The Three E’s + Simple Sleep Health Tips!
You know when you were young, how even though on the weekends you were allowed to sleep in… you still woke up at 7:30am like you were ready for school? That’s your internal clock, your “circadian rhythms” at work. Or how about the annoyances of traveling to a different time zone, or experiencing daylight savings time? Your internal clock is strongly set to one time… and it gets thrown off when it’s forced to function at a different time.
As we develop in the womb, the structures that make up our internal clock develop, and even before we are born our clock is learning and being trained via the healthy chemicals mom sends us through the umbilical cord. Then, when we are born, many things can affect our circadian rhythms. The most basic, and fundamental things which train our clock to function at the right time have been grouped into what’s called…’The 3 E’s’ Environment, Eating, Emotions.
Environment:
Environment temperature, body temperature, light, noise, electromagnetic fields all can promote or inhibit healthy sleep habits. Our body temperature naturally drops through the night as we sleep, so if our environmental temperature is on the cooler side it will promote sleep…almost like a head start.
To see how strongly light affects our rhythms, look no further than a tired family the morning after a daylight savings time change. Increased light exposure in the mornings will help your little one wake up, and dimming the lights in the evening promotes their sleep, and those things we are able to change to an extent. Black out blinds/curtains are an amazing addition to the home. They allow you to control the light exposure in the sleep area. When sleeping, the darker the better! Light colour is also important; blue and yellow light are alerting colours (they keep us awake) whereas red and orange light are calming and promote sleep. So when looking at night lights… opt for a red/orange colour if you can!
When it comes to noise low, constant, droning sounds can promote sleep. Noise machines can be helpful because if your little one gets used to some level of noise as they fall asleep, they will be less likely to wake up if there is a loud sound from outside, or any noise you make as you head up the stairs to bed. They will have been desensitized to a base level of noise.
Electromagnetic fields affect sleep?! Yeah right.
No it’s true! Studies show, the radiation emitted from a cell-phone can delay and shorten sleep stages three and four (deep sleep). The Massachusetts Institute of Technology also said it can delay the start of sleep and keep us feeling more alert throughout the night. Picture your phone sitting on your bedside table at night… the best option would be to turn it off while asleep or have it on ‘airplane mode’. Baby monitors project similar fields, so try to place them the farthest away from your baby’s head. There are more and more electromagnetic fields floating around nowadays, so it’s best to just be aware of it (since most of it we can’t avoid).
Eating:
We all know that foods with caffeine keep you awake, but did you know there are foods that promote sleep? These ‘sleepy foods’ promote our sleep neurotransmitters (natural body chemicals) because they are high in tryptophan and Vitamin B. Foods include turkey, chicken, nuts, bananas, oats, eggs and dairy. In addition, certain nutrients that promote sleep include magnesium, zinc and essential fatty-acids.
For all my nerds out there… tryptophan helps our bodies make serotonin, which promotes the production of melatonin… and melatonin is our body’s sleep hormone!
Now caffeine isn’t the only ‘anti-sleep food.’ Things like chocolate, and spices of any kind blind in the stomach and block the sleep hormone from being released.
Emotions:
Never underestimate the power of a good cuddle session, skin to skin contact, or just a bonding session over a feed. These things have proven over and over again to calm anxiety and help for a great sleep.
Research on Infant Sleep
So much important research has been done on the topic of sleep and especially infant sleep. However, we still don’t know the mechanics behind it. Research has given us tips like: growth spurts happen during sleep, plus the better the sleep, the better the growth spurt! (Michelle Lampl et al.) Information like that has bettered the lives of families everywhere. I find it reassuring that there are professionals out there digging deeper into the realm of infant sleep, so we can reap the benefits and apply the knowledge to help families better understand their little ones.
Now, even though we regard the research, every family and their situation is different and requires a specific approach to make things work for them. That is the exciting part! Watching care-givers support their child’s sleep health is the most fulfilling and rewarding aspect not only to me, but the family too! A well rested, happy child lights up every room they are in, which brings a little extra happiness to everyone around them (and makes things a little easier on their care-givers too let’s be honest).
I am so excited to begin this journey with you and your family. I would love to hear how you’ve put your own spin on any of ‘The Three E’s’. Maybe you have a fun night-light that your little one loves, or maybe a sleep sack or noise machine that is the absolute bomb! Comment down below or send me an email and let me know :)
-Marina
