#AskDrBob-April 11th

Ask Dr. Bob April 11, 2014

These were the questions that were asked in this episode of #AskDrBob. Click the blue box to watch the video. Thank you for sending us your general health questions. We hope they make a difference in your life.

1. What is the optimal amount of sleep I should get a night?

I normally suggest a minimum of six hours, but eight hours is ideal. The key to knowing if you slept enough, is by waking up hungry in the morning. Sleep promotes growth hormone, and waking up hungry is an optimal body signal knowing your body is functioning with enough sleep.

2. Why do I always get tired after I eat a meal?

People get tired after eating if they do not have enough B vitamins. Turkey, which is high in tryptophan, can cause a sleep desire, and so will overeating sweets during a meal. Blood sugar fluctuations and/or dropping will also cause a desire to sleep.

3. Is there anything I can do to prevent waking up multiple times a night?

I have found that my patients tend to wake up at night for two primary reasons:

A. Blood sugar stress, usually wakes someone at 3 AM. This can happen from eating fruit during the day or juicing large amounts in the morning.

B. Parasites tend to be more active at night and cause people to wake up between 1 and 2 AM.

4. Are there any foods that help/don’t help me sleep?

A. Foods that promote sleep have a protein or amino acid called tryptophan which is commonly found in turkey breast and dairy products.

B. I would avoid foods or beverages with caffeine including chocolate, coffee, soda and some over-the-counter pain remedies.

5. I have been taking sleep medication for many years, what can I do to change this?

I would suggest having your adrenal gland assessed with a saliva test. Adrenal fatigue is one of the most common reasons someone cannot drift off to sleep or stay asleep.

Excessive copper from eating too many grains can cause people to have a zinc deficiency and copper toxicity. Copper short circuits your brain function and causes a state of excitement, like a short circuit preventing you to fall off to sleep.

6. Do you believe warm milk before bed helps you sleep better?

Milk has an amino acid in it called tryptophan. If you decide to add it to your routine I would suggest only organic sources (even though I do not promote dairy).