Tart Cherry Juice: Natural Lunesta

There’s not a soul out there who can argue against the need for sleep. Not only is it beautifully rejuvenating both physically and mentally, but it also boosts your metabolism, quiets any tendency toward the “F-its,” and helps you choose healthier foods during the day.

Without adequate rest (seven or more hours a night), your body is stressed and responds by making more cortisol. This gives you a quick burst of energy, which is perfect if you’re in the wild running from a hungry lion. But, chances are you’re not running from a hungry lion, so the extra cortisol simply stimulates hunger and disrupts your ability to metabolize carbohydrates, therefore increasing blood sugar levels, insulin production and body fat storage.

Without enough Zzz’s, leptin production also drops. Big deal? Absolutely. Leptin triggers fullness and helps you stay satisfied with the best food choices. Without it, you’ll crave sugary movie theater carbs, and you may not be able to resist.

Sleep also stimulates growth hormones, which regulate fat and muscle proportions in the body and promote graceful aging. So, without good lengthy slumbers, you may be exercising your little tush off, but you’re not building any muscle, and the wrinkles are piling on. No thank you!

But what if you can’t sleep? Food to the rescue! Certain foods are naturally rich in the antioxidant and sleep hormone melatonin, while other foods are rich in the amino acid and serotonin precursor tryptophan. Not only might these foods help you get a good night’s rest, but they also lack the groggy-foggy day-after side effects of over-the-counter or prescription sleep meds.

Foods Rich in Melatonin
Tart cherries
Bananas
Tomatoes
Oats
Rice bran
Sweet corn
Wheatgrass juice
Ginger

Foods Rich in Tryptophan
Almonds
Peanuts
Pumpkin seeds
Spirulina
Beans
Tofu

Both groups can be helpful for promoting restful sleep by quieting down your noisy brain when the lights turn out. But one food—tart cherries—seems to have a leg up when it comes to knocking you into a deep, refreshing sleep. I decided to do a little experiment: I wondered if it could work just as well as the peanut butter (tryptophan) or almond butter (tryptophan) and banana (melatonin) bedtime sandwich I’d come to love since my first pregnancy nearly seven years ago. And even though I generally have little trouble hitting REM after chasing three young kids and endless dirty dishes around from dawn till dusk, there are still plenty of random nights when my busy brain (on pillow) gets stuck recounting 4th-grade spelling bees.

I tried tart cherry juice for eight nights.

How I cherried: 4 ounces Very Cherre tart cherry juice 15 to 30 minutes before bed: 65 calories, 10.5 grams sugar. Bedtime was 10-10:30 p.m. (My kids are up at 5:30 a.m. sometimes!)

What happened: Fell asleep within five minutes of my head hitting the pillow, except on the night I had the Dixie Chicks’ “There’s Your Trouble” stuck in my head. That night it took five to 10 minutes to fall asleep. No trouble here!

So?: If falling asleep or staying asleep are potential problems, tart cherry juice is absolutely worth a try. Beyond my own personal n=1 pilot study, several of my nutrition patients, friends and family members have also experienced an easier time falling asleep and staying asleep with just 4 ounces of tart cherry juice at bedtime.

And as a bonus, tart cherry juice has a hearty dose of antioxidants, provides some potential arthritis and inflammation relief, and it supplies half your day’s need for vitamin C in a low-cal, 4-ounce glass. If 4 ounces at bedtime doesn’t work, Dr. Andrew Weil suggests having 8 ounces in the a.m. and the p.m.

Try this tart cherry smoothie nightcap to help neutralize the tart in the juice. This one includes soy milk, which is also naturally rich in the sleepy-time amino acid tryptophan. Heck, you might want to sip it in bed in case you dose off midway through. Cheers!

Sundowner Smoothie
Serves 1 Wired Individual

-4 ounces tart cherry juice
-4 ounces unsweetened soy milk
-1 organic orange, peeled
-1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
-4 ice cubes

Blend until smooth. Tastier than chamomile tea for sure!

Nutrition info: 172 calories, 2 grams fat, 60 milligrams sodium, 33 grams carbohydrates, 3.5 grams fiber, 18 grams sugar, 4.5 grams protein, 8% vitamin A, 117% vitamin C, 20% calcium (200 milligrams), 3% iron.

For more information on how to optimize your health, visit bitchindietitian.com.

