While “going paleo” in the bedroom has nothing to do with what you eat, adapting “paleo-inspired” sleeping habits is good for your health.

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2. While “going paleo” in the bedroom has
nothing to do with what you eat, adapting
“paleo-inspired” sleeping habits is good for
your health, says Dr. David Cunnington,
founder of Sleep Hub. He shares his top tips
for sleeping like a caveperson.

3. If you sit all day, it’s little wonder you’re not
physically tired enough to sleep at night. Our
ancestors didn’t have this problem, and being outside
all day also meant they soaked up some serious
sunshine. This had a positive impact on sleep because
sunlight suppresses production of the sleep-related
hormone, melatonin. When it got dark, their levels of
melatonin would rise, making them sleepy. To get a
similar effect, Cunnington suggests heading outdoors
every day to catch some rays, preferably around
midday.

4. Cavepeople didn’t have Game of Thrones to binge-
watch, or smartphones to browse. Instead, they
gathered by the fire. This was good for sleep because
the dim light didn’t interfere with melatonin levels.
On the other hand, artificially-lit devices (like
screens) suppress melatonin, which means our
hormone levels don’t peak until long after we’ve
turned off our devices.

5. It’s normal to wake often during the night, says
Cunnington. In the old days, our ancestors would wake
to stoke the fire, or ward off animals. They also had a
period of “prolonged awakening”, a few hours between
the two blocks of sleep. “Human sleep was not described
as a continuous block until industrialisation,” he
explains, “and no mammals in their natural
environment sleep in continuous blocks.” So instead of
getting wound up each time you wake, remind yourself
that it’s a normal event. Letting go of the frustration
that often accompanies such awakenings will help you
drift off again.

6. Our ancestors had little control over their sleeping
environments, which were often cold or
uncomfortable. “Control of the sleep environment is a
modern concept, in that we believe we can only sleep
if conditions are just right,” explains Cunnington. It’s
also a concept that’s ruining our sleep. “Lots of
patients I see feel they can only sleep if they control
light, noise, temperature, mattress, pillow, partner’s
noises etc.” He says we need to accept that even if
conditions aren’t perfect, we’re still capable of
sleeping well.

7. Original Blog Post:
http://content.cpaptotalcare.com/sleep-better-with-these-paleo-
inspired-sleep-habits/
Original Source:
http://www.dailylife.com.au/health-and-fitness/dl-wellbeing/can-going-
paleo-help-you-sleep-better-20151024-gkhrel.html
Get your free CPAP Assessment at https://CPAPtotalCare.com