Dr Ron Ehrlich, or ‘Dr. Ron’ as he is affectionately known, is one of Australia's leading holistic health practitioners and educators. He is also one of Australia’s leading holistic dentists.
Top Tips for Sleeping Well:
1. Prioritise
Understanding what a good night's sleep is and how it affects our mental and physical wellbeing in SO many ways is the first thing. What is a good night's sleep? What is so important about it?
2. Routine
Whether we are talking about a new born, child or adult of any age, a good routine of preparing for sleep is important. Sleep is about winding down, rebuilding and recovering from the day and preparing for the next one.
3. Foods & Fluids
Not eating for 2 hours before bed and not loading up on sugars and carbs or too heavy a meal. Elevates blood sugar levels, causes our minds to be over active and heavy meals makes it difficult to digest food. Reflux, indigestion and heartburn also cause problems if we eat too close to going to bed. Too much fluids (apart from the obvious one of alcohol), 1-2 hours before bed means we are more likely to have our sleep cycle interrupted by having to get up to go to the toilet in the middle of the night.
4. Noise
Be aware of both electronic and audible noise. Answering emails, watching TV, having electronic equipment in the room all excites our brains... so avoid this before bed. Spend some time calming down instead.
Another thing to consider is noise from our partner. Snoring is really a big issue even though it is often dismissed as a joke. Talk to your dentist about an appliance that can be worn to stop snoring.
5. Breathing
When we sleep & breathe our bodies need to be well oxygenated. Sleep disordered breathing is a big problem from newborns to adults of every age. Snoring is only one manifestation of the problem.
In adults sleep disordered breathing causes tiredness, depression, weight gain, stress-related health problems, lower immune system, headaches, tooth grinding, and a huge range of health issues.
In children it affects behaviour, causing hyperactivity, learning problems, lower IQ, and compromises growth and development.
How to breathe:
• Breath through your nose
• Slowly (8-12/min)
• Use your diaphragm
• Try practicing at night with a tape
• Assess why your teeth are crowded
For more, visit www.drronehrlich.com/
