S.A.D Disorder and additional tips on sleeping

The dark days and lack of daylight can mean that we suffer with a few additional deficiencies, specifically Vitamin E and Vitamin D. It is important to consider your exposure to the sun and the daylight and if you do think you maybe one of the many who have been leaving home to go to work in the dark and returning home in the dark you may need to consider supplementing your diet with a good Vitamin D3 and / or Vitamin E supplement. It is one of the major reasons we suffer from the syndrome - SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).

Another consideration is the 'sleep issue'. One of the most important Hormones in our body for health is Growth Hormone. Unfortunately after the age of 21 our levels of Growth Hormone can drop by up to 13% each decade. Why is this so important? Well, Growth Hormone helps metabolisation of fat and keeps the body full of energy. It is widely agreed now after some deliberation and debate that nearly everybody needs a minimum of 7 hours sleep each night for optimum health. This means an unbroken 7 hours sleep. This now takes us to the next step of getting to sleep....

If you are struggling to sleep, try the following -

• Consider purchasing a Light clock. The light clock is designed to wake you up by emitting a light not a noise. When the light hits your skin it tells the brain to wake up, so its a nice, gentle way of waking without a repetitive harsh noise and will encourage you to wake feeling refreshed.
• While you are in bed, consider making a few notes with something called a 'grateful log'. Write down as much as you can think of that you are grateful for. Then write down things that you have done for people as a kind gesture and vice versa. Some people believe that writing down there issues and listing the things they need to do will help them sleep. No it wont. It simply brings it to the forefront of the mind, and provokes further thought. The key is to keep the brain focused on a positive track not allowing it to fester on problems that need solving.
• Discipline. Get to bed. Decide on a time you are going to retire and stick to it. The important time is 10pm-2am for maximum body repair.
• If you are really struggling with either a) getting a second wind in the evening and not being able to switch off and b) feeling fatigued in the morning, or if you work shift patterns or hold a position of responsibility where you are ‘on call’ for example, firefighters, police officers, nurses, carers, etc then try either a Licorice supplement or Licorice Tea. The Licorice will help to prolong and utilise and also regulate the body's own natural Cortisol levels which should be high in the morning and lower in the evening.