Finding Sleep.
Have you ever had one of those times, when even though you are totally intent on getting a good night’s sleep, it feels as if it simply does everything it can to evade you? Endeavours made and epic fails felt, the euphoric state of sleep can appear to at times, elude all attempts to enter the land of nod.
Turning, tossing and twisting, often you can resolutely stay awake until only a short time before the usual time to get up arrives and then marvel of all marvels, the irony of the sleep situation prevails as it is at that precisely inconvenient moment that you could then easily drift off to that most coveted snooze. At times a most annoying pattern occurs whereby, after seemingly hours of strains and stress, you are just about to fall off to sleep and then seconds later you wake yourself up with a start yet again.
Sleep hygiene is a highly promoted concept in many areas of health management and undoubtedly many of us accept and agree with the ideology. In practice, at a time when all sorts of hygiene has been highlighted as the only way forward, you would think that the nocturnal variety would follow suit but intriguingly this has proven to not always be the case.
A most significant part of healthy living, is sleep. Incorporating multiple factors, sleeping satisfactorily encompasses an ability to relax and recover. Attaining an average sleep can be about all someone regularly can usually achieve, especially when there are so many practical obligations and considerations to take into account. Given the complexities of additional worries and changes to a familiar routine, sleep habits might have completely diminished and in those troublesome times, even averaging a vaguely acceptable night’s sleep could be tough.
Do I have an answer to these sleep time woes? Biologically, yes as there is another player that holds back in the pesky lack of sleep scenario, and that is the hormone cortisol. It is this important naturally produced chemical player, that is triggered by stress. It prepares the body for action if under threat, but over time it can build up to a troublesome level and this can be problematic for sleep objectives, if positive action to release the affects of cortisol is not taken.
One of things I have noticed is cortisol build up and stress can be recognised by simple muscle tension, even during the day I may be aware of a nervous mental pressure and for no apparent reason my neck and shoulder muscles consequently become taught. I have found drinking water and taking deep, slow breaths are a good way of dealing with this stress release situation. If there is a constant worry of some sort that needs to be addressed, it is quite possible that this nervous tension could even be a reason why you can not get a good night’s sleep, but knowing this and doing something about it can mean two different things.
Try to act on a good stress relief technique before bed. It can be as simple as timing out and ensuring that about half an hour before going to sleep, you wind down in body and mind. Rather as if when doing exercise, a warm up and wind down for optimum healthy results is required, sleep too needs that little bit of preparation. Especially if a good night’s sleep is an aim, remember that leading up to it is crucial. Prep for sleep and make it as relaxing as possible because young or old, this practice can make all the difference to so many areas of life.
Turning, tossing and twisting, often you can resolutely stay awake until only a short time before the usual time to get up arrives and then marvel of all marvels, the irony of the sleep situation prevails as it is at that precisely inconvenient moment that you could then easily drift off to that most coveted snooze. At times a most annoying pattern occurs whereby, after seemingly hours of strains and stress, you are just about to fall off to sleep and then seconds later you wake yourself up with a start yet again.
Sleep hygiene is a highly promoted concept in many areas of health management and undoubtedly many of us accept and agree with the ideology. In practice, at a time when all sorts of hygiene has been highlighted as the only way forward, you would think that the nocturnal variety would follow suit but intriguingly this has proven to not always be the case.
A most significant part of healthy living, is sleep. Incorporating multiple factors, sleeping satisfactorily encompasses an ability to relax and recover. Attaining an average sleep can be about all someone regularly can usually achieve, especially when there are so many practical obligations and considerations to take into account. Given the complexities of additional worries and changes to a familiar routine, sleep habits might have completely diminished and in those troublesome times, even averaging a vaguely acceptable night’s sleep could be tough.
Do I have an answer to these sleep time woes? Biologically, yes as there is another player that holds back in the pesky lack of sleep scenario, and that is the hormone cortisol. It is this important naturally produced chemical player, that is triggered by stress. It prepares the body for action if under threat, but over time it can build up to a troublesome level and this can be problematic for sleep objectives, if positive action to release the affects of cortisol is not taken.
One of things I have noticed is cortisol build up and stress can be recognised by simple muscle tension, even during the day I may be aware of a nervous mental pressure and for no apparent reason my neck and shoulder muscles consequently become taught. I have found drinking water and taking deep, slow breaths are a good way of dealing with this stress release situation. If there is a constant worry of some sort that needs to be addressed, it is quite possible that this nervous tension could even be a reason why you can not get a good night’s sleep, but knowing this and doing something about it can mean two different things.
Try to act on a good stress relief technique before bed. It can be as simple as timing out and ensuring that about half an hour before going to sleep, you wind down in body and mind. Rather as if when doing exercise, a warm up and wind down for optimum healthy results is required, sleep too needs that little bit of preparation. Especially if a good night’s sleep is an aim, remember that leading up to it is crucial. Prep for sleep and make it as relaxing as possible because young or old, this practice can make all the difference to so many areas of life.
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