insomnia

The Anxiety Summit: Sleep Your Way to Better Moods

June 19, 2014 By Trudy Scott 9 Comments

This is day 12 of the Anxiety Summit. Robin Nielsen, Certified Nutrition Consultant and co-creator of Sexy Younger You, is interviewed by host of the Anxiety Summit, Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution.

Everyone needs sleep! The CDC /Centers for Disease control says “Insufficient Sleep Is a Public Health Epidemic” According to data from the National Health Interview Survey, nearly 30% of adults reported an average of ?6 hours of sleep and only 31% of high school students reported getting at least 8 hours of sleep on an average school night. How do you feel when you don’t get enough sleep – other than awful…irritable, anxious, depressed and you very likely gravitate to sugar and caffeine to keep you going – which is only going to make things worse!

Research published just last month in the journal Pediatrics suggest that poor sleep in children under age 7 can lead to weight problems later on in life and can also affect their emotional health leading to more anxiety and depression.

Robin shares how you can …

Sleep Your Way to Better Moods

Learn why restorative sleep is the key to being happier
How anxiety and poor sleep are connected: sugar, blood sugar, caffeine, gluten
What sleep has to do with brain chemistry and hormones
How you can feel so much better when you get restorative sleep

Here are some great gems from my interview with Robin:

restorative sleep means sleep without medication

sleep helps to keep us beautiful as we age

insomnia can really be caused by just about anything and things that we would never guess

if you have a busy day, you’re going to have a busy night

chronic infections are constant stressor (and can affect your sleep)

hypothyroidism can cause sleep apnea

if you’re exercising improperly it’s going to raise your stress hormones and it’s going to affect your sleep and anxiety

We certainly did cover all the causes of insomnia and there are a lot of them.

Robin also shared that one of her favorite books is Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar, and Survival by T.S. Wiley.

Robin is so funny…she starts out by saying talking about sleep is not sexy and then ends with a sexy bombshell about oxytocin that left me speechless! Be warned!

Get your free gift from Robin Nielsen. She has a great Sleep Quiz, Checklist and Journal for you.

~~If you are not already registered for the Anxiety Summit you can get live access to the speakers of the day here www.theAnxietySummit.com~~

UPDATE: the summit concluded on Tues 6/24 – season 2 of The Anxiety Summit will be in November 2014. If you’d like to be on the notification list just sign up here www.theAnxietySummit.com

Missed this interview or can’t listen live? Or want this and the other great interviews for your learning library? Purchase the MP3s or MP3s + transcripts + interview highlights and listen when it suits you

How to get a great night’s sleep

August 31, 2012 By Trudy Scott 26 Comments

“A 2009 poll by the National Sleep Foundation found that only 28 percent of those surveyed regularly got eight hours or more of sleep a night. The average was around six and a half hours on weekdays and seven on weekends. Those who slept less than eight hours a night typically had mood problems, including worry and anxiety, ate more sugar and unhealthy food and drank more caffeinated beverages!”

~ Trudy Scott, The Antianxiety Food Solution

It’s amazing how many people don’t get enough sleep and there is so much we can do from a nutritional point of view to change this. Here are six things to consider:

One of the first things I think about when a client can’t sleep is low serotonin. Low serotonin symptoms include insomnia, depression, negativity, worry and anxiety, irritability, PMS and afternoon and evening cravings. And low serotonin can be boosted with tryptophan, taken as a supplement and/or in food sources.
Research has actually shown that a medical or functional food made with pumpkin seeds improved sleep, due to the good sources of tryptophan and zinc. In another study this same functional food was also shown to reduce anxiety and social phobia.Pumpkin seeds can be soaked in water overnight and then lightly roasted with olive oil, sea salt, pepper, turmeric and ginger. Food-wise, pumpkin seeds are a favorite of mine for a healthy snack and my clients love them. Here is an blog post that discusses the benefits of soaked nuts and a roasted pumpkin seed recipe
When tryptophan is taken as a supplement, some is converted to serotonin and some to melatonin. Melatonin is fabulous for resetting your circadian rhythm so your sleep cycle gets back to normal. If taking tryptophan doesn’t quite get you sleeping through the night then taking additional melatonin may help. Sublingual melatonin helps you fall asleep and the timed-release form helps you stay asleep.
Other factors that should be considered when sleep is an issue: low blood sugar, addressing low serotonin levels, addressing low GABA levels, checking for parasites and dysbiosis, and making sure you don’t have high cortisol.
Other nutrients that may be helpful: vitamin B6 (which helps improve mood and reduce anxiety too), zinc (which is also important for skin health, reducing anxiety, improving mood, helping with blood sugar balance and PMS), and magnesium (which is also calming).
Of course, it also helps to use a comfortable soft eye patch to keep the room dark and to use earplugs to keep things quiet. Also, keep clock radios and cell phones away from your head and don’t use an electric blanket! Having a warm bath with essential oil of lavender is also a great help to help you wind down at the end of a hectic day.

Try some of the above tips and get those eight hours of sleep and you’ll have less mood problems, experience less worry and anxiety, eat less (or no) sugar and unhealthy food and drink less (or no) caffeinated beverages! Sweet dreams!