2016 B.E.S.T. Treatment - SLEEP by wiseheartwellness.ca Nancy Anderson Dolan Page 1 of 6 Free Therapy Initiative. For the Benefit of All at the Expense of None Please use and share this document at will

Super Powers of Sleep If we’re lucky and healthy, we spend about 1/3 of our lives asleep. Many people try to

“save time” by not wasting time sleeping and others struggle to sleep. As we learn

more about sleep, far more remains a mystery. What we do know, points to sleep as

being one of the master controls of both physical and mental, long term well being.

Many mental, medical and momentary problems create sleep difficulties. At

WiseHeart Wellness, we have found 85% of our clients have sleep difficulties and 55%

of those are longstanding, starting from childhood or adolescence.

Insomnia, or not being able to sleep naturally, can come from a stressful current

event, a change in routine, chronic stress, surroundings, medical and mental health

issues, sleep apnea, trauma, inability to relax, hormones, what and when you eat,

when you get up and of course when you go to bed.

So how do you get better sleep? First, by accepting that it is critical to your well being

and making a conscious plan on how to work towards a restful 7.5-hour minimum with

at least some of it before midnight. By just trying this out you will discover some of the

things that disrupt your sleep. You may need to consult doctors or sleep specialists.

You will need to evolve your plan throughout your life to adapt to ongoing changes.

We urge you to start with your thoughts first! There are a lot of unconscious ideas that

equate sleep with laziness, an indulgence, waste, just not cool and certainly not a

necessity. When you really understand the actual necessities, the massive benefits of

enough sleep and the truly scary hazards of too little, we hope you’ll understand why

this is such an important part of addressing any unwellness you experience!

Sleep deprivation is an illegal torture method outlawed by the Geneva Convention

and international courts, but most of us do it to ourselves. Ryan Hurd

The source of stability

by WiseHeart Wellness

SLEEP

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BENEFITS OF 7.5 hrs DAILY SLEEP AVG

Clearer faster thinking

Better able to persist with tasks

Perceive life as more positive/easy

Enjoy simple things more

Less craving/impulsivity

Better relationships

Emotional stability

Enhanced creativity

Improved problem solving

Increased will power

Can hear and respond to body signals

More kind and compassionate

Inner feelings of security

Protect brain’s abilities

Slows aging

Builds better brain chemistry

Aids metabolism and weight loss

Improved learning

Better integration of information

Increased agility and muscle strength

Improves athletic performance

Decreases injury/illness recovery time

Helps prevent dehydration

Better resilience to life’s challenges

HAZARDS OF TOO LITTLE SLEEP

Increase in mood disorders

Paranoia and suicidal thoughts

Creates obsessive meaningless worry

Drives compulsive behavior

Reduced immune system function

2.5X Higher risk for Diabetes

45% Higher risk for Heart Attack

12% Higher risk of Death from any cause

Less physical & psychological flexibility

Higher risk for dementia

A tired brain wants junk to keep it awake

Increase in all types of accidents

Memory doesn’t get consolidated

Learning is far more difficult or impossible

Increased blood pressure and stroke risk

Experience more anger and frustration

Increased emotional reactivity

Chronic stress creating adrenal fatigue

Increased inflammation in brain and body

Attention deficits

Muscle weakness and wasting

Ages skin Diminishes sex drive

Can’t discern growing problems

or that they are connected to sleep issue

2016 B.E.S.T. Treatment - SLEEP by wiseheartwellness.ca Nancy Anderson Dolan Page 3 of 6 Free Therapy Initiative. For the Benefit of All at the Expense of None Please use and share this document at will

Simple Practice Make a brief plan about how much and when you will sleep. Start exploring what

comes up when you try to follow it. There will be thoughts, feelings, sensations or

situations that will help you discover what steps you can take to improve your sleep.

How to get what that sustaining, stable sleep can provide . . .

