The Art of Good Sleep
Recently, a friend told me that waking up in the middle of the night was much more common back in the day than it is nowadays. Before the current of age of technology, TV, laptops, tablets, if you woke up in the middle of the night, you didn’t have the luxury of putting on Sportscenter, reading your kindle, etc., so, folks would pray, get some work done, some scientists/writers would get some of their best, most creative work accomplished during these periods. Some people fall right asleep and never remember the brief awakening. Others may require a quick trip to the bathroom to return to sleep. Now that I’m over 40, I appreciate now more than ever that sleep is a necessary function to restore my own health and awareness.
In today’s of age of anxiety, we all need our downtime. Getting sleep each night is as important as maintaining a good diet. Good sleep also helps with stress management. Today’s world is full of endless TO-DO lists. Lack of sleep can cause headaches, GI issues, lack of energy, depression, short temper, decreased attention span, and substance abuse. Listen to your body. Sometimes, you may need to schedule a personal “mental health” day. Most people have vacation/personal days, and instead of trying to “cash them in” each year, use them and get some much needed rest and relaxation. You deserve it!
Inertia means that an object that is not moving will not move until a force acts upon it. An object that is moving will not change its velocity until a net force acts upon it. Don’t let lack of sleep/rest be that net force that shuts your body down and makes you more susceptible to getting sick. Getting rest does not translate into being lazy, it’s actually quite the opposite. You can only push your body so much before it shuts down on you. Here's a few tips:
- Go to sleep and wake up and the same time every day even on weekends
- Wait until you're tired to actually go to bed
- Avoid electronics 15 minutes before bed
- Create a nightly routine prior to going to bed
- Make your bedroom comfortable to sleep - dark, cool, quiet
If you check the latest Webster’s dictionary, you will find SLEEP before WORK and SUCCESS!