Photo credit: Harold Walfish

14 Ways to Combat Corporatitis

In my integrative and functional medicine practice, hardly a day goes by when I don’t see several patients suffering with a touch of corporatitis maximus (CM). While you won’t find CM defined on Wikipedia or easily searched on Google, you will find it lurking in the minds and bodies of stressed-out, over-extended, over-committed employees of corporations, everywhere.

So what exactly is CM? Well, to be honest, it’s a catchall phrase I use to describe the cornucopia of mind/body ailments that tend to arise when a patient’s life and how they’re living it is in direct conflict with who they are or wish to be. Over time, these conflicts begin to express themselves via a number of physical symptoms that diminish a patient’s quality of life to the point where they feel lousy most of the time, inadvertently setting the stage for larger health complications and even diseases down the road. Simply put, though CM starts in your head, before long, it takes your body along with it. Prolonged periods of exhaustion and being perpetually out of sorts start to wear down our immune systems, eroding the body’s ability to heal itself and enabling the body to slip out of balance with frequent colds that go on far too long, allergy flare-ups, aches and pains, headaches, digestive problems, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, sleeplessness and moodiness, testiness, depression and listlessness.

If all this sounds disturbingly familiar, then you may be in the wrong job. Realistically, though, there are mortgages to pay and kids to educate, so for most of us simply “dropping out” is not an option. The question then becomes, then, “How do we combat corporatitis — short of moving to a hut in Tibet?” I suggest taking the integrative approach and battle the corporatitis beast on both the emotional and physical fronts. To do that, try a few of my corporatitis-busting tips to help restore balance, regain your health and start living again:

Step away from the water cooler. In other words, be aware of office scuttlebutt and gossip, but don’t be an active participant. Gossip is rarely positive and mostly speculative, so why fill your head with scenarios that may never come to pass, or events you can’t control? If you’re going to keep your spirits up, don’t allow yourself to be pulled into the fray.

Allow obsessive thoughts, to a point. Set a time limit — or even an egg timer — on how long you will allow yourself to obsess over a work problem. Be it 10 minutes or 45, when time’s up, move on. Come back to the problem later in the day, but give your brain a rest now, so it can come up with a solution more organically later. Give your head a chance to go with the flow.

Just say no, graciously. Many of us have trouble saying “no” to coworkers, friends and relatives, so we say “yes,” and wind up taking on far more than we can reasonably handle. Next time, instead of saying “yes,” deliver the bad news with a positive spin, using phrases like, “That’s a great idea, but…” or, “I would love to, but…” or, “That sounds wonderful, but…” Follow the “but” with a polite reason why you can’t honor the request. It will make saying “no” a lot easier for you to say, and easier for them to hear.

Push back with finesse. Saying “no” to the boss is a bit more challenging, particularly if you plan to keep your job. One way to do it is to ask the boss to help you prioritize your current projects as new ones are assigned. Not only will this remind the boss of all you’re working on, but it will also make your boss accountable for clarifying and identifying priorities.

Keep moving. Incorporate exercise into your life every day, even if you have to break it into 15 minutes in the morning and another 15 minutes after work. Just move! Exercise will enhance mood, encourage weight loss, calm the mind, improve the function of just about every system in the body and help take the edge off some of those not-so-nice feelings you might have about your toxic boss. Not a lot of spare time to exercise? Then take a tip from one of my patients who recently installed an inexpensive exercise peddler under her desk at the office, and now pedals her way through her daily conference calls.

Then, put on the breaks. Just as important as exercise is relaxation. While it’s unlikely you’ll have the time to stretch out for a lunchtime power nap (a la “Mad Men’s” Don Draper), after work, take time to do a bit of restorative yoga, a short meditation or a few deep breathing exercises. Try self-massage, using your body weight on a foam roller or tennis ball rolled over pressure points and sore spots.

Give yourself a time-out with meditation. Take a few minutes off during the day to try one of the thousands of free guided meditations available online to help refresh your mind and spirit. How to find the time? Download a meditation and listen to it on the train to work or find a quiet spot to tune in during your lunch break. Meditation is a great way to re-center yourself, clear your mind and give yourself a bit of much needed “me time.”

Give yourself a Sabbath, and stick to it. Ideally, try to unplug from your electronic devices for one day a week. If that’s not possible, then at minimum, commit to not being accessible for brief periods of time. Unplug responsibly, though, by letting staff and/or bosses know when you’ll be unavailable.

Unstuff your life. Take steps to liberate yourself from the oppressiveness of keeping up with the Joneses and embrace the joys of a simpler life, a smaller house and the ease of owning (and owing) less. Not convinced stuff makes all that much of a difference? Watch a couple of episodes of “Hoarders” or “Enough Already” to get a sense of the tyranny of too much stuff.

