Deep Restful Sleep Protocol by Dr. Nalini Chilkov L.Ac., O.M.D.

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The benefits of a good night’s sleep can not be overstated. The amount and quality of one’s sleep affects focus and mental processing, and therefore, learning and memory. It affects reflexes, reactions and judgement.  Sleep affects metabolism, hormone production, mood, cardiovascular function and immune function. Most importantly, sleep is crucially important to healing and health recovery. And yet, for a large part of our population, restful sleep is elusive.

While nutrition and supplementation can aid in supporting sleep, the most important foundation is good sleep hygiene, which are lifestyle behaviors that play a significant role in obtaining consistently good quality sleep.

Normal restful sleep is promoted by:

• Healthy sleep and relaxation behaviors
• Sleeping in harmony with the cycles of nature. Sleep at night.
• Planning to sleep 7-9 hours each night
• Planning to go to sleep by 10PM and wake with the sun
• Reduced exposure to disturbing news and subjects
• Low stimulation and relaxation practices in the evening
• Reduced evening use of electronics
• Reduced evening exposure to screen generated blue lights and bright LED lights
• Use of yellow glasses at night to block blue light in the evening (blue is the light of daytime and tells your brain it is morning)
• Turn off Wifi and put cell phones on airplane mode
• Designate the bedroom as a place for sleep and relaxation
• Avoid eating in bed
• Avoid large evening meals and eating within 3 hours of bedtime
• Avoid doing work, checking email or surfing the internet in bed
• Avoid going to bed angry or upset
• Avoid caffeine after 4 pm

Serotonin is not just an important mood regulator, it’s also an important sleep regulator as well.It helps with maintaining the body’s 24-hour rhythms and facilitates sustained, deep sleep.

Brain serotonin is synthesized from tryptophan by tryptophan hydroxylase 2, which is activated by vitamin D. Optimal vitamin D status is necessary for optimal serotonin production. Perhaps you’ve noticed how a day out in the sunshine supports a restful night’s sleep. Getting appropriate levels (at least 10 to 30 minutes) of sunlight on your skin during the day helps increase your body’s natural production of vitamin D3, which promotes the production of serotonin. In the evening, the brain naturally converts serotonin into melatonin, the main sleep hormone. Getting sufficient levels of serotonin during the day improves your chances of getting a good night’s sleep, and vitamin D plays an important role in that process.  Poor quality sleep and insomnia are common symptoms of vitamin D deficiency.

So it should be no surprise, that magnesium, which assists in the activation of vitamin D, is also important for adequate sleep. All of the enzymes that metabolize vitamin D seem to require magnesium, which acts as a cofactor in these enzymatic reactions. Poor sleep quality and insomnia are also common symptoms of magnesium deficiency. Magnesium also supports healthy levels of GABA, a neurotransmitter that supports deep calm and restful sleep. 

Dr. Nalini Chilkov, O.M.D. knows something about sleep quality, sleep disturbance and the importance of deep restful sleep to healing and health. Her supplement protocol for DEEP RESTFUL SLEEP provides a simple yet successful foundation for supporting consistent healthy sleep patterns.

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