You guessed it, Sleep! We all know how important sleep is to our bodies and if we don’t get enough it can really take a toll on us. It is said that we need to be getting a solid 6 –8 hrs. of sleep per night. For a high percentage of people this just doesn’t happen. Sleep is an essential activity for us, we are meant to have regular amounts of sleep in order for our bodies to function properly.
Sleepless nights, restless sleep and insomnia for many can be hard to narrow down the exact causes. Lack of sleep can cause low energy, poor concentration and even memory lapses. Older people often say that they don’t need as much sleep but mostly it’s that they have trouble staying asleep for long periods of time or are unable to get a true deep sleep.
Stress, anxiety and hormones seem to play a big role in how we sleep. For women as we age and go through the different seasons of our lives our sleep patterns can really get messed up. Sleep is the time that our bodies need to refuel and recharge us for the following day and when our sleep is interrupted it is often difficult to get going the next morning. I know when you’re wide awake at 3 in the morning staring at the ceiling and the rest of your household is asleep it’s very discouraging! I’ve been there many times! We have to keep a positive attitude and trust that the tossing and turning will get better. Sleep patterns often go in cycles, sometimes switching every few nights. Just when you think you’re back to sleeping it switches again! Here is a Sleep Self Assessment Quiz to determine if a sleep issue is a factor in your health.
Tips to Help Foster a Good Nights Sleep
Keep a regular bedtime ( consistency can help)
Cut out caffeine in the evenings ( I’ve heard some say even late afternoon caffeine could be an issue)
Check external things like room temperature, too hot or too cold, decent pillows…
Drink a glass of warm milk (contains amino acid tryptophan) said to make you drowsy
Exercise during the day
Eat a small snack of oatmeal, cold cereal with milk or a dairy product ( these produce or are a source of tryptophan)
Well that’s my list and here’s to some good nights of sleep coming up! Share your thoughts or experience with me, I love comments!
I’ve been busy creating designs for my store Designs by Shell and yes sometimes in my head when I should be sleeping! Here are some samples below…
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