Sleepless in Scottsdale – Let there be light… or not

I just read in the Economist (June14-20, 2014) an amazing article entitled The Light Therapeutic, about the effects of light on sleep. It blew me away.  As an acupuncturist, I want to tell anyone with sleep issues that acupuncture significantly helps. Insomnia will seriously downgrade your quality-of-life and overtime will lead to health problems. But I want to start this series with what YOU can easily do to improve your sleep and possibly avoid the need for any medical intervention, especially those nasty sleeping pills that often make you just as groggy, even when you’ve slept all night.

There are physical, mental and behavioral changes that occur in the body that are triggered by light and darkness according to the circadian clock. Daylight activates certain biological systems that make us awake, alert and in a calorie-burning state, so that we have energy for daily activities. In Chinese medicine we call this the Yang time of day, which begins about daybreak. At sunset, the body begins to turn-off outward focused systems and by night (darkness) it focuses inward, on the restoration of the body, rejuvenating cells, blood and tissues. This is the Yin time of day, beginning at sunset.

Acupuncture helps the “master clock” in our brain adjust to the circadian clock in our environment. That’s great news and people with serious sleep disorders should try it. But why are so many people, young and old, not naturally adjusted to their environment? The fact is that most Americans spend most of their day inside in dimly lit spaces and are not getting enough exposure to daylight to tell their bodies “it’s morning, time to wake up”. But, more important, when the night falls and the darkness should be preparing us for a period of recuperation and restoration, wham, we turn on the lights and electronic equipment, such as televisions, computers, tablets and smart phones and, in effect, severely disrupt our internal clocks. In addition, these electronic devices and LED lights send out blue light waves that actually replicate daybreak, the time for waking up. So when we are supposed to be winding down, we are actually winding ourselves up. It’s no wonder so many people are having sleep problems.

I don’t know about you but this was a revelation to me and explains why when I check email before bed, I have a harder time falling asleep. So, this is a easy fix or at least a good place to start. Turn off your electronic equipment and LED lights – the article suggests by 9:00 p.m. –  I suggest at least an hour before you get into bed, turn on your incandescent lamp (warm yellow light) and read for awhile, or write, or talk with your significant other. Truly wind down and see, if you do this consistently for a week or so, if master clock adjusts and you begin sleeping better. Email me at linda@wholeselfacupuncture.com. I would love to hear your results. Sweet dreams.