Dec 10, 2018
When it comes to getting better sleep, Ayurveda has a lot to teach us. With more than 20 years of experience learning and teaching Ayurveda, Mary Thompson has a wealth of information to share about how we can utilize Ayurveda to address the rampant sleep issues we are seeing in our society. Sleeplessness and sleep issues are now not only an issue in adults, but also in kids. How can we address this detrimental and widespread issue?
Cate and Mary chat about the culmination of our various lifestyle habits that lead to sleep deprivation, especially regarding electronics and diet. Most of the serotonin that helps us stay asleep is produced in the gut, and when we disregard our digestion, we face disruptions in our sleep. Stimulants like coffee make this issue even worse and only add to the loss of sleep over time. Adding technology makes the issue even worse. Overuse of bright screens on phones and laptops, especially late at night, disrupt our natural sleep rhythm.
Mary identifies habits we can use to address these issues in our lives, rather than masking the issues with sleep aids. Tune into this episode to learn how you can take the step to get better sleep!
What you’ll get out of tuning in:
- How habit formation affects sleep
- Why diet consistency is key to improving sleep
- How technology affects sleep
Links Mentioned in the
Episode:
Show Highlights:
- 1:55 - When the lights go down, not everyone finds it easy to get a good night’s rest. Modern lifestyles often lead to an imbalance in our serotonin and norepinephrine level, which can make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep.
- 5:30 - Ayurveda maintains that health issues begin in the gut - and disordered sleep is no different! If our diets are not conducive to our health, then we will not produce enough of the chemicals we need to fall asleep.
- 10:15 - The light from our “sticky” addictive electronics target our pineal gland, which is what produces melatonin. With this light exposure, our brains still think it is daytime!
- 17:50 - When we reach for stimulants such as coffee, the downward spiral in our sleep continues by causing an acidic gut for the probiotic population. This unhealthy environment makes it even more difficult to produce the chemicals we need for restful sleep.
- 23:55 - When it comes to change our diets, the best advice is to start with consistency in one meal. We increase our chances of success and the potential to thrive by not making too many changes at once.
Your Favorite Quotes:
- “What am I doing that’s creating the imbalance?” - Mary Thompson
- “Whatever tendencies we have get aggravated or they get emphasized.” - Cate Stillman.
- “Who do you really wanna be, how do you really wanna show up?” - Cate Stillman
Guest BIO:
Mary Thompson has been teaching Ayurveda for more than 20 years. Driven to find answers after a health challenge, Mary found them in the Ayurvedic principles. After her attendance at the California College of Ayurveda, she served as an intern in Pune, India with the International Academy of Ayurved. Mary was an officer on the founding board of the California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine and is a practitioner member of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association. She has done extensive work with the Ayurveda Experience to produce two programs, “The Ayurvedic Woman” and “Sattvic Mind.” She has committed herself to share these principles with others so they, too, could find a path to better health on all levels. Connect with Mary on her website, Facebook and Twitter.