Back to Sleep Remedy
Contributed by Instructor Monica Mueller
As the days get shorter and our lives busier with the many activities of autumn you may notice a change in your sleep patterns. The Circadian rhythms of our bodies are connected to light and dark. There are several internal body systems that run on an approximately 24-hour cycle. One such cycle governs the adrenal glands. They reach the top of their cycle starting around 2:00 am. When you are stressed, the adrenals will pump adrenaline into your body, and this wakes up your metabolic stress response making returning to sleep difficult.
There is a very simple remedy that can be made with raw sugar and sea salt. What is it about this combination that works to lower these hormones? The glucose in the sugar acts like a dose of fuel for your mitochondria which powers the cell’s metabolic activities. The sodium helps your cells breathe and transports this new metabolic fuel throughout the body. Once your cellular batteries are fed and balanced your body can relax and return to a resting state. The sugar will tell your body to stop producing stress hormones and the salt helps to create a stability that keeps the adrenaline from getting wildly out of control and blocking the ability to get back to sleep.
Staff member Jennie, who has recently been waking up a lot between 2:00am and 4:00am, tried out this remedy. She said it was a strange flavour at 3 in the morning, but she did fall back asleep!
Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon raw white cane sugar
• 1 tablespoon raw brown cane sugar
• 1 teaspoon of mineral rich natural sea salt
What you’ll need
• A small blender or food processor
• A small jar
• A small spoon
Add all ingredients into a blender
To use this remedy when you wake up, find a simple way to get a small amount under your tongue without turning on the light, and let it dissolve there. Some people find a small spoon works. Others just wet their finger, dip it in the mixture and suck it off. A moist coffee stir stick is also an option. Whatever way you choose, make it simple and non-stimulating.
Sweet dreams!
