Photo by Mai Le.

Q: Whether or not I get five or eight hours I tend to have trouble falling asleep each night. I guess I’m looking for a way to shut my brain down at night and be free of stress. How can I convince my brain it’s time to go to sleep? It would be great to avoid medications. Chelle S. San Diego, CA

A: Acupuncture can be so effective at inducing sleep that one patient left my office only to fall asleep at the wheel under a stop light! As an acupuncturist and patient, I’ve enjoyed more restful nights as a result of the subtle, yet powerful affects of a good needling treatment. A new message must be sent to your brain allowing it to turn the light switch off. Because stress creates inflammation and contraction within the vessels, acupuncture is a perfect fix to free up peripheral nerves thus improving physiological function.

As the hair thin needles are inserted into the skin a message transfers to your nervous system signaling the release of neuro-endocrine chemicals. Acupuncture is great because it exerts an almost instant influential affect which balances brain waves.

Night time is an opportunity for yang energy to gently unfold into yin. Remember to create a cozy space for slumber. Keep it simple in the bedroom. Draw the curtains to keep the light from shining in until morning. Sweet dreams!

Got a question for us? Drop your tricky, random, wacky or plain confusing health question into the Suggest-O-Matic, leave a comment, or tag your tweet questions with #wellwire and our team of experts will answer them in this weekly column.

Christine M. Dionese L.Ac. specializes in integrative medicine, medical journalism and was the VP of marketing at WellWire LLC. Visit her wellness and lifestyle blog, Reaching Beyond Now.

Photo by MoToMo.

Dr. Gibran shared his top 5 secrets for good sleep and mentioned how important it is to pay attention to the bedroom itself. All I could think was: in order to achieve the greatest, most relaxing sleep you’ve ever had, you have to make sure that your bedroom becomes a real sanctuary. Three words: warm, light, muted. Here are my tips for creating the perfect sleep space:

• Warm. Incorporate warmth in lighting and bedding. The right light is warm and dimmed, mimicking nighttime. This makes your little nook very relaxing and perfect for intimacy. Choose bed sheets that keep you warm and cozy. Los Angeles interior designer Nadia Geller strongly recommends at least 300-thread-count sets, which are breathable and soft.
• Light. Go neutral and de-clutter. We all want our bedrooms to reflect our personalities. For instance, I associate myself with hot and loud colors, but I know that these shades will only excite my senses, making it harder for me to relax. Choose wall patterns that are light and pleasing to the eyes; you can always express yourself in other places in your home. Keep your bedroom neat and free of clutter. Clothes and junk only distract you from resting.
• Muted. Cover and tune out. Think about the huge, thick curtains used in luxury hotel rooms. They are lined curtains that keep the light out. There are many inexpensive lined curtains out there, so don’t let its luxurious quality stop you from scouting for your own. Make your room sound proof by investing on a great rug that mutes creaky floors. Tune out street noises with relaxing music. Stow your laptop and mobile phones deep inside your drawers! Most importantly, leave the television in the family room. Banning the tube from my bedroom is actually the best decision I’ve ever made in my home.

Need another reason to create a sanctuary? Dr. Carrie explained how sleep rejuvenates the body and improving sleeping habits rejuvenates the brain. So, do you have your own sleep sanctuary tips? Tell me more in the comment section!

Karla Mercado lives in New Mexico and is the author of Balancing Tenderfoot. She is passionate about human medicine, nutrition, and writing.

Photo by rainycity.

We function better when we get good sleep. So, are you getting at least seven hours of uninterrupted sleep every night? Do you fall asleep peacefully and wake rested? Or does your mind spin for hours waking you repeatedly until your alarm clock buzzes?

Sleep rejuvenates your body and improves your immune system. It lowers inflammation, helps your blood pressure, improves memory and recall, fights depression and anxiety and improves attention and concentration.

Here are 5 tips to try at the end of a stressful day, to avoid one of those nights:

1. Try winding down thirty minutes before you want to go to bed by shutting off the computer, TV, and your mind.
2. Eat a protein snack before bed to help your blood sugar (not high sugar dessert). Something like a handful of unsalted almonds or a hard-boiled egg is perfect.
3. Cut down on the caffeine. If you have to have your fix, drink it in the morning, rather than the afternoon, so you’re ready to wind down by bedtime.
4. Re-evaluate your old mattress and pillows. Maybe it’s time for an upgrade if they’re too firm or too soft. Plan the purchase and save up for a real quality mattress and pillow!
5. Consider taking your calcium/magnesium supplements at night. These can help with muscle relaxation. Also think of sleep friendly herbal teas like chamomile, lavender, and passionflower.

Dr. Carrie Jones has practices in Tigard and Sherwood, Oregon where she focuses in all aspects of women's health. She is an adjunct professor at the National College of Natural Medicine, and writes and speaks regularly on the subject of women's medicine.

Photo by Hotfield.

The longest night is now behind us with the passing of Winter Solstice, and the days will slowly become brighter: Winter has officially arrived! In Chinese medicine this is what we call the Yin (cold, dark, slow) time of year, as opposed to Summer’s Yang (warm, bright, energetic). In this season we should meditate more, sleep in when possible, and take care of our fatigued bodies.

