How To Sleep Well

From 1 – 30 July I set myself on a sleep challenge. A few buddies joined me on Facebook for the sleep-over.

The aim

To get to bed by a pre-set time every week day for a whole month. Time was set individually to keep it real and practical (unrealistic goals are rarely met). I chose 10.30pm.

Why

Because I found myself consistently going to bed later than I would like. Motivating myself to go to bed earlier clearly wasn’t working so I recruited some friends on FB to take part in the challenge with me. This held me accountable and kept me motivated.

Er…again…why?

Getting quality zzzzzz in is essential for overall health. When the balance tips towards the non-optimal zone more evenings than not, the repercussions are felt in our quality of sleep and how effective, happy and healthy we are during the days.

Lack of sleep

makes us fat: it interferes with our cortisol / insulin balance leading to insulin resistance. Tiredness makes us reach for fast energy sources making us crave sugar.
ages us: our bodies need adequate sleep to give them time to rejuvenate by repairing muscles, tissues and aging cells (if you don’t maintain your car/bicycle/anything they get old and scruffy, right? Same thing).
messes with our brains: our neurons need a rest too. We keep them on over-drive all day long. Our neurons need time to repair and our memories need to be stored somewhere. Without a break, there’s no time for this.
negatively impacts our cardiovascular and metabolic systems. Blood pressure needs to be brought down a notch and our energy levels need to be replenished.

The result

I manged to get to bed on target almost every night. Strangely enough, my wind-down in the evenings was longer than before, even though I went to bed earlier. Perhaps because I had a particular time in mind I was also able to switch off the computer and anything work related by a specific time. I had time to read in bed before switching the lights off most nights. My sleep quality was better. I woke up more rested. I even woke up half an hour earlier! That means that we had more time in the morning to meditate, prepare breakfast and get ready for the day ahead. It generally helped me to get more down-time. That’s something I was NOT expecting. I was expecting to get to bed earlier, sure, to feel better for it, sure, but I was also expecting to be more rushed in the evenings to fit everything in. Not so. Giving ourselves the space to get the basics in place really does have a huge impact on the rest of our day.

Now what?

I’m going to keep this healthful pattern going. I am not going to get caught up in this and that and just one more little thing to do. ‘Do or do not. There is no try’ – Master Yoda, I will keep to my health-inducing appropriate bedtime.

Set yourself up for quality sleep

Stop using all forms of technology at least one hour before going to bed to allow your mind and senses to wind down
Ban all electronics from the bedroom: No little red lights, nothing on stand-by, no WiFi. Either use a battery powered alarm clock or use your mobile phone turned off or as far away from you as possible (outside the bedroom door even so you have to get up to switch it off in the morning. Clever huh?). Constant barrage from electromagnetic waves interferes with our own body’s natural ‘signaling system’.
Burn the midnight oil: Lighting an oil burner with lavender essential oil 30 minutes before going to bed will help you relax as your olfactory senses send a ‘relaxation message’ to your brain.
Fresh air: get some circulation going through your bedroom for at least 10 minutes each day. The average American spends 90% of their time indoors. You’re going to want some fresh air!
Purify your air: NASA’s Clean Air Study came up with a list of the top 10 plants that best purify our internal air (by up to 87% in 24 hours!). My favourite is the Peace Lily. And Aloe Vera which nearly makes the top 10.
Natural v synthetic: synthetic mattresses are loaded with various chemicals, flame retardants, stain protectors etc which affect our health. What you want is to lay your pretty head on a mattress made of natural fiber, such as natural latex foam, for example. Pennies tight and Christmas months away? You can use a mattress cover made from cotton or wool.
Choose organic cotton where possible to reduce chemicals used in growing non-organic cotton (one of the most contaminated crops today).
Make sure your bedroom is dark and cool. Too warm and you’ll wake up drowsy. If possible, leave a window open at night for fresh air.
Set yourself a regular bedtime and wake up at the same time every morning.
Set yourself on a sleep challenge. Invite your friends. The more the merrier!