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If
you close your eyes for a full minute, what happens in your body? Do
you start to drift into a level of sleep? If so, you are likely sleep
deprived. Your sleep balance is negative, meaning you have “sleep
debt”. Your body is struggling much of the day to keep you going, to
concentrate, and to stay alert. You’re under stress simply from not
getting enough sleep.
How can you relax
when both body and mind are under stress? Commit to changing this by
getting quality sleep. A quantity of the typical “8 hours” is great,
but quality counts, too. Your body needs sleep to rejuvenate for the
next day and to prevent and heal illness. Great things happen when you
sleep soundly!
Choose good sleep habits now. An hour before your target bedtime, turn
off the television, close your email and internet browser, and begin
your “getting ready for bed” routine. (This worked when you were a
child, didn’t it?) Whatever you focus on for the last twenty minutes
before sleeping is what your mind will continue to replay as you sleep,
so make it something good. Take a hot bath and then write in your
journal or read a great novel. Turn down the lights and give yourself
a hand or foot massage. These activities will set the stage for
restful sleep cycles.
Tips for better sleep:
Consume caffeine early in the day, if at all. The half-life of
caffeine is from 3-7 hours. The caffeine still has half of its
stimulating potency as much as seven hours after you ingest it and a
fourth of its strength as much as fourteen hours later.
Complete your exercise routine at least three hours before bedtime.
Make sure you eat your . . . tryptophan. The body uses tryptophan to
produce serotonin and melatonin. Serotonin helps to reduce anxiety and
is needed to create melatonin. The brain's pineal gland releases
melatonin to regulate your sleep cycles. Foods high in tryptophan
include: bananas, beans, brown rice, dates, dairy products, eggs, soy
products, nuts, seafood, meat (turkey, of course), and seeds such as
sunflower and pumpkin.
Sleep in a darkened room or use a sleeping mask. Artificial light,
even the numbers on your digital alarm clock, can disrupt your sleep.
Make soothing sounds part of your sleep routine. Play relaxing ambient
music or select your favorite sounds from Natura to listen to while you
wind down. "Ocean Bliss" is a great choice if you want to relax with your MP3 player. These sounds will quickly become sleep triggers for your body.
Recommended Reading:
"The Promise of Sleep" by William C. Dement, M.D., Ph.D., and Christopher Vaughan
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