step 1 position; breathe deeply and slowly for one minute.
Physical exercise interacts with sleep by affecting the body’s metabolic rate and temperature in much the same way as diet (see pp.74–7). The various metabolic and hormonal changes associated with vigorous exercise are stimulating and boost the body’s temperature. Sleep comes more easily when our temperature is decreasing and, if we wish to use exercise to enhance our sleep, it makes sense to finish any strenuous workouts by late afternoon. Early research showed that walking on a treadmill during the day promoted sleep that night, but only if undertaken at least five or six hours before going to bed. The state of relaxation we experience after exercising also helps us to obtain our full quota of deep sleep (see pp.40–1).
So how much exercise do we need to do to improve our sleep? It is probably less than you think – three sessions of twenty minutes each per week will do the trick, provided that you do aerobic exercise, which boosts your oxygen consumption, improves your breathing and strengthens your heart and circulation – all benefits to your health that will help you sleep better.
The most important thing to remember is that any exercise regime will help to improve your sleep, as long as during exercise you hit your heart rate “target zone”. To find out what this is, subtract your age from 220 to get the advised maximum exercising heart rate for someone of your age. Then calculate 60 and 75 per cent of this figure, which gives the lower and upper limits of the target range for your heart rate during exercise. For example, if you are aged 35, 220-35=185 – your maximum heart rate per minute; 60 and 75 per cent of this figure are 111 and 138 respectively, so your target heart rate during exercise is between 111 and 138 beats per minute. Any aerobic exercise, such as cycling, swimming, jogging and so on, that raises your heart rate within the target zone for twenty minutes, is suitable. You can monitor your heart rate during exercise by resting, taking your pulse for one minute and counting the number of heartbeats.
Choose an activity or sport that you enjoy, as this will provide an incentive to keep up the exercise program. And be flexible – if you get bored with swimming and so on, there are suggestions for other gentle forms of exercise you might like to try on the following pages. But whatever activity you undertake, do not overdo things and always add on an extra five-minute warm-up period before starting and another five minutes afterwards to cool down – otherwise you risk injuring yourself, and pain is certainly no aid to better sleep.
Yoga is an ancient Indian tradition that balances the body’s vital energy, or prana, through a mixture of postures, breathing exercises and meditation. This long-established practice has become popular in the West as a discipline that promotes good health and personal development. Yoga is open to anyone, of any age and level of fitness, and its non-competitive nature allows participants to progress at their own pace. While it is always better to learn from a qualified teacher, it is possible to do some of the basic exercises on your own.
Sleep problems are almost unknown among yogis – advanced practitioners of yoga. So what is their secret? Unfortunately, there is no magic formula, but the key to improving our quality of sleep through yoga lies in adopting postures, or asanas, and doing breathing exercises, known as pranayama, which together help us to relax.
A typical session of Hatha Yoga – the type most widely practised in the West – consists of a warm-up, followed by several postures to stretch every part of the body, and then a period of relaxation in which breath control plays an essential part. One of the simplest and most useful postures is the Shavasana or Corpse Pose, which is often used at the beginning and end of yoga sessions. Lie flat on your back, arms at your sides, palms facing upwards with your feet about two feet (50cm) apart. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Roll your head from side to side so that first one ear and then the other touches the ground. Then bring your head back to the centre and focus on your breathing for at least five minutes or until you feel completely relaxed.
EXERCISE SEVEN
After a stressful day, use this exercise, which combines breathing and arm movements, to banish tension and relax your body ready for sleep. Performed 20 minutes before bedtime, it will help you to establish slow and regular breathing for a good night’s sleep.
1. Sit in a chair with your arms loose by your sides, eyes closed. Switch off the part of your mind that analyzes your thoughts and try to banish mental clutter. Focus on the rhythm of your breath for two to 3 minutes.
2. Inhaling gently, raise your arms slightly, cross them in front of your body and bring them up over your head, uncrossing them as you go. Now exhale and swoop your arms down to your sides again. The whole movement should be executed in one long, circular sweep. Repeat this movement four times.
3. Inhale and raise your arms outwards and upwards touching your fingertips above your head. Exhale as you lower your arms. Repeat this three times.
4. Inhale, stretching your arms out parallel in front of you. Keep them straight, and raise them above your head. Exhale, lowering your arms. Repeat twice.
In Chinese medicine, sleeplessness is thought to arise through an imbalance in the flow of qi (energy), which is channelled to the major organs of the body along twelve pathways called meridians. The flow of qi is created by the interplay between two forces, yin and yang, which can be thought of as opposite yet complementary aspects of the universal principle – for example, dark and light, female and male, and so on. However, nothing is entirely yin nor wholly yang – a seed of one principle is always contained within the other.
