Get Some Sleep!

By John Teng

When you were younger sleep seemed unimportant. Then you had kids and you longed for just a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. Now, as you enter middle age, you may revert back to that feeling that there is too much to do to worry about getting eight solid hours of shut eye every night. Don’t fall for this fallacy! Sleep is vital to good health and a good outlook on life. Without enough quality sleep your body will begin to wear out and your mind will begin to wear down.

The human body uses sleep time to not only relax, but rejuvenate. It is during sleep that our cells can repair problems. They can’t do it while you are awake and running – they have other things to worry about then. Fail to get enough sleep and you will deprive your cells of this all-important rejuvenation time. You are going to feel older, more tired and more stressed.

Even if you think missing an hour or two of sleep won’t hurt you, consider that those hours must be made up. If they’re not, your body won’t have the chance to take care of itself.

Want to make the most of your sleep time? Here are a few tips on getting a better night’s sleep:
1.Adopt an evening relaxation plan. Prepare your body for sleep by doing something relaxing.
2.Go to bed at the same time every night (and get up at the same time every morning. Don’t stay up late or sleep-in on weekends. That’ll just disrupt your sleep pattern.
3.Avoid Caffeine – especially from mid-afternoon onwards.
4.Avoid alcohol in the evenings.
5.Stay away from stimulating activities at least 2-3 hours before bed (for some people this even means watching TV).
6.Exercise regularly.
7.Change your attitude about sleep.
8.Avoid hard or bouncy pillows that may strain the neck.
9.Back sleepers should place a pillow under their knees.
10. Sleep on a firm, but not a hard mattress.
11. Use lumbar support (a rolled up towel will do).
12. Make sure that your bedroom has a good sleeping temperature.
13. Do some deep breathing or other relaxation exercise during the first few minutes of lying in bed.
14.Consider including in a short afternoon nap – this can help you from getting overtired until nighttime.
It’s time that you took sleep seriously!