Sleep it off. Corporatitis gains the upper hand when the quality of your sleep is poor or you don’t get enough. Take at least one hour to prepare yourself for sleep. In that transition time, do something relaxing, like taking a hot bath or some restorative yoga. My favorite chill-out pose is reclining belt pose. When it’s time to hit the hay, make sure your bedroom is cool, quiet and dark. Banish light with blackout curtains and cover lights from charging phones, flashing caller ID boxes, sleeping laptops or light-up alarm clocks with a bit of electrical tape. And if you can’t darken your room completely, get an eye mask.

Replace “dieting” with eating intelligently. Stop or cut down radically on sugar, processed foods, refined and junk foods. Slowly switch your diet over to predominately plant foods, ideally fresh and organic if possible. Although you should know how to read a food label, most of the food you eat should not have labels. Try eating a variety of different foods — the more colorful the better. Follow these basic principles as closely as you can to create a leaner, stronger, more resilient body that’s less prone to corporatitis-induced illness and weight fluctuations.

Supplement your health and happiness. Do this not with wine or Ambien, but with natural, health-supporting nutrients and supplements that encourage the body to return to a healthier, sustainable state of wellness. For optimal function, we all need to take various supplements depending on our age, diseases, stress level etc., so work with your health care practitioner to create a personalized supplement plan to help you achieve and maintain optimal health in a challenging world.

Connect with a community. Step outside of the office and connect with a community that’s not work-related. The idea is to broaden your circle of friends and acquaintances to literally open up your world, your heart and your perspective. Be it an informal book group or organized neighborhood committee, joining a community is a great way to step outside the daily office grind and connect with others.

Practice Ubuntu. We all tend to get caught up with our own “dramas,” which keeps us in our heads and takes up a lot of energy. When we stop focusing on ourselves and are sharing or being compassionate to others, we let go of a lot of unnecessary anxiety about our own dilemmas. In fact, we often actually receive more than we give.

For more information on how to optimize your health, see http://www.drfranklipman.com/.

Originally published on HuffingtonPost.com

Photo credit: Oscar D.

Keep Your Immune System Healthy This Winter

With winter comes the solstice, holidays, friends and families; there also comes cold, stress, sugar and often illness. To make sure we enjoy all the beautiful and magical offerings of the winter season, it’s important to keep up with our health in some really easy and right-at-our-fingertips ways. So how do we stay vital and bug-free during winter? It can start with making a promise to yourself that self-care will be high on your list of things to do.
 
Rest. Get enough sleep. Make your evening routine relaxing and nurturing enough to ensure that you fall asleep easily and early, waking up rested and ready to go (especially as it gets light earlier now!).
 
Move your body with gentle stretches, yoga, walking, cross-country skiing, sledding, snowman building with the kids (or friends), ice skating, snowshoeing, and even shoveling. While burning calories and building lean muscle mass, it’s also important to keep circulation moving; exercise enables toxins to leave the body through flowing lymph and sweat. Indoor exercise is great especially when it’s cold, but it’s also important to get outside in the fleeting hours of sunlight whenever possible and breathe that invigorating cold air!
 
You can follow a cleanse to boost immunity. By taking the time to heal the gut, which houses 90 percent of your immune system, you’re ensuring that your body is well equipped to fight any colds or flus that are being passed around. It can be simply eating very light meals based on whole foods and liquids whenever possible to lighten the load on the digestive system.
 
Choose unprocessed whole foods, making sure they are local, organic and seasonal whenever possible. Avoid white foods (flour, rice, potatoes and sugar), packaged foods, “quick” cooking methods like microwaves, and anything artificial!
 
Eat warming foods and spices. Cold and raw foods are full of enzymes, vitamins and minerals. But during the colder winter months, it’s best to consume mostly cooked, steamed, broiled (i.e. warm) foods and liquids. No ice cream, ice cubes or leftovers from the refrigerator. Use spices that are warming as well, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, cumin, fennel and ginger. They are also anti-inflammatory, which is crucial for all systems in the body. Adding these spices to your dishes will boost immune building properties of fruits, vegetables and grains.
 