Chinese medicine is a great way to keep your body cold and flu-free. Practitioners often use moxibustion this time of the year for its power to keep dampness, that heavy sensation and lack of energy, which is a real problem here in the Northwest. Acupuncture points are chosen to keep the immune system in check, and also to keep energy at a balanced level.

Speaking of energy, you may notice that you don’t have the same amount of “get-up” you do in the summer, which is a good thing. It’s not lethargy, it’s nature’s cue to take it a little slower in the winter. The ground is cold, animals are hibernating, and life is building up to slowly burst forth in the spring. Unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury of taking a few months off to sleep as the animals do. For us, there’s no difference in our work and school schedules and life goes on as usual.

Here are some simple suggestions for slowing down and making the most of the season:

• Stop drinking iced drinks and go for the warm versions of these. I recommend a nice herbal tea, as coffee increases dampness in the body.
• Choose warm, nourishing soups and stews over cold foods and salads. Be sure to choose good quality meat and fish for these meals.
• Eat more in season vegetables like sweet potatoes, yams, and winter squash.
• Cook your own food instead of eating out! This will warm your house (the heat from the stove) and warm your heart (nourishing yourself and those you love). If you don’t have time to cook, consider setting up a slow cooker to simmer healthy meals for you while you’re at work.

Happy Wintering!

Amy Chitwood, L.Ac. is a graduate of the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine. She is nationally board certified in Chinese herbal medicine and manages the Portland Acupuncture Blog.

Photo by.

The picture was not just to get your attention, It will make  lot of sense in a minute. Before I get to the adrenal glands, what is functional medicine?  Naturopathic medicine can be practiced from a functional medicine perspective and often is.  However, any form of medicine can be applied in this fashion and if the approach is to be labeled holistic it almost has to be.

Functional medicine individualizes treatment, does not get overly hung up on black and white laboratory results and interprets symptoms as part of a complex message from the body .  Does this make sense?  A quick example.

A test result of higher than 120 mg/dl fasting blood sugar (FPG test) on two occasions is considered a positive marker for pre-diabetes.  What if it is 100 mg/dl?  Some individuals (those who fall outside of the statistical chart which led to the decision of 120 mg/dl) may experience typical symptoms even if they do not meet the criteria for a diagnosis.  We often call this a sub-clinical diagnosis, or in this case functional medicine

The point is not getting too hung up on pure data. It only tells part of the story and is captured at a single moment in time, viewed though a very small lens and under high magnification.  Functional medicine is by its nature more holistic, as you still use the laboratory results but only as a piece of information for insight.  The  whole person tells the whole story – always.  

Understanding this slightly different approach sheds light on subacute adrenal fatigue. It may be one of the most under-diagnosed functional impairments in today’s high stress society.  

Sitting like small hats above each kidney the adrenal glands are most known for producing adrenaline.  In addition, they also create what is often called ‘the stress hormone,’ or cortisol.  Go back to more primitive times, and you and I become a fairly tasty two legged snack for several predators.  We, like most pray animals, have a flight and fright response.  

The original function of this adrenal powerhouse was to help us through a very acute stress response, such as the flight from a predator.  These glands can become overworked after a period of time at which point we often use the label adrenal fatigue, or adrenal exhaustion.  Remember, this is from a functional perspective if these glands stopped working completely so would you.  There is a saliva test which we can use to gain a window of biochemical insight called the A.S.I. or adrenal stress index.  This test measures the circadian rhythm of the hormone cortisol which should be at its highest in the morning and slowly diminish during the day.

Depending on where in the spectrum of adrenal exhaustion you are, the levels or cortisol will vary.  At the start of the stress response cortisol will be very high, and over time as it is unable to keep up, it will diminish.  The symptoms you experience will span somewhere in-between the effects of high cortisol (belly fat, insomnia) and low cortisol (fatigue, inflammation).  Your experience of adrenal fatigue will match a combination of the following symptoms (this list is in no ways exhaustive):

• Low energy especially upon waking – you need some coffee or something to get you going
• Chronic fatigue
• Low libido
• Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, insomnia
• Poor skin regeneration
• Thyroid function impairment
• Blood sugar imbalances
• Chronic muscle and joint pain
• Inability to lose weight
• Inflammatory conditions (asthma, eczema, allergies, and may more)  This is particularly interesting because you know what the standard of care is for these conditions?  Pharmaceutical cortisol = cortisone!!!

These are the reasons that adrenal fatigue goes so undiagnosed in conventional settings.  The symptoms are at a first glance unrelated.  There are many ways to treat adrenal fatigue, but there are far more ways to prevent it.  Since the treatment of such a condition is very individualized, I will focus here on prevention.  You will be surprised again I think at how simple these are.

• Avoid caffeine and stimulants after midday
• Get into a regular sleep pattern
• Exercise regularly
• Back to basics nutrition (whole foods, especially protein,  and healthy non-hydrogenated fats)
• Stress management 
• Switch to sea salt
• Eat the yolk!

If you have more questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Dr. Nishant Rao is a co-founder of WellWire.com. He is a well-traveled naturopathic doctor and new father, practicing an integrative approach to create wellness in and around Los Angeles. Become a patient or discover his practice.