Authored and reprinted by permission by Sally K. Norton
With daylight savings time now upon us, I wanted to check in with you and see how you’re adjusting. Do you enjoy the opportunity to catch the sunrise and the extra hour of afternoon sunlight? Are you feeling a bit groggy? For many of us, adjusting to the time change can be a bit of a challenge.
In this newsletter, I’ll be sharing some tips and tricks for getting your sleepschedule back on track, as well as some fun ways to make the most of the longer days. So, grab your mineral water, and let's dive in!
8 Lucky Tips for Getting Good Rest
Your body does most of its healing when you sleep... so anything that disrupts it can have a big impact on how you feel during the day. If you’re feeling a bit ragged after the switch to Daylight Savings Time, that makes sense. Difficulties in falling asleep and staying asleep can significantly mess with daytime functioning.
Oxalates are neurotoxic and can wreck your sleep.
Beyond the clock change and other sleep disruptors, oxalate can be the core problem behind bad sleep and the related symptoms of exhaustion—as it was for me. The connection between oxalate toxicity and sleep quality is real. For example, the acute overnight effects of a high oxalate dinner (or day) can include:
- A restless brain that can’t settle down and stay asleep;
- Jumpy legs and arms;
- Bloating, belching, and hiccups;
- An irritated bladder that wants to be emptied overnight.
Note about the mechanism:
These things are happening because oxalate damages nerve cells and causes nerve “excitability” or “hyperarousal.” These buzzing nerve states occur during the night and daytime and may lead to non-restorative sleep and insomnia. Oxalate toxicity impairs sleep state brain activity and triggers inflammation—a major metabolic stressor. These conditions of hyperexcited, dysregulated nerves and inflammation also perpetuate dysfunctional mental states like the tendency to worry, ruminate, and catastrophize. This can make sleepimpossible, and no drug can fix it. We must address the cause— poisoning—and support the body’s reversal process.
Can’t think? Grumpy? Lacking enthusiasm? Depressed? Sleep quality can be a major factor.It can really add up when your sleep is routinely disrupted. The effects can flatten you in terms of your energy, brain function, and mood.
When Healing – Oxalate Can also Mess with Sleep
Oxalate’s neurotoxicity can also occur at night after the switch to oxalate-aware eating. When the body is managing a lifetime of oxalate buildup in the healing period, inflammation and blood oxalate levels go up.
When you wake up feeling tired, swollen, or sore that could be a sign that your body has been busy clearing out oxalate. If so, the quality of your sleep was not great (not restorative) therefore your need for more rest is real. The best answer is to get a midday nap and perhaps a sauna and mineral bath. Remember, it is okay to feel a little bit off, your body is doing a lot of work while you rest! You are not defective!
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This brings me to a few better sleep tips:
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Don’t be afraid of napping/resting during the day. Naps are a highly debated topic – are they a smart productivity hack or sleep kryptonite? Should you avoid them completely? Many ‘sleep experts’ tell us naps are bad. That is not necessarily the case. Naps are often necessary—especially short “cat naps” lasting about 15-20 minutes. If you are not napping too late in the day (before bed), your ability to sleep overnight may even be improved by a nap. That’s because the more sleepdeprived you are, the harder it can be to sleep.
So, if you’re feeling particularly exhausted after a long night of oxalate clearing, take a short nap in the middle of the day and refresh your body. If you are really struggling with oxalate-clearing ills, you may need a serious daytime sleep make-up session lasting over an hour. This is how healing works. So, work with it, don’t fight it.
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Take your calcium and magnesium before bed. These minerals help with reversing oxalate toxicity and help your brain sleep.
- Take an evening hot mineral bath. Check out the mineral bath formula in your Toxic Superfoods Book on page 153 in Table 15.4. A hot bath and the added benefit of magnesium and other minerals help deliver the minerals your body is craving while calming your nervous system. Here are some ways that a hot bath prepares your body for restful sleep:
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- More relaxed muscles: Both the heat and water can relax muscles, reduce tension, and improve blood flow. The many beneficial effects include relief from aches and pains, which otherwise interfere with sleep.
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Reduces stress and anxiety: A hot bath can be a great way to soothe your mind, calm your nerves, and reduce stress and anxiety—making it easier to relax and fall asleep.
