Can Lemon Water Help You Sleep?
Most people have heard the buzz surrounding the benefits of drinking lemon water every morning. Lemon water has an acidic pH of 3.5, and it’s said to alkalize the body and stimulate digestion.
However, is it the lemon itself or other factors that creates these benefits? As well, can lemon water affect your body in ways you might not have considered?
Lemon Water Theories
One theory regarding lemon water is that it naturally stimulates the body to produce alkaline bicarbonates. An alkaline environment promotes metabolic, enzyme, immune system, and repair functions.
The other possible reason for the beneficial properties of lemon water is the water itself. Drinking a large glass of water hydrates the body and promotes digestive health. The Japanese traditionally drink lukewarm water every morning to activate bowel movements.
The final theory is lemon water stimulates the autonomic nervous system, but specifically the cranial Vagus nerve. This nerve connects the brainstem to the body so the brain can receive information and monitor bodily functions.
What Happens When You Drink Lemon Water?
When the acidic lemon water solution enters the mouth, it immediately activates the nerves on the back of the tongue. Lemon water is 10,000 times more acidic than normal mouth pH.
As a result, the acidity stimulates saliva, gastric acid production in the gut, the gall bladder, liver, lungs, and even heart. This can lead to improved digestion and overall well-being.
Sleep Quality & Lemon Water
During the day your sympathetic system activates glands and organs to defend it against attack. When deep sleep occurs, it triggers the parasympathetic system to heal, repair, and regenerate your body.
However, when you’re a poor sleeper you remain in the sympathetic dominant zone. Your thyroid and adrenal glands work overtime and you may wake up tired and run down. Consequently, you may look to lemon water as a substitute for coffee to get the stimulation you need.
Yes, lemon water activates the parasympathetic system without the use of a stimulant, but there’s a catch. Poor sleepers are often mouth breathers, who wake with a low saliva level.
When you add an acidic drink to your mouth, it further thins the film of saliva on and around your teeth and gums so it can’t reduce your mouth pH to within a normal range. This encourages tooth decay and enamel erosion. Decay tends to occur under old fillings and weakens your expensive dental work too.
At Dental Wellness, we encourage you to neutralize the acid with a bicarbonate of soda solution right after you drink your lemon water. We also encourage coconut oil pulling.
What is Oil Pulling?
Oil pulling is a centuries old tradition to heal the mouth and body. Historically, the favoured oil was sesame, but more recently it is coconut, but the principle remains the same.
Drawing the oil between the teeth changes the flora of the biofilm in-between the teeth and gums, because the oil has an antibacterial, anti-viral and anti-parasitic action. It benefits all individuals, but a secret solution exists for mouth breathers.
The Secret Solution for Mouth Breathers
If you are a mouth breather you are sympathetic dominant and may experience poor sleep and digestion. Consequently, when you practice oil pulling, you should also practice nasal breathing to stimulate the Vagus nerve and activate the parasympathetic system.
This improves digestion, saliva flow, tears, heart and lung function, and waste elimination. Obviously, this can greatly improve your health.
The Bottom Line
Drinking lemon water followed by a bicarb rinse and complementing your morning ritual with 5 minutes of oil pulling can lead to improved dental health. However, mouth breathers should consider 20 minutes of oil pulling and nose breathing too as it improves metabolic function and increases well-being.
At Dental Wellness we work with you to optimise your oral fitness. Book an initial consultation to assess your dental and overall health and discover vital information to feel and look better.
Dr David Cowhig, the founder of the Dental Wellness clinics, is a pioneer in holistic dentistry & aesthetics, providing scientific-based biological dentistry. We support you as an individual and take into account the variety of factors that can lead to dental and oral health problems. We believe passionately that creating health and beauty around us is an integral part of life and you will feel these qualities in our dental care. You can find us at two locations, the holistic dentistry practice located at The Gap in Brisbane, focussing on holistic aesthetic total metal-free dentistry.
Give us a call on 07 3511 1399 and discuss how we can help you create a safer, healthy, beautiful smile.