How did you sleep last night?
I had a great night’s sleep, but when I woke up I thought what
a powerful effect a great night's sleep has on your metabolism, and I wanted to
share with you some ideas about how to get a better night's sleep.
Now my idea of a great night's sleep is one in which you sleep
soundly and wake fully refreshed and full of energy. During a great night's
sleep you rarely, if ever, think about your troubles, your never think about
the news, and you usually fall asleep within 10 minutes of your head hitting
the pillow (with positive thoughts in your mind).
Also, a key factor in determining if you had a great night's
sleep is if you dream 'positive' or 'fun' dreams. Because if your night full of
'bad' or 'stressful' dreams then you're most certainly tossing and turning
throughout the night and NOT getting a "restful" sleep.
Why is it so important to get quality sleep each and every
night? Your body and your mind break down and get worn out from stress during
the day.
The only time that your body and your mind repair themselves
and rejuvenate is when you're sleeping. But it's important to note here that
"restful" sleep is the key. Tossing and turning all night or waking
up every few hours is not considered restful sleep. I recently read an article
that made it to my research center that stated the facts about how snoring
effects your sleep and your health. People who snore tend to disrupt their
sleep, on average, 300 times each night - now that's not a restful night's
sleep! Now think about it this way for a moment - if you've been under stress
lately, or if you're mattress sucks, or if you just plain haven't been able to
sleep well for the past few weeks (or months), then you haven't given your
brain or your body the time it needs to repair itself.
So you actually start each and every day a little bit less
focused and less metabolically healthy than the previous day.
Don't try to catch up on your sleep. People tell me all the time
that they know that they don't get enough sleep during the week - but they
"catch up" on the weekends. Let me put an end to that myth right now.
That does not work!!! Your body and your mind need a regular sleeping pattern
to repair and rejuvenate - without it you're actually deteriorating yourself
rather than re-energizing yourself.
So what's considered enough sleep?
Generally speaking, everyone should strive to get 8 hours of
restful sleep. Now if you eat a very healthy diet and exercise properly, and
give yourself a few mental breaks during the day, and if you sleep like a baby
and awaken fully refreshed every day, then you might be the type of person who
can get away with less sleep - maybe 6 hours each night.
On the other hand, if you experience extraordinary amounts of
stress each day (mental or physical), then you'll need more than 8 hours. A
marathon runner for example, tends to put his/her body through a lot of stress
each day - that person needs more than just 8 hours because their body needs
more repair time than normal. The same holds true for the person going through
massive mental stress as well.
So what can you do to help facilitate a better night’s sleep
for yourself and those around you?
10 Steps To Help You Get A Great Night's Sleep:
1. Make a list of what you need to do the next day, write it
all down and keep that paper and pen near your bedside in case you think of
anything else you need to do. When you write things down you’re giving your
brain the signal that it no longer needs to think about those tasks.
2. Don't watch
television or listen to the radio (especially the news) before retiring for the
night - and certainly do not fall asleep with the TV or radio on.
3. Read some
inspirational or self-growth material for at least 30 minutes prior to bed.
Your goal is to fill your mind with inspirational thoughts before falling
asleep so that the last thoughts you have before drifting off are uplifting
thoughts - as opposed to the stressful thoughts that most people fall asleep thinking
about.
4. Make sure the room
that you're sleeping in is as dark a room as possible - the body is made to
sleep when it's dark out - the darker the room the more potential for a deep
sleep.
5. Make the room as
silent as possible - turn off all electric devices and ask others in the house
to be as quiet as they can be.
6. Don't eat for at
least 3 hours before going to bed. When there's undigested food in the stomach,
your body is forced to focus on digesting that food rather than being focused
on repairing your body and mind - which is what sleep is all about! The body
was designed to digest food best while moving - not while laying down.
7. Try to go to bed at
approximately 10:00 pm and awake at approximately 6:00 am. In Ayurvedic
medicine it's believed that there are cycles that are the most conducive for
certain activities. Going to bed at 10:00 pm and arising at 6:00 am appears to
allow the body to rest the deepest, rejuvenate the most, and give the person
the most energy throughout the day.
8. Don't take drugs or
vitamins/herbs that are supposed to help you sleep (unless required by your
physician). Most of these artificial sleeping aids do nothing more than deaden
your senses - the goal of 'sleep' is to give your body the time and means to
repair itself and prepare for the coming day. When you drug yourself to sleep,
every system in your body is slowed down, including all those systems that are
responsible for repairing you.
9. Make sure that
there's a fresh air supply in the room. The air indoors is said to be some of
the most toxic air around. When you sleep, you're only able to breath in the
air that surrounds you in your enclosed bedroom. Try opening a window (if it's
cold outside then just open the window a crack). The fresh air that comes in
while you sleep will help your body repair itself because you'll have access to
cleaner, more oxygenated air.
10. During the day, do 60 minutes of mild exercise. If you
don't have time to do 60 minutes in a row, then break it up into 2 - 30 minute
sessions, or 3 - 20 minute session, or 6 - 10 minute sessions --- just get a
full 60 minutes in. The best exercise when talking about general health and
preparing your body for a great night's sleep is walking.
I wish you the best night's sleep tonight.
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