Humans run on an internal 24 hour body clock that naturally syncs with the sun and moon. Morning light signals the brain to stop producing sleep-inducing melatonin and increases levels of energizing hormones. As darkness falls, melatonin production ramps up in preparation for sleep. But modern life makes it easy to ignore these light and dark signals. Smart phones, tablets, and TV screens at night emit a blue light that is similar in color and wave lenth of daylight. Looking at these screens at night tells the body to stay awake.
The fallout of this is poor sleep which is linked to many bodily stressors such as mood fluctuations, immune system suppression, inflammation, and a spread of brain toxins that can lead to cognitive decline and even Alzheimer’s disease.
Inadequate sleep also causes widespread stress and bodily inflammation that actually contributes to a shortening of the lifespan.
How do you fix this? Expose yourself to bright light in the morning. Help reset your body clock by throwing open the curtains as soon as you wake up. Even better, step outside. As your eyes adjust to daylight, your hormones will program your internal clock to help energize you all day. At night, power off screens by 10pm and dedicate at least 30 minutes to a relaxing transition activity-take a warm bath, read a book, etc.
If you are suffering from poor sleep quality, hypnosis can help. Please feel free to contact me at 361.442.9590 or at holtadams2002@yahoo.com