Balavi Natural Health Center

Awakening and sleeping are the physiologic cycle of creatures. In vertebrates, this cycle is controlled by an extra organ situated at the mid of forehead and evolved deep into the skull of the higher classes of animal during their evolution .It becomes the pineal gland of our human being, which function as a biological clock inside our body. Early every morning we are wake up by a hormone called 'Serotonin' secreted from this gland. Then we are induced to feel drowsy and fall asleep when the night comes by the signal of 'Melatonin' hormone of this gland too.

Over eating and indigestion are major organic causes, especially a heavy meal with plenty of meat and fat which retard the emptying time of food from the stomach. Salty or MSG added food load heart and circulatory system. Taking food late at night as being practice in modern society put the body to higher level of metabolism which prevent the nerve to rest.

Taking well polished rice, white sugar and sweetened soft drink cause the body to deprive from vitamin B and C. Such condition stimulates body cells to share vitamin from our neurons, and increase cellular stress of the nervous system which leads to insomnia.

Therefore taking the appropriate amount of whole grains, brown rice, fresh fruit and vegetables are the key for food sleeping diet. One health tip for someone who stay up late at night to take a banana with a cup of soy milk. They have plenty of tryptophan, an amino acid which is essential for nerve cells to maintain their function for sleeping.

Aerobics exercise at 60% of maximum heart rate helps the nervous system secreting a neurotransmitter called 'endorphin' which enhance a healthy nerve. The suitable level of such exercise can be calculate by the following formular :

The optimal heart rate	= [220-age]x 60%
Therefore the optimal heart ratefor a 40 years old guy is	= [220-40] x 60% = 180 x 60% = 108 / min

It means that working out at the heart rate of 108 per minutes continuously for 15 minutes including the warming up period of 5 minutes and cooling down for 5 minutes in the day time will be the suitable way to enhance good sleep at night. Any kind of work out such as jogging, cycling, swimming, floor aerobics or hydro-aerobics and many other sports like playing tennis, basketball, football are all acceptable.

Yoga is an oriental style of exercise that help sleeping. Doing yoga training once every other day can stimulate the pineal gland, our biological clock to secrete serotonin and melatonin the dual hormones who control our sleeping. The right way of practicing yoga is to do a complete round of asanas with various positions. Hatayoga, one mainstream of yoga from India put their attentions on 'Sun salutation' which should be done for 12 rounds. Tantrayoga, stress on listening to a chanting song while lying down with complete body and mind relaxation called 'Asubhasana'.