The Sleep/Stress Cycle
The often overlooked issue of getting enough quality sleep could be the missing key to regulating your dog's nervous system. As many of us have experienced at some point in our lives, it's difficult to get the proper quality and quantity of sleep when we are chronically stressed. And so we sometimes get "trapped" in a cycle where stress keeps us from sleeping, and then lack of sleep keeps us in a state of stress. This is why it is so important to focus on our dog's and our own healthy sleep habits.
Getting into a state of deep sleep, and properly cycling through REM and other sleep states is essential to detoxing the brain and body, as well as allowing the subconscious mind to resolve post traumatic stress. Many physical and emotional imbalances will be taken care of if we simply rest the body. Therefore, it is critical that we allow ourselves and our dogs plenty of time to get deep rest so that our brain and body can perform the seemingly "magical" task of self-healing.
So what are some of the most important things we can be doing to encourage good sleep?
Light
First and foremost is to absolutely limit blue light from artificial lights and electronic devices after 4:30pm. We should really only be seeing blue light from sunlight during the hours that it is naturally available. This is what spikes our cortisol (in a good way) to give us the energy we need to work and perform important tasks. Viewing natural sunlight at different times throughout the day lets our mitochondria know what time it is, and helps us keep a natural circadian rhythym.
At night, it is best to keep lights dim, and make sure we are not exposing ourselves and our pets to fluorescent lights and other blue-light emitting bulbs. It is also important to make sure we are sleeping in complete darkness. If necessary, use black-out shades on windows. Shut down computers, computer screens, and TVs. Unplug devices that may emit sounds or lights throughout the night. Leaving Wi-Fi off at night can also be helpful, as well as shielding your smart meter.
Food
Dogs were meant to feast and fast, and this is why I typically only feed my dogs once per day and also allow them to fast once or twice per week. If you are feeding multiple times per day, consider cutting down to one meal per day and feed earlier in the day. We want to be digesting our food during the early hours of the day, and then allowing our body to digest toxins and take out the trash at night. A good rule of thumb for us and our dogs would be no food after 6pm. Almost everyone I know sleeps better with an empty stomach!
In order for the body to properly detox, our diet should include certain nutrients. According to Dr. Maureen McMichael, bile acids and taurine bind with toxins during the cleaning phase of deep sleep in order to wash them away and empty them into the intestines. She suggests that is this healthy bile flow combined with regular bowel movements that keep our brain and body from accumulating toxins. For this process to be successful, our pets must be getting proper nutrition from fresh foods like raw meat, and specifically the organ meat of liver, heart, and brains.
Letting Go of Tension
Classical music has been proven to provide stress relief for dogs and humans. Consider creating a bedtime routine where you relax to some classical music for at least a half hour before going to sleep. During that time you can practice some meditation, or give your dog a massage. Calming activities that emphasize trust, connection, and safety are good for everyone's nervous system!
If your own nervous system seems to be stuck in fight or flight (sympathetic dominant) then your dog is likely mirroring this inability to relax. Have compassion for yourself and find out what you need to down-regulate your own system. We all carry some type of post traumatic stress that may require outside help. In the meantime, simple exercises like box breathing, and gentle Feldenkrais movements can be a good daily practice to start attending to our emotional states.
Deep Sleep and Cognitive Function
As you can imagine, if we have impaired cognitive function due to lack of sleep, our behavior would be duly affected. Dr. McMichael points out that our brain shrinks up to 25% during deep sleep, and this is when the glymphatic system uses cerbrospinal fluid to clean up toxins and debris. When this process is compromised, we don't have full access to our cognitive abilities.
Lack of proper deep sleep is also prohibiting our emotional body from resting and "cleaning" itself. The mind needs proper sleep to consolidate memories and process trauma. Imagine if a great deal of your dog's behavioral issues could be solved by ensuring that they simply get enough sleep...
Try some of the tips I've shared here and let me know how it goes.
Resources:
Dr. Maureen McMichael at New Biology Clinic
(if you are interested in joining the clinic I have an affiliate code, please contact me)
Feldenkrais for Humans: Improving Ability
Feldenkrais for Dogs: Connected Breathing with Mary Debono
Spotify playlists: Classical Music
Photo credit: Photo by Kojirou Sasaki on Unsplash