Here are some foods to eat: 

-Apples, which are full of soluble and insoluble fiber and antioxidants.
-Sweet fruits like pears, mangoes, peaches, pineapple and plums.
-Pomegranate seeds and papaya to enhance digestion.
-Dark green leafy vegetables, which provide important vitamins and minerals and cleanse the digestive system,  especially when steamed, juiced, or stir-fried.
-Broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, which boost the immune system and provide antioxidants and flavonoids.
-Whole, non-gluten grains, which provide fiber and nutrients.
 
We love Michael Pollan’s thoughts: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Try to eat foods that your grandmother would recognize, meaning if it has more than five ingredients, it’s probably too processed and full of junk.
 
So here’s to a healthy winter. Get out and make some snow angels and give thanks for all the amazing gifts in our everyday lives – most of all, our incredible bodies!

Jenny Nelson is a Wellness Specialist & Coach for Dr. Alejandro Junger’s Clean Program.
 

Photo credit: Luminitsa

Sleep and Rhythm: How To Live In Accordance With Your Natural Cycles

In addition to a healthy diet and regular exercise, getting enough restful sleep is the most important thing you can do for your health. Proper sleep is one of the keys to looking and feeling your best, yet it’s estimated that up to 70 percent of Americans are chronically sleep deprived.

Chronic sleep problems interfere with your body’s natural rhythms and rob it of the time it needs to restore itself. The incidence of many diseases including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks and depression increases with a lack of sleep. We simply weren’t built to just go, go, go; we also need to rest, rest, rest. We evolved according to the natural rhythms of darkness and light; our bodily functions reflect this and undergo similar fluctuations. They perform best when we live in accordance with these cycles.

It is during sleep that your body’s innate healing capacities kick into full gear. Your immune system gets revitalized, hormones and metabolism are balanced, and general maintenance and repair of all bodily systems occurs. Getting a good night’s sleep on a regular basis is absolutely critical for good health.

Insomnia is not a disease, but is usually a symptom of a deeper underlying bodily imbalance. To correct it, the causes of the imbalance must be removed. The most common underlying causes of chronic sleep issues are:

· Chronic stress or an over-stimulated nervous system.
· Hormonal imbalances
· Poor diet (too much sugar, gluten, dairy, processed and refined foods)
· Stimulants or substances that can affect sleep (alcohol, caffeine, medications, etc.)
· Gastro-intestinal dysfunction
· Chronic pain
· Sleep Apnea

Although each of us is unique and treatment should be individualized, the most effective long-term strategy for overcoming insomnia in our fast-paced world is to better attune our bodies to the natural rhythm of darkness and light. This can be done, for the most part, by changing our habits and behaviors.

Night and Day
As a result of living in tandem with the patterns of day and night for thousands of years, these 24 hour cycles and rhythms became imprinted in our genes and, over time, we have developed internal body clocks that run in sync with nature.

But our biology has not yet caught up with our ability to live without rest. One of the most fundamental stresses on our systems is that we live so out of sync with the natural fluctuations of light and dark. During the day, we receive artificial light from fluorescent bulbs rather than the vitamin D-rich sunlight that our bodies need. Then, at night, when we need the dark to trigger essential melatonin production, excessive light throws our body rhythms out of balance even more.

Since the invention of the light bulb, obvious as its benefits have been, our lifestyles have really changed. Staying up all night can really sabotage our health. With light as with food, we must be careful of being overfed and undernourished.

SLEEP TIPS
It’s essential to understand that it’s not just what you do at night that affects your sleep. How you go about your day and shift into the evening also plays a big role in how well you sleep.

Wake Up Right
Sleep researchers at the Mayo Clinic believe that if you need an alarm clock to wake up, you’re not sleeping right. Alarm clocks interrupt the sleep cycle and prevent sleep from completing naturally. Dawn simulation devices are much more effective at establishing a healthy sleep cycle and gently rousing you from sleep.

Get Some Natural Sunlight
As sunlight enters our eyes it regulates and resets our biological clocks, which involves triggering our brains and bodies to release specific chemicals and hormones that are vital to healthy sleep, mood, and aging. Try to get at least half an hour of regular exposure to natural sunlight a day.

Exercise
Exercise is one of the best defenses against insomnia. It signals the body to promote deeper sleep cycles. The best time to exercise is 4-6 hours before bedtime, but studies also show that people are more likely to stick to a routine if they exercise first thing in the morning. Try to avoid exercising after 8pm as it may be too stimulating and make it more difficult to get to sleep.

No More Caffeine
Caffeine, even in small doses, blocks sleep neurotransmitters, the calming chemicals your body makes to make you sleepy. If you have a problem with sleep, you must cut out all caffeinated beverages, even your morning cup of coffee. Regular caffeine consumption can create a chronic bodily imbalance.

