How many of us think we can push through it? We can do it all! And do it all right now, right? So we are up early, go to bed late, push ourselves all day and we do this everyday!Do this for enough time and what happens... less satisfaction in life, the joy leaves, the simple beauty of each moment escapes us, there's always one more thing to do. We get caught in the cycle of insanity. What's the solution - sleep! Yes, all we have to do is go to bed at a regular time and wake up at a regular time. If we allow our circadian rhythms to get in line with the season and our innate, intuitive nature, we would all feel alot better. Our culture promotes an addiction to stress and being 'on' or 'plugged in' all the time. The more stimulated we are on a relentless basis, the more our lack of rest contributes to weight gain, sickness, depression and a whole host of other issues.
Sleep is a nutrient. It is essential for our well being. Sleep is when our body restores and detoxifies from the day. Sleep allows our body to replenish and repair the physical and mental work from the day. When you skip sleep, you short change your body and opportunity to work at an efficient rate to heal. Most Americans now rank sleep above sex in a list of what's most important in life!
Signs of sleep deprivation:
Irritable
Ineffective social communication
Tiredness
Depression
Weight gain
Cracking under pressure
Memory loss
Poor concentration
Appetite changes
Lack of joy
Lack of libido
What you can do:
Create a bedtime ritual
Plan sleep into your schedule
Plan a consistent wake up time
Stop eating 3 hours before going to bed
Don't watch TV before bed
Don't exercise within 3 hours of sleep
Take a bath
Read a book
Meditate
Pray
Take a 30min nap during the day to help catch up
Skip naps if you already sleep to much
Don't shortchange your experience or feel you have to push through one more hour of work when you just need a rest. You will feel invigorated, less hungry, less worried, less stressed and a whole lot happier, more efficient and productive all with enough sleep. You'll get more done in less time.
Unplug, turn off and rest... I say this as I type at 11pm! Going to bed myself!
Posts