√ Cerebrospinal fluid pours through your brain at night, along the outside of the

blood vessels, cleaning out waste. So give your biological janitorial night shift the

time it needs to get the total job done, to prevent dementia other brain issues. √ As you retrain yourself to sleep well, you can practice progressive muscle

relaxation, autogenic training or use a guided meditation audio or phone app

that features relaxation to create sleep like reactions in your body and decrease

the negative impacts of insufficient sleep. √ Simple supplements can help you fall asleep, stay asleep and wake feeling rested.

Taking 1mg of Melatonin at 5pm can assist your brain in retraining a maladjusted

system to inhibit waking at the appropriate time for sleep as darkness comes and

leave you ready to waking with the light. Magnesium glycinate 200 – 800mg at

night can help restless legs that sometimes occur with insomnia, as it calms your

nervous system and relaxes your body. The following two amino acids, brain

chemical precursors, can also improve sleep. GABA 500-1000mg before bed or 10

to 20 min before your evening meal. GABA is particularly good for anxiety and

muscle tension related sleep problems, 5HTP 100-1000mg in divided doses through

the day and at bed or all at bedtime. 5HTP is particularly good for depression

related sleep struggles, helping to decrease time to fall asleep and number of

awakenings throughout the night. √ Managing night light. No blue light – tech devices or bright light – turn off

overhead lights and use lower level and dimmer lights 2 hours before bed. Don’t

forget the bathroom – brushing your teeth with dimmed light or candles calms

your brain, rather than giving it a shot of wakefulness just before lying down!√ Managing day light. Morning use lots of bright lights or Therapy Box lights within

half hour of rising and go outside, sit by windows or keep rooms brightly lit. √ Sleep is the deal breaker in weight loss. Include sleep plans in your approach. Well

rested dieters lose more fat, less muscle and more overall weight regardless of the

food or exercise plan, because metabolism works better with adequate sleep!√ A tired body and quiet mind are required for good sleep. So some rigorous

movement early in the day and meditation for the mind later on does wonders!

Add one thing at a time, depending on what your specific problems are, to ease into better sleep.

2016 B.E.S.T. Treatment - SLEEP by wiseheartwellness.ca Nancy Anderson Dolan Page 4 of 6 Free Therapy Initiative. For the Benefit of All at the Expense of None Please use and share this document at will

WiseHeart Wellness Super Sleep Exploration Plan

Planned Actual outcome

How many hours I will sleep

Where I will sleep

Time I will go to bed

Time I will get up

How I will prepare to be able

to get into bed by bedtime

Changes I need to make to

my sleeping space

Challenges I will face

Possible solutions for those

problems

Possible Pro-Sleep Actions:

AM get up at 7am

Turn up lights immediately

Happy Rat Movement 30min

Eat protein for breakfast

-------------------------------------------

Stop working at 9pm

Prep for morning

Turn down lights at 9pm

Turn down temperature

Turn off tech or Red Screen it

Cup of tea & food if needed

Wash up in dim bathroom

Bath, meditation, relaxation

Warm and massage feet

Stretch, deep breathing

Write down worries/thoughts

Gratitude list

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

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Work out any special needs

Set up sleep apps

Sleep apnea machine

foam wedge to prop up

roller under needs for support

Set alarm if using one

Music or white noise

Set up for other needs; Water,

throat lozenge, Kleenex, extra

blanket

Possible Sleep Supplements

Melatonin 1mg

4-5 hrs prior to sleep or at dusk

5htp 100-1000 mg with juice

½ hour before bed

Magnesium 200-800mg

bedtime

GABA 500-1000mg bedtime

Medications

What I will do if I can’t sleep

Read, listen to meditations,

get up, take sleep meds,

have a bath, etc.

What I have learned with these explorations:

Most important next steps to take:

2016 B.E.S.T. Treatment - SLEEP by wiseheartwellness.ca Nancy Anderson Dolan Page 6 of 6 Free Therapy Initiative. For the Benefit of All at the Expense of None Please use and share this document at will