Try an Elimination Diet
For two weeks, try eliminating sugar, corn syrup, sodas, refined grains and processed foods. These are metabolic disruptors which overstress the organs involved in hormone regulation and can seriously affect your sleep cycles.

Eat In Accordance With Your Bodily Rhythms
Your digestive system function peaks at lunchtime, so most of your food should be eaten by then. Your metabolism slows down in the late afternoon, leaving you poorly prepared to digest a large dinner. Eat a small dinner, at least three hours before going to sleep. Give your body a chance to recover and rebuild, instead of having to work on digestion while you sleep.

Create an Electronic Sundown
By 10 pm, turn off the computer, TV, and all other electronic devices. They are too stimulating to the brain and inhibit the release of these sleep neurotransmitters.

Create a Regular Routine
Going to bed around the same time, even on weekends, is the most important thing you can do to establish good sleep habits. Many of us use the weekends to either stay up or make up for lost sleep during the week. Both practices disrupt bodily rhythms and can cause insomnia during the work week.

Keep the Room as Dark as Possible
Our bodies need complete darkness for production of the important sleep hormone, melatonin. If your bedroom is not pitch dark when you go to sleep, it interferes with this key process. Cover all the lights of any electronic devices and use dark shades or drapes on the windows if they are exposed to light. If this is not possible, wear an eye mask.

Keep the Room Cool
Lowering ambient temperature sends a feedback signal to the brain that it’s nighttime, and it needs to release more sleep hormones. A sleeping temperature of 60 to 65 degrees is best for most people, even in the winter. In hot weather, use a floor or ceiling fan to create a breeze, or an air-conditioner set at about 70 degrees.

Do Not Rely on Sleeping Pills
Sleeping pills mask sleep problems and do not resolve the underlying causes of insomnia. Sleep studies have concluded that long-term use of sleeping pills do more harm than good.

Don’t Use Alcohol to Fall Asleep
Because of alcohol’s sedating effect, many people drink to promote sleep. Alcohol does have an initial sleep inducing effect, but as it gets broken down by the body it sends the wrong metabolic signals, potentially causing you to wake up

Take Nutrients That Calm Down the Nervous System
Instead of sleeping pills or alcohol, try supplements or herbs that have a calming effect 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime. Magnesium, calcium, or herbs like lemon balm, passion flower, chamomile, magnolia and valerian root can be helpful.

I know from personal experience, and from the many patients I have seen, that incorporating these sleep tips can make a huge difference. British poet Thomas Dekker observed that sleep is “the golden chain that ties health and the body together.” I couldn’t agree more. Here’s to a good night’s sleep on a regular basis.

One love,
Frank

Five Sleep Mistakes & Solutions

Although we may not like to admit it, many of the sleep problems we experience are the result of bad habits and behaviors. We stay up late or sleep in late. We eat foods that disagree with us or enjoy a drink late at night, oblivious to their disruptive impact on our sleep rhythms. Over time, we teach our body not to sleep and for relief we often turn to sleeping pills, which mask rather than solve the problem, and can lead to addiction. Ultimately for real success, with insomnia as with any chronic problem, one must look for the underlying imbalances and root causes and address those.

Here are the common sleep “mistakes” I see in my practice and their solutions.

MISTAKE #1 Using sleeping pills to fall and stay asleep.

Sleeping pills mask sleep problems and do not resolve the underlying cause of insomnia. Many sleep studies have concluded that sleeping pills, whether prescription or over the counter, over the long term, do more harm than good. They can be highly addictive and studies have found them to be potentially dangerous. (see studies below)

For short term use, there may be indications for sleeping pills, but over time, sleeping pills can actually make insomnia worse, not better. If you have been taking them for a long time, ask our doctor to help you design a regimen to wean yourself off them.

SOLUTION Learn relaxation techniques.

Aside from physical problems, stress may be the number one cause of sleep disorders. Temporary stress can lead to chronic insomnia and circadian rhythm sleep disorders. Many people tell me they can’t switch off their racing minds and therefore can’t sleep.

Do some breathing exercises, restorative yoga or meditation. These will calm the mind and reduce the fears and worries that trigger the stress.

MISTAKE #2 Using alcohol to fall asleep.