The twelve major organs of the body (corresponding to the twelve meridians) are divided into six yin and six yang. While normal sleep is composed of alternating cycles of yin and yang, disturbed sleep is caused by an imbalance of these two principles in a particular organ. For example, restlessness at night, causing us continually to wake and fall asleep again, suggests a kidney imbalance; frequent early waking indicates a gall bladder disharmony; and sleep disrupted by vivid dreams suggests either a liver or heart imbalance. The Chinese have developed a wide range of exercises, which can be used to balance yin and yang in our bodies and to regulate the flow of qi. In the following pages we explore some of the traditions that can aid our sleep, such as the ancient arts of T’ai Chi, Qigong and acupressure.
The Chinese discipline of T’ai Chi is a form of moving meditation, which both improves the circulation of the body’s vital energy and focuses the mind. Its combination of physical and mental exercise can be particularly useful in helping us to sleep, as it relieves physical tension by relaxing our muscles and also calms the mind. The movements and rhythm in T’ai Chi exercises also promote balance, alignment of the body, precise muscle control and suppleness.
It is thought that an early form of T’ai Chi was invented in the sixth century by Bodhidharma, an Indian monk, who created a combination of meditation and movement to improve the poor physical health of his fellow monks. The first thirteen T’ai Chi postures and attitudes were devised at the turn of the fourteenth century as static positions, which subsequently evolved into a series of continuous movements. Although T’ai Chi developed into a martial art during the seventeenth century, its focus has remained on the mind and relaxation, rather than on force and strength. It requires no special equipment and the movements can be performed by anyone, regardless of age or physical aptitude. Today, in China, large groups of people practise T’ai Chi outdoors, first thing in the morning, to help them prepare for the day. But there are also T’ai Chi movements that are more suitably performed in the evening to aid relaxation.
One quick and simple exercise that you might try concentrates on relaxing the shoulders and arms and should be practised approximately one hour before going to bed. Standing with your feet at shoulders’ width apart, rest your left hand on your left shoulder and your right hand on your right shoulder. Now make circling movements with your elbows, starting with thirty seconds of forward rotations, followed by another thirty seconds of backward ones. Then, raise your arms parallel to the floor. Stretch your hands out in front of you and slowly raise your right arm as high as you can, while at the same time lowering your left arm to your side. Hold this position for ten seconds, before repeating with the arms in the opposite positions. Repeat this sequence twice.
Another Chinese discipline that is growing in popularity in the West is Qigong, which many people approach initially through an interest in Ta’i Chi. In fact, T’ai Chi is regarded by some as being essentially a moving form of Qigong, as the two disciplines have much the same basic principles. The practice of Qigong began in China more than 5,000 years ago. Since then it has been developed and refined by Buddhist and Daoist scholars, and doctors and practitioners of the martial arts.
Qigong can help to promote better sleep by harmonizing the body’s qi, using a combination of physical movement and postures, breath control, and meditation techniques. Why not try a relaxation exercise that strengthens the flow of qi in the kidneys – an area where imbalances particularly affect our sleep (the kidneys are located on either side of the spine, above the waist and behind the lower ribs). Try lying on your back on the floor, bending your right leg upward and outward, resting your foot against the inside of your left knee. Place your left hand, palm up, under your left kidney, and your right hand, palm down, over your navel. Now imagine that your left hand is warming your kidney and that energy from your right hand enters your body through the navel to your left kidney. Do the same again (left leg bent), on the other side.
The ancient art of acupressure can also be useful in the treatment of insomnia. Based on the same principles as acupuncture, acupressure is a technique in which vital energy points, known as acupoints, are pressed or massaged with the thumbs, or the middle or index fingers, to balance the body’s qi. Acupressure can be used by anyone as a self-help measure, or as a form of Chinese “first aid” if carried out by a partner or friend.
EXERCISE EIGHT
Try the following acupressure exercise one hour before going to bed each night, then again immediately before you try to go to sleep. Do this for at least two weeks – longer if possible – to give yourself a chance to notice the full improvement to your sleep.
1. Starting with your head, and using the fingertips of your middle and index fingers, press the top of the centre of your skull for approximately 30 seconds.
2. Using your index fingertips, make small circular movements simultaneously at the outer ends of your eyebrows for 30 seconds. Next, using the pads of your thumbs, wipe the upper, followed by the lower, edges of your eye sockets, from the inner to the outer corners. Then, rub the palms of your hands together until they feel warm, and place them over your eyes for 45 seconds. Finish working on the eye area by lightly resting the heels of your hands on your closed eyelids for 30 seconds.
3. Supporting your left hand in your right hand (both hands palm up), find the acupressure point (known as Heart 7) located on the crease of your wrist in line with your little finger. Press and release this spot with the tip of your thumb for roughly a minute. Repeat the same procedure on your right wrist.