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Minerals feed your body what it is craving. The brain, nerves, and muscles especially love them.
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The effects of mineral baths can lower inflammation. Less inflammation not only helps immediately with sleep, but it can also add up over time for your overall health, well-being, and longevity.
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Likewise, a hot sauna can help you prepare your body for sleep for many of the same reasons (promoting relaxation, calming your muscles, raising your body temperature, improving circulation, and reducing anxiety). Let me emphasize two especially important effects:
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Reducing inflammation: Saunas reduce inflammation throughout the body, which can be critical for people who suffer from a chronic toxicity condition that causes inflammation, pain, and fatigue. Lower inflammation means better sleep.
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Increased production of endorphins: Saunas can increase the production of endorphins, which are feel-good chemicals in the brain. This can help to promote a sense of well-being and relaxation, which can help you to sleep better.
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An evening yin yoga class can help tune your nervous system. Yin yoga can also help to promote detoxification by stimulating the lymphatic system. This can help to flush out toxins and waste products, which can be beneficial for overall kidney health, which reduces the risk of oxalate buildup. Thus, if you are looking to detox and relax, yin yoga can be a great tool to keep in your back pocket on the way to sleep success.
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Make sure your room is dark! Absolutely, 100% dark: no LEDS, no light leaks from behind the curtains, and no light sneaking in from under the door. A pitch-black dark room will help your brain settle and stay there. If you can’t get this to happen in the short run, get a sleep mask that securely stays on your face without irritating you. If you have one you love let me know.
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Check your bed area for electromagnetic pollution (EMF). If you have a lamp cord or other plugged-in device next to or behind the bed, chances are the wires are putting out EMFs. Move the cords so they plug into a socket that is farther away, on a different wall. Do not use outlets that are behind or within 2 feet of your bed.
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Lastly, create a sleep routine. A sleep routine can help cue your brain to get your body ready for rest. This can (and should) include many of the tips above. Here’s an example of a great sleep routine:
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At least one hour before bed shut down your screens – turning off your phone, computer, tablet, and TV allows you to lower the stimulation coming into the brain. Remember the eyes are the surface of your brain. Cue it for rest.
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Use the suggestions above to create various nighttime winding-down routines.
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Draw or read inspiring quotes sitting by candlelight or a salt lamp.
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Warm up in a sauna or using the hot mineral bath recipe in Toxic Superfoods.
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Sip a mug of hot water.
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Enjoy a stretch session or yin yoga.
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Get cozy. Settle into bed and allow your mind to feel grateful and content. You can take 10 deep breaths or 5 minutes of mindful meditation – noting the texture of the sheets, the air on your skin, and the feeling of your saliva. There are many tools like Headspace or the Calm App with guided meditations or sounds to tune your brain into sleep readiness.
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Use a non-electric heating pad or hot water bottle as you fall asleep.
Can you stop, drop, and snooze? Quality napping, maintaining a consistent bedtime, and self-care are art forms these days. That’s because putting down the phone and other demands takes some muscled discipline. Let me know if you’ve got tips for that one!
I hope these tips help you begin to get great sleep so your body can heal faster and operate at full strength during the day.
 I highly recommend readers purchase and implement the information in Sally K. Norton's book (published in December, 2022). Besides being excellently written, the resources in this book are very helpful in assisting you to implement a low oxalate diet. If you are interested in knowing more about the science behind oxalates you can visit sallyknorton.com/oxalate-science/.
Note: this article is reprinted with permission by Sally K. Norton. You can learn more about Sally and her quest to help people heal from oxalate illness (oxalises) at her website https://sallyknorton.com/
Always remember one of my mantras, "The more you know about how your body works, the better you can take care of yourself."
For more details about the natural approach I take with my patients, take a look at the book I wrote entitled: Reclaim Your Life; Your Guide To Revealing Your Body's Life-Changing Secrets For Renewed Health. It is available in my office or at Amazon and many other book outlets. If you found value in this article, please use the social sharing icons at the top of this post and please share with those you know who are still suffering with chronic health challenges, despite receiving medical management. Help me reach more people so they may regain their zest for living! Thank you!
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