The "ground for sleep" commences when the mind is at peace. At the Zen Buddhist retreat, the great venerable monk stooped over and said, "you cannot have a good night's sleep when you have worries." Develop a simple daily practice to cultivate peace of mind, so you have fewer worries and sleep better at night. The expert spiritual therapist says to take the time to be present with your daily thoughts, witness your words, and observe your actions. What worries you, my friend? It is where you begin to settle the mind and get a better night's sleep.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is believed that the heart, the liver, or the lung organs are out of balance or a combination of the three. You may find difficulty in either falling or staying asleep. I use this as a guiding principle when meeting clients who have difficulty getting a good night's sleep. For example, when you have trouble going to sleep - according to a TCM approach and spiritual therapist; if you are not at peace your heart cannot relax. When you have difficulty dropping  into the ground of sleep - the “Yin,” the quiet, the feminine, that place where the activity of Yang, the active element subdues into the deep of the Yin energy that is needed to calm and quiet the mind so that there is the grounded and receptive energy that allows for you to settle down and to go and stay asleep. What are your worries my friend? Try journaling before you go to bed to lighten your thoughts of the day and focus on what happened that was great! Feeling gratitude is the way to a deep sleep.

The hours between 11 pm and 3 am constitute when the GB LI (Gallbladder and the Liver ) are most active. Hence, if either of these two organs are out of sync, you may be disturbed between 11 pm, and 3 am and wake up unable to sleep. This is when the liver and Gallbladder are most active hence your body is overworking to break down the fats and sugar from the day's consumption.

Consider herbs for the heart and the digestive systems for these times, like Skullcap to relax and steady the mind and heart and help to induce sleep or Passion FLower, to reduce heat and mental activity. Dandelion and Milk thistle specifically serve the liver. Dandelion The ones who like Chamomile will calm you and help your digestion which will help you to go back to sleep. Try the Healthy Digestion by Dharani Healing Arts Organic Herbal TEAS and as per a therapeutic health care expert, many herbs may serve you to help with sleep. 

I will not speak too much of the consequences of consuming too much sugar and its effect on a good night's sleep. However, in simplistic terms, sugar stimulates cortisol which keeps the mind in an activity that does not allow for the production of melatonin, cortisol's reciprocal hormone.

Five hormones are involved in sleep. Whose job is it  primarily to process the hormones but the liver. No wonder hormones and the liver are involved when addressing healthy sleep hygiene. These five hormones are melatonin, serotonin, cortisol, estrogen, and prolactin.

This article will discuss melatonin, serotonin, the precursor to melatonin, and cortisol in regulating a good night's sleep. 

As the light of dusk approaches, your body begins to produce melatonin, which will bring on the onset of sleep. When you continue working on a screen after dusk, the light from your computer screen prevents your body from producing sufficient melatonin to sleep. This is why it is suggested to refrain from computer use up to three hours before bedtime to allow for adequate levels of melatonin to build up sufficiently so that you will find it easier to drop into sleep. 

Foods rich in melatonin include goji berries, walnuts, almonds, pineapple, bananas, and oranges. Which ones suit you best? Eat a handful before dinner or for a small snack within three hours of bedtime. 

Serotonin, the second key player in getting a good night's sleep, is the good feeling hormone produced in your healthy gut and acts as a neurotransmitter of information throughout your entire body. It also acts as a hormone synthesized in the pineal gland to make melatonin. This primary hormone regulates the circadian rhythm and synchronizes your sleep-wake cycles and the cycle of day and night. 

As per the therapeutic health care expert, to complicate this, however, tryptophan is an amino acid that is the precursor of serotonin. Tryptophan-rich foods include turkey, salmon, fatty fish, eggs, spinach, seeds, milk, soy, and nuts are a few good examples. Consider also eating “one” tryptophan-rich food a day to produce adequate levels of serotonin and sufficient levels of melatonin to help you sleep. 

Serotonin deficiency shows symptoms such as *anxiety, *depressed mood, impulsive behavior, insomnia, aggression, *irritability, low self-worth, and *poor appetite. Caffeine has the capacity to reduce serotonin levels, according to a recent study inhibiting tryptophan, the precursor to serotonin as well. No wonder? There are sleep issues with all the coffee we consume as a society.

Serotonin's relationship with estrogen adds to this complexity. Estrogen is the building block of female hormones found in female reproductive hormones, in fatty tissues and the gut, as well as in most cells of your body to some degree. Men also produce estrogen in smaller amounts. 

I will write more about estrogen, the foundation of all of these hormones listed above, its key relationship with serotonin production - and prolactin, the fifth hormone that contributes less so to sleep hygiene however involved. When these hormones are in balance you will surely get a better night’s sleep. 

The third key hormone that impacts sleep is cortisol, your main stress hormone. Cortisol is produced in the morning's wee hours to help you wake and respond to the energy for the day. Cortisol is also the hormone involved in the fight or flight response and regulating blood sugar, among other important functions. The proper functioning of the (HPA axis) the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenals allows you to respond to danger appropriately, i.e., to fight off a tiger should you need to, for example.

The problem begins when ongoing chronic stressors trigger ongoing food habits at bedtime, especially sugary foods that continue the production of cortisol prevent and stall or inhibit the production of melatonin. Melatonin is cortisol's feedback hormone. It is a huge problem for people addicted to sugar. Chronic inflammation ensues with belly weight, low moods, and poor digestion. Ever wonder why you can't sleep at night? It may be the cortisol that is keeping you awake.

Five points to Cultivate a Better Night's Sleep:

1: Reduce the screen time you spend daily, especially for at least three hours before bedtime.

2. Avoid eating or drinking alcohol or eating sweets at least three hours before bedtime. Follow the rule: Drink before food and not afterwards.

3. Spend 10 minutes an evening journaling before bedtime to reduce your worries and to help you find that sweet spot to drop into a good night’s sleep. Ask yourself, How can I bring a moment of reflective peace and gratitude to this moment, no matter how simple. 

4. Practice five minutes a day being still or do a grounding meditation daily -to stay connected to source or whoever helps you to remember your oneness with all, and who you are and what you love. How do you serve? I personally spend 30 minutes in stillness and 30 minutes in movement practice depending on what my body and mind need to align with the day. 

5. Consider what foods and herbs above that may contribute to you getting a good night's sleep as well. 

In conclusion, many factors contribute to achieving a good night's sleep. People who sleep well function better, enjoy better health and looks, and live longer. It is a proven fact. What is the root cause that may impact your sleep happiness quotient? Who is willing to take responsibility to investigate and unravel with me what lies beneath why you cannot either go, or stay asleep? I invite you to book an appointment with Dharani Healing Arts, the center for holistic healthcare, to find a solution for your insomnia. How may I serve you best? Cranial Osteopathy is an effective adjunct to help you sleep with all of the conditions above.

Live a vibrant life!