4. Find the acupoint located between the tendons, approximately 2 inches (5cm) above the left wrist on the inside of your left forearm, and make small, firm circular movements with your thumb for one minute. Repeat this kneading movement on the right wrist.
According to the principles of Chinese hydrotherapy, sleep problems can be helped by taking a warm bath for fifteen to twenty minutes approximately half an hour before going to bed. It is thought that warm baths encourage both the smooth flow of qi and better blood circulation. Western sleep experiments endorse this claim, showing that warm baths taken just prior to bed indeed hasten sleep, particularly in the elderly. Adding herbs, such as camomile (which has sedative properties), to a bath can be especially effective. Infuse two teaspoonfuls of the herb in boiling water and leave the mixture to stand for ten minutes. Then pour it through a strainer into your bath water.
Chinese medicine warns against spending a long time in the bath or having the water temperature too high, as this can raise the body temperature, which is counter-productive to sleep. Although you may feel relaxed immediately after a hot bath, you may later feel thirsty and restless. Menopausal women, in particular, should avoid steamy baths, as the heat can trigger uncomfortable hot flushes and night sweats.
Another method of stabilizing the flow of qi and promoting sleep is the hydrotherapy footbath, which you can try just before bedtime. Fill two large bowls, one with hot (slightly hotter than your usual bathwater temperature), the other with cold water. Make sure that the water level reaches above your ankles. Place both your feet in the hot water for three minutes, and then immerse them in the cold water for thirty seconds. Repeat this procedure four times. Then, dry your feet and put on warm socks before going to bed.
EXERCISE NINE
When you need to sleep particularly well – for example, on the eve of a job interview – try the following inhalation exercise, which is especially effective when you are relaxed after a bath. You will need some Eaglewood (Lignum aqualaria agallochae), which is renowned for its sleep-promoting effects when inhaled, and some incense charcoals – both can be purchased from Chinese herbal stores.
1. Prepare the Eaglewood by grinding it into a coarse powder, or by breaking it into small pieces. Place the charcoal in an incense burner or on an inflammable dish, and set it alight.
2. Sitting near the burner, sprinkle the Eaglewood onto the charcoal. Close your eyes and breathe deeply for 2 minutes as the fragrance of the aromatic wood is released around you.
3. Now open your eyes and lean over the charcoal (keeping your face approximately two feet/50cm above it) and gently inhale the smoke as it rises. Breathe deeply and rhythmically. After a few minutes you should feel a great sense of calm. Focus on this feeling of tranquillity for one minute.
4. Extinguish any remaining charcoal and go straight to bed.
When we wish to improve the quality of our sleep, we should consider a valuable, innate tool that we often overlook – the soothing power of touch. Since ancient times the laying-on of hands in massage has been used all over the world to promote healing, to help to restore balance in the body and to encourage refreshing, restorative sleep.
Human beings are tactile – even before we are born, we are sensitive to touch, and once we enter the world we continue to crave this most basic form of contact throughout our lives. But as the demands of busy life today do not always allow time for physical contact, we often become distanced from our loved ones, and both physical and emotional tension builds. Massage can provide a therapeutic way to relax each other.
Touching is instinctive. Even if we do not realize it, massage is something that we all know how to do. For example, if our child bumps him- or herself, our first reaction is to rub the affected area to ease the pain. And one of the simplest and most enjoyable ways to wind down with our partner, and to promote good sleep, is through mutual massage (see pp.58–9).
Think how often you put your hand on your opposite shoulder and knead or rub the area to relieve tightness – you, yourself, are the only person who knows the exact site of your tension. You may not realize it but this almost instinctive action is actually a form of self-massage. Although we usually perceive massage as something one person does to another, self-massage (see opposite) can be a useful tool to relieve tension in situations where another person is unavailable.
EXERCISE TEN
When you are stressed and tired from lack of sleep, the tell-tale signs show first in your face. Giving yourself a pre-sleep face massage can release tension and improve your appearance by increasing the circulation to the skin: not only will you sleep more deeply, you will also wake up feeling and looking refreshed.
1. Prepare by having a warm, soothing bath. Or put yourself in a tranquil mood by dimming the lights and listening to some relaxing music.
2. Sit on the floor or on a chair and support yourself with cushions so that you are comfortable.
3. With arms bent and out to the sides, put the index and middle fingers of both hands flat on your forehead between your hairline and eyebrows. Making small circular movements, rub your forehead for 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Using the same rotating movements, massage your temples, taking care to apply a lighter pressure to this sensitive area. Continue for one to 2 minutes.
5. Place your index and middle fingers on your cheekbones and rub them for one to 2 minutes, again using small circular movements. (This part of the massage is particularly helpful if you tend to clench your jaw or grind your teeth during sleep.)
