Dr. David Minkoff’s Health Blog

Sleep & Your Heart Health #518

Healthy sleep and your heart health.

Message From Dr. Minkoff

How is your sleep?

It’s a problem for many.

Here are some facts to consider:

  1. Insomnia is big business. In 2022 $65 billion was spent on sleep aids! Drugs are a poor solution to get involved with.
  2. Most sedative drugs block the sleep cycle from occurring even though the user is unconscious. Therefore, one does not get therapeutic sleep.
  3. This causes many sleeping pills to have significant side effects. In one study habitual use increased the risk of death by 3-5 times. You don’t want that.

So, what can you do?

Here is a short list of things that work for most people.

  1. Create a bedtime routine and stick to it. Go to bed at the same time every night if possible. However, base your bedtime on the time that you need to get up the next morning so that you are getting 7 to 9 hours (or whatever is the best amount for you) per night.
  2. Take a hot bath before bed. Use Epsom salt in the bath water to relax the muscles.
  3. Avoid exciting activities such as stimulating conversation, scary movies and checking emails before bed.
  4. Create a stimulation-free environment in the bedroom with as much darkness as possible; turn off computers, cell phone, etc.
  5. Use the Blue Blocker setting on your electronics such as iPads and cell phones.
    • To activate it on android phones, go to Settings > Display > Night Light.
    • To activate it on iPhones or iPads, go to Settings application > Scroll to Display and Brightness, tap on it, and slide the toggle for Night Shift to the active position. If desired, adjust the slider from Cooler to Warmer to achieve the preferred color temperature. Optionally, toggle and adjust the Night Shift Schedule setting to have the iPhone automatically engage Night Shift at certain times
  6. Use Blue blocker glasses after sundown. These glasses on Amazon.com are less than $10.
  7. If night lights are used in the home, use red bulbs to decrease stimulation if you get up in the night. This 4-pack of red bulbs on Amazon is less than $5: Sunlite 7C7/R/CD4 Incandescent 7-Watt, Candelabra Based, C7 Night Light bulbs.
  8. Cool the bedroom to 69 degrees or lower.
  9. Do not eat within 3 hours of going to bed.
  10. When you arise in the morning, get out into the sunlight as early as possible. Look at the sun and soak it up for a while before starting your day.
  11. Purchase an Oura Ring (ouraring.com) to monitor your sleep quality.

If you are having trouble sleeping, work through this list until you find the right combination for your body.

I find the most important aspect of this is to go to bed and get up at the same time every day.

My kids think that I am an ogre on this, and they are right. But I get good sleep and I can perform all day without fatigue.

That makes life exciting and doable.

Have a good week.

David I Minkoff, MD

Patient Testimonial

I feel so much more relaxed and sleeping better while detoxifying… Non-traditional, great therapy and protocols. Best Wellness Center technologies ever. It’s worth every penny but you need to decide if you really want to improve and change following a new lifestyle for a better future. 😉 That mental setting is up to each person. I do!

Maria

Featured Articles to Address Your Sleep Issues