A Good Night’s Sleep: Nature’s Prescription for Anti-Aging
         
Would you like to look younger and feel more vibrant? The best natural solution is to sleep on it.

Think about it: have you ever noticed how good your skin looks after a good night’s sleep? It’s because your body secretes growth hormones as you doze. These hormones helped our bodies grow when we were younger, and now help repair vital tissue (like our skin!) and heal from injury.

According to the National Sleep Foundation and numerous academic studies, many mental and physical conditions are the direct result of sleep deprivation. Too few zzzzz’s can mean depression, heart disease, hypertension, delayed reactions, tremors, weight gain and headaches, to name a few. To top it off, sleep deprivation is a condition that affects all ages, from toddlers to the elderly.

I frequently prescribe an additional one or two hours of sleep for my patients to promote healing and general well-being. In response, I usually hear one of two things: “Sleeping is such as waste of time! I have too many things to do,” or “Trust me, I wish I could sleep more. But I am under too much stress.” But when I add, “Sleep can make you look younger,” many suddenly discover a new motivation to tuck in early.

So sometimes, you really do just need to “sleep on it” to feel and look better. Here are a few tips, from a Traditional Chinese Medicine point of view, to help patients of all ages get the rest we need.

Children. No sweets or cold foods right before bed, especially milk and cookies. Sugar stimulates the brain, while milk creates mucus that can impair breathing. Cold foods like ice cream can lead to bedwetting. To help your child relax, stroke his or her back gently from the neck down to the lower spine.

Women. Avoid carbonated drinks, since most of them contain phosphorous, which interferes with your body’s ability to absorb calcium. Calcium is what calms the nervous system, which is necessary to fall asleep easily. For women over the age of 35, fluctuating hormones impact sleep quality. Increasing essential oils found in sesame oils found in sesame seed oil, olive oil, and salmon can help these hormones re-balance.

Men. As men age, they often have to urinate frequently during the night, which interrupts their sleep. Many have difficulty returning to sleep. To minimize this nuisance, apply a warm heating pad to the lower back and buttocks area for 10 to 15 minutes before sleep. Applying acupressure to the hand also works well: press the joint lines on the pinky finger throughout the day, like while waiting in line. Improvement can typically be seen in one or two weeks.

For Everyone. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, warm feet calm the mind. So wear socks to bed, or make sure your feet are snuggly warm under the covers throughout the night. Rose bud tea, along with other medicinal herbs, can help calm an anxious mind. Melatonin can help for those aged 45 and older, but can cause excessive grogginess if you are younger, or if the correct dosage is not followed.

To help make sure you get the rest you need, a variety of acupuncture, acupressure, and herbal treatments are available through my office. To learn more or schedule an appointment, just call 415-544-9104 or send me email at drwonson@drwonson.com.