Hi, Kim: This is a great question (and always a controversial one). Without question, the best way to get your essential vitamins and minerals are through the foods that you eat. It is becoming more evident that it is the complex interactions of all of the components of healthy fruits and vegetables that benefit the body and not necessarily one or two isolated compounds. Good for you that you are already eating a healthy diet.
That being said, I usually recommend that people who are not as conscious as you about the food they eat consider taking one multi-vitamin a day. This also applies to patients, like the elderly, who may not have ready access to complete meals for various reasons.
The supplements that I feel strongly about for someone in your age group (and that have the most scientific evidence suggesting benefit) are omega-3 fish oil supplements (3 grams per day), Vitamin D3 (400-800IU per day), and because you are in your child-bearing years, folic acid to help benefit any potential children in your future.
There’s a great article from the September 2007 issue of Body + Soul about supplements. If you go the marthastewart.com homepage and search for “vitamins” then click on the tab for Body + Soul articles, you’ll come up with a bevy of resources.
Hi, Becky: Aside from sleep apnea, the common reasons for poor sleep are: poor sleeping environment, stress/anxiety, and some type of pain or other physical problem that keeps you up at night, like frequent urination.
The fact that you mentioned your job in your comment and that you are working on a big project makes me think that stress may be playing some role in your problem, and if it is, you need to be aware of that and take some time each night to relax before trying to go to sleep.
Below I’m including the transcript from a segment on sleep that Martha and I recently did on the TV show. You are bound to find at least a partial solution to your problem here.
ASIDE FROM FEELING TIRED, HOW CAN DISRUPTIVE SLEEP PATTERNS AFFECT US DURING THE DAY?
Fatigue is just one of the symptoms of too little sleep. Poor sleep can impair cognitive function and mental performance making you less efficient at your job and too little sleep can also contribute to cravings, overeating and weight gain.
We absolutely cannot talk about making this our healthiest year ever if we don’t talk about the importance of sleep to our overall well-being. It’s a vital, restorative function, and lack of it should not be seen as a badge of honor.
HOW CAN YOUR HEALTH BENEFIT FROM A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP?
In a recent study, researchers discovered that women who slept five hours or less nightly were twice as likely to have high blood pressure as women who slept 7 hours or more. In addition to these cardiovascular benefits, sleep also wards off type 2 diabetes and obesity and can even promote infection resistance, wound healing and boost the immune system
HOW MUCH SLEEP SHOULD ONE GET AT NIGHT?
There’s no solid answer to this. The average is between 6 and 8 hours per night for an adult, but this can vary. Some people need more and some people need less. A good indicator of whether you are getting enough sleep is whether you feel like taking a nap during the day. If you have this feeling, then that’s a good indication that you didn’t get enough sleep the night before.
WHICH FOODS SHOULD YOU AVOID BEFORE BEDTIME?
- Caffeine of course
- Chocolate not only contains caffeine but other compounds called alkaloids, which have s stimulating effect.
- Alcohol may make us feel calm and relaxed but it actually greatly diminishes the quality of sleep by disturbing neurotransmitter production like serotonin. Alcohol is also a diuretic and may keep you running to the bathroom all night.
- Fatty foods are also a no no before bedtime. Fatty foods take longer for the body to digest and the process of digestion can keep you awake
- Spicy foods as well as fatty foods can contribute to heartburn and keep you awake
- Artificial sweetners like aspartame contain phenylalanine and aspartic acid, both of which are excitatory
- Highly processed carbohydrates like rice, pasta and white bread can cause rapid changes in blood sugar levels, and this can disturb sleep
FOODS THAT PROMOTE GOOD SLEEP (It’s really all about the serotonin.)
- Milk (warm or not) contains tryptophan which is a precursor to serotonin. Turkey, cheese, chicken, yogurt, nuts and seeds also have tryptophan
- Vitamins B6 and B12 are also necessary for your body to generate serotonin. B6 can be found in spinach and whole grains and B12 in animal derived products like eggs and dairy foods
- Magnesium rich foods like green vegetables, whole grains and almonds can also facilitate sleep.
