One of the most common complaints in many parts of the world today is sleep deprivation, which prompted this article on Simple Sleep Strategies. Without rejuvenating and restful sleep, it is hard to maintain peak performance and sustain your long-term health. Therefore, it is imperative you understand the behaviors and habits that impair the quality and quantity of your sleep and adjust your patterns to maximize and optimize your deep restful sleep.
Our busy lifestyle with high expectations from our family and friends, stressful business demands and high technology gadgets, extracts a huge toll on our mental health and physical well-being. Without proper alignment and balance, it is easy to overload our body, mind and spirit with more data and stimulation than we are designed to process.
Warning Signs of Sleep Deprivation
Once the gages and lights on your dashboard begin to send you warning signals, it is important to pay close attention and focus your mind on regular maintenance and damage prevention. While we may be able to handle the excess overload for a while, it is only a matter of time before our nervous system and physical health start to show signs of excessive wear and premature malfunctions.
Ignore the warnings long enough and you may do irreparable damage to your body and brain. Proper maintenance and repair must be a high priority in order to prevent unnecessary stress and strain from accelerating the aging process and breaking down your body.
Some Simple Sleep Strategies and Suggestions
- Enjoy meditation, yoga or a nice walk before supper to relax and reduce stress accumulated during the day.
- Watch the sunset and give thanks for another amazing day and the blessings you enjoy.
- Avoid eating a big meal for supper, especially a large heavy meal with fish, meat, poultry or pork. These are very hard to digest in the evening, and it is better to eat them at the noon meal when the digestion is strongest. Enjoy a nice light meal in the evening that is easy to digest.
- Avoid eating after sunset or 7:00 PM, whichever is later.
- Avoid alcohol, coffee, sodas and strong tea with supper and afterward, as caffeine and sugar tend to disrupt normal sleep patterns.
- Stop working on your computer at 9:00 PM and reduce use of bright lights which tend to stimulate the brain and prevent restful sleep.
- Avoid watching TV in bed. It is especially important to avoid any movies, news or shows which may be depressing, upsetting or violent before going to sleep.
- Make a list of key outcomes and priorities for the next day to download this information from the brain to allow it to fully relax and rest.
- Read something light which is educational, inspirational, motivational or spiritual before bed.
- When the weather is nice, take a short stroll outside to observe the moon and stars as you remember we are just a small speck in the universe and what is most important in your life.
- Ask yourself empowering questions and journal about any life lessons that occurred which will help guide you on your life journey.
- Enjoy a warm bath or listen to some relaxing music.
- Enjoy some fragrant lavender or rosemary essential oil to help calm and relax an active mind.
- Develop a routine prior to bed such as a round of EFT tapping on acupressure points, reflexology (foot and hand massage) or relaxing yoga postures.
- It is best to avoid liquids for the last hour before bedtime to prevent your bladder from waking you in the middle of the night.
- Program your subconscious mind to be creative and playful during the sleep cycle and to wake up refreshed and rejuvenated for the new day.
- It is important to be in bed by 10:00 PM or soon thereafter to maintain your circadian rhythm and avoid late night eating binges. Your body needs to digest the food and information received during the day and not become overloaded with more sensory over stimulation.
- Be sure your room is dark and as quiet as possible. Keep bright electronic clocks and devices away from your head and eyes.
- Avoid harsh alarms and use music, a gentle Zen alarm or waking light alarm to bring you out of sleep and ready to face a new day.
Without a supportive routine, it is easy to develop habits which harm your health and well-being. With a little foresight and planning it is easier to maintain a routine that supports your long-term health and happiness. Following simple sleep strategies and suggestions will help you enjoy vibrant energy and health.
Remember, the quality and quantity of your sleep affects every aspect of your body, mind and spiritual long-term well-being. Be sure to develop great sleep strategies to sleep like a baby.
Some pretty sound sleep advice even if aren't suffering from sleep deprivation! What else would you recommend someone who is dealing with sleep loss?
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