6. Gently press your thumbs under the tops of your eyesockets on either side of your nose. Hold this position for approximately 10 seconds. Repeat five times.
Around 3,000 BCE, in Mesopotamia in the Near East, the world’s first civilizations arose. Little is known of their healing practices but among the 30,000 surviving clay tablets there are approximately 1,000 which deal with herbal medicine; and herbs such as juniper, and oils such as cedar, are itemized.
The ancient Egyptians used the scents of specific plants during religious rituals to reach a higher level of consciousness or to promote tranquillity. More recently, in 1928, French chemist Henri Gattefosse introduced the word “aromathérapie”. After an explosion badly burned his hand, Gattefosse plunged it into a vat of lavender, and noticed that the burns healed quickly, leaving little scarring. This spurred him into researching the therapeutic effects of lavender and other herbal oils.
Herbs tend not to be prescribed by herbalists as antidotes to illness, but more as triggers of various physiological functions that enable the body to heal itself. For sleep improvement this means using herbs to help the body to combat the ailments (mental or physical) that lead to sleeplessness; very often, of course, the cause might be anxiety, but aching limbs, colds or ‘flu and upset stomachs also disrupt our sleep.
Taking herbal remedies can be enjoyable as well as practical – try making herbal infusions; place a few drops of the herbal essence in your bath; or use an oil burner and inhale the aroma as part of a pre-sleep relaxation exercise. Sufferers from insomnia in particular are thought to benefit by drinking herbal tea or using aromatherapy.
Many herbs are particularly associated with improving sleep or curing insomnia. Over this and the following two pages, we list some of the best-known and most effective of them, and how they are traditionally taken or used for sleep improvement. (Before taking or applying any of these remedies, it is best to consult a qualified herbalist or aromatherapist.)
californian poppy
This plant has a reputation for being a non-addictive alternative to the opium poppy. It was used by Native North Americans to relieve toothache. Known as a sedative, it is said to be useful for calming over-excitable children. It is used in infusions.
hops
Hop flowers are used extensively in the treatment of sleeplessness. An infusion is made for the relief of anxiety, stress and general pain. This plant reputedly acts as a tranquillizer, sedative and digestive aid and may also decrease our desire for alcohol. No formal comparisons have been made, but some herbalists claim that hops induce sleep more rapidly than valerian (see opposite). Hops should not be taken if you are depressed.
Some people find that a herbal pillow helps them to sleep. To make your own, fill a small fabric bag with lavender, orange peel and cloves. Then add one or two other herbs (from the list on pp.99–9), which you feel may be therapeutic. Add a few drops of vegetable oil and tie up the bag with ribbon or twine. Place it underneath your main pillow. Refill your pillow regularly.
jamaican dogwood
The bark of this tree, which grows in the Caribbean, in Mexico and in Texas, is dried for use in liquid extracts and powders. A strong remedy for sleeplessness, it should not be taken if you are pregnant, or suffer from heart problems. It should only be used according to the instructions of a qualified practitioner.
lady’s slipper
Used by Native North Americans as tranquillizers, the roots of this plant treat sleeplessness associated with stress, emotional tension and anxiety. The rhizomes, or roots, are dried and made into infusions, liquid extracts and powders.
One of the main aromatherapy oils used in the promotion of sleep is lavender. There are many ways in which you can use this oil. Try inhaling its vapours, or mixing it with another oil, such as neroli, and massaging your partner. Or add the mixture to your bath. Alternatively, soak a cloth in warm water containing a few drops of lavender oil and place it across your forehead.
The flowers are reputed to have anti-depressant and anti-spasmodic effects. Herbal literature suggests that lavender is particularly beneficial in improving the sleep of people who are suffering from depression, while conventional wisdom indicates that it particularly helps sleeplessness in the elderly. The oil can be added to baths or used in aromatherapy massages.
peppermint
This herb is used as a digestive aid, decongestant, anesthetic and germicide; it has also been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as a remedy for the common cold. Peppermint is said to promote relief from many of the symptoms that may interfere with normal sleep. It is helpful for spasms and headaches, and is used to treat nervousness, insomnia and dizziness. It is taken as a herbal tea.
roman camomile
Used primarily for their anti-spasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties, the flowers of this plant are made into a herbal tea to make a gentle sedative that can help relieve anxiety and insomnia.
valerian
Valerian is recognized as a sedative in both alternative and conventional medicine. The roots of the plant are used in infusions to treat insomnia. Commercially manufactured tablets are also available. It is one of the few herbs that has been tested by recognized scientific techniques. Research has shown that valerian can improve sleep without leaving the patient with the usual “hangover” associated with sleep medications.