- Magnesium acts as a muscle relaxant.
- Some people take melatonin supplements to help them regulate sleep, bananas and oatmeal are both good sources.
- All foods should be consumed at least 45 minutes before your planned bedtime to allow the majority of digestion to occur before you try to sleep
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT PRESCRIBING SLEEPING PILLS?
I’ve prescribed sleeping pills and have even used them myself on occasion. I have found them particularly helpful when traveling where I’m in a different time zone and have less control over my sleep environment.
In fact 49 million prescriptions for sleeping pills were written last year, up 53% from five years ago. While these are good, medicines and have their place, it’s best to try to figure out why you are not sleeping well and find a permanent solution, not just a temporary remedy.
WE CAN CONTROL A LOT OF THE ELEMENTS THAT AFFECT THE WAY WE SLEEP. WHAT ARE THEY?
Creating habits and an environment conducive to sleep will provide you with the greatest long-term benefit. There is not one solution that fits everyone, so you do have to put forth some effort to figure out what works best for you.
If you are having sleeping problems, there are 5 or 6 thing you may want to concentrate on. Changing them may be just the answer you are looking for.
1. Hide the clock. Set the alarm cock and then turn it around or put it under the bed. One of the biggest self-induced causes of insomnia is simply performance anxiety. Once you start thinking about the fact that you are NOT falling asleep or that you only have a few hours before you have to be up, your likely to create a vicious cycle of anxiety that can cause your body temperature and blood pressure to rise and your heart rate and brain waves to quicken making it less likely for you to fall asleep.
2. Do away with noise pollution in the bedroom. Sudden, loud noises from inside or outside the home can disrupt your sleep. You may not even realize that you are being wakened. Steady, low sounds, such as the whir of a fan or air conditioning are soothing because they block out other more distracting noises. This is why those bedside sound machines are so popular.
MARTHA ASKS: WHAT ABOUT TV?
Many people like to fall asleep watching TV. This is okay because for many people watching TV is a way to help them relax. The problem with leaving the TV on is that the noise level is erratic and sudden loud noises from the set can disturb your sleep. I’m one of those who likes to watch TV in bed. What I recommend is that you pay attention to how long you generally stay awake once you are in bed and watching TV then start setting the timer on your TV so that it goes off around the same time.
MARTHA ASKS: AND WHAT ABOUT PETS?
Again, having your pet nearby can be very comforting and relaxing, but if you are having problems sleeping you may want to think about whether noises or movements your pet makes during the night may be keeping you awake.
3. It’s better in the dark. We talked about noise pollution. Now let’s talk about light pollution. Light is one of the body’s most powerful time cues. A dark bedroom can help your body know that it’s time for rest. Artificial light disrupts our sleep patters and the body needs darkness in order to produce melatonin, the chemical that helps us sleep. When it’s time for sleep, keep light sources in the bedroom to a minimum. Even if your eyes are closed, light in your bedroom can disrupt your sleep.
4. Find your ideal sleep temperature. Being too hot or too cold can disrupt a comfortable sleep and can once disrupted, it can be difficult to get back into a deep slumber. Keeping the room at a constant temperature will help you get and stay asleep. The temperature will vary by person, and you need to make a note of what seems to work best for you. Play around with the thermostat a little.
5. Lastly, find a comfortable bed. One reason you may be tossing and turning is because your mattress is uncomfortable. Mattresses are a big-ticket item, and most people don’t give it another thought. But the integrity of the mattress changes over time and your body changes over time. What worked for you before may not work for you now.
HOW DO YOU FIND A GOOD MATTRESS?
I think the most important thing is to do a basic comfort test. Try to lie on the mattress for at least 10 to 15 minutes. If you don’t try it for at least 10 minutes you’re not going to get a real feel for it. That being said, if it’s at all uncomfortable, you’ll know right away.
Posted by Christina Deyo