Because of alcohol’s sedating effect, many people with insomnia drink alcohol to promote sleep. Alcohol does have an initial sleep-inducing effect, but as it gets broken down by the body, it usually impairs sleep during the second half of the night leading to a reduction in overall sleep time. Habitual alcohol consumption just before bedtime can reduce its sleep-inducing effect, while its disruptive effects continue or even increase.

SOLUTION Take nutrients that calm the body and mind, getting you ready for sleep.

Don’t drink alcohol to help you sleep. Look for a calming formula that has some of the following: amino acids, L theanine, taurine, 5 HTP and GABA, and herbs like lemon balm, passion flower, chamomile and valerian root. Taking the minerals, calcium and magnesium at night is also helpful. For some people, especially folks over 50, melatonin can be helpful too. This is because the body produces less melatonin with advancing age and may explain why elderly people often have difficulty sleeping and respond well to melatonin.

MISTAKE #3 Watching television to fall asleep.

Because we have no trouble at all falling asleep in the living room in front of the TV many of us watch TV in bed to fall asleep. But when we fall asleep in a bed watching TV, we invariably wake up later on. This sets up a cycle or conditioning that reinforces poor sleep at night. I have had many patients over the years develop insomnia due to this type of conditioning.

SOLUTION Get the TV out of the bedroom.

Don’t watch TV in bed, the bed should be associated with sleep (and sex).

MISTAKE #4 Staying in bed hoping to fall asleep.

If you can’t fall asleep within 30-45 minutes, chances are you won’t for at least another hour, and perhaps even longer. You may have missed the open “sleep gate” or missed catching the sleep wave. A “sleep gate” is the open window of time your body will allow you to fall asleep. Researchers have found that our brain goes through several sleep cycles each night where all sleep phases are repeated. These cycles last from 90 minutes to 2 hours, and at the beginning of each cycle, the body’s “sleep gate” opens. You won’t be able to fall asleep when your sleep gate is closed.

SOLUTION Catch the sleep wave.

If you find you can’t fall asleep within 45 minutes, get up and get out of the bedroom. Read a book, do a restorative yoga pose or do some other calming activity for another 1 -1½ hours before trying to sleep again. Staying in bed only causes stress over not sleeping.

It is like surfing, you need to catch that sleep wave. Haven’t you noticed that you can be exhausted and yet you avoid going to sleep and then a few hours later when you are ready for bed, you are suddenly wide awake? You missed the wave.

MISTAKE #5 Making sleep a performance issue.

Often just thinking about sleep affects your ability to fall asleep. What happens frequently is that the way you cope with the insomnia becomes as much of a problem as the insomnia itself. It often becomes a vicious cycle of worrying about not being able to sleep, which leads to worsening sleep problems. Like so many things in life, it is about letting go, going with the flow. Sleep needs to become a natural rhythm like breathing, something that comes automatically and you don’t think about.

SOLUTION Let go and go with the flow.

Use the time to practice breathing exercises or meditation and to become aware of how what you eat, what medications you take, what behaviors or certain activities can affect your sleep cycle.

Increase your awareness by paying attention to your body and becoming conscious of how you react to different foods and situations. Use this time productively, instead of getting upset that you can’t fall asleep.

One final point.

For chronic insomniacs, especially if you are heavy snorer, it is a good idea to rule out Sleep Apnea as the cause. This is a serious condition that affects at least 12 million Americans, many of whom have not been diagnosed. Usually they are heavy snorers. What happens is that the tissues at the back of the throat relax and in so doing block the airways. The brain senses oxygen deprivation, and sends wakeup signals. There is a release of adrenaline and cortisol, the stress hormone. Not only does this interfere with sleep, it can increase blood pressure, raising your risk of heart problems and stroke. It can also interfere with insulin sensitivity, and increases your risk of diabetes.

For more of Dr. Lipman’s tips, follow him on Twitter!

REFERENCES

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4. Authier, N.; Boucher, A.; Lamaison, D.; Llorca, PM.; Descotes, J.; Eschalier, A. (2009). “Second Meeting of the French CEIP (Centres d’Evaluation et d’Information sur la Pharmacodépendance). Part II: Benzodiazepine Withdrawal.”. Therapie 64 (6): 365–370. doi:10.2515/therapie/2009051. PMID 20025839.

5. Glass J, Lanctôt KL, Herrmann N, Sproule BA, Busto UE (November 2005). “Sedative hypnotics in older people with insomnia: meta-analysis of risks and benefits”. BMJ 331 (7526): 1169. doi:10.1136/bmj.38623.768588.47. PMID 16284208. PMC 1285093. http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/331/7526/1169.