Showing posts with label sleep. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sleep. Show all posts

Improve Sleep by Exercising

Do you know that there is a natural way to improve the way you sleep? Exercise is very popular for achieving many goals, such as losing weight, improving emotional health, and the like. Do you know it can also help you sleep more soundly at night?
Many people struggle with insomnia night after night. They try every method known to improve their chances of sleep, from buying special herbal pillows to special drinks to sleep-inducing medication, but still find it hard to fall asleep. If you are among those people, you know how frustrating it is to have to toss and turn every night without knowing when sleep would come, or if it would come at all. You listen to every sound in the night, you hear your partner snoring away, but there you are, still wide awake. Nobody can understand how heavy it feels not to be able to sleep soundly. And you worry about getting cranky the next day because of lack of sleep! How could you get rid of your insomnia?
Do you know that there is a natural way to improve the way you sleep? Exercise is very popular for achieving many goals, such as losing weight, improving emotional health, and the like. Do you know it can also help you sleep more soundly at night? Yes, I know it probably sounds like a contradiction, because after all, exercise hardly makes you feel relaxed, as it tends to energize your cells. But there are ways in which it can actually be helpful for improving your sleep.
The first main way that exercise helps you sleep better is that it gets your blood pumping and your muscles moving. Sometimes, people have trouble falling asleep at night because they have been too inactive during the day. Perhaps they haven't exactly taken long naps, but their muscles feel too sluggish that the nighttime doesn't feel too different from the day. You see this happening in infants, when they haven't spent all their energy before you put them down to sleep, they tend to cry to exhaust all their extra energy. For adults, it may not be that obvious, but when you are highly inactive, either you sleep all day or you have trouble sleeping at night from a feeling of restlessness. Instead, exercising will work your muscles enough for them to be relaxed afterward, and the relaxed mode is part of what helps you sleep better.
Secondly, exercise improves your overall health, making sleep a natural cycle-ender for your busy day. For example, when your heart and lungs work more efficiently, sleep will no longer be a problem. Also, when your metabolism rates improve, it will also be faster for your body to adjust its acceptance of meals and getting into relaxed mode during bedtime. In general, the routine of having exercise also prepares your body for that nighttime recharge session. It becomes more precious not only to you psychologically, but also for your muscles, physically. The natural thing that happens next is that you would find yourself dozing off without even realizing it.
Lastly, exercise improves your emotional health by releasing endorphins, hormones that trigger happy feelings. Many people who can't fall asleep easily spend their time worrying about some things and stressing about others. No wonder they can't sleep! Perhaps this is the reason why counting sheep has been popularized as a way to fall asleep. The method makes you focus on something brainless so that you won't be thinking of other, more worrisome things. Exercise gets your mind off things at the time you're doing it, but even at nighttime, the effects of the happy hormones may still leave its impact. After all, compared to prior days when you're stressed the whole day, this time you get a time period of feeling happy. The end of the day will see you more relaxed to face your pillow and win the battle against sleeplessness.
It's a good thing there is still a natural way to combat sleeplessness in the form of exercise. No longer would we need to depend on medication to induce sleep, we can simply get active and find ourselves nodding off at the exact time we need. Of course, a side note would be not to overdo it, because if you over-exhaust yourself, the results may be opposite of what you intended. Moderation is a safe key, and a good one at that, in helping you hit the sack with more effective results!
11:24 PM | 0 komentar | Read More

Fight Insomnia and Win

Not being able to fall asleep at a time when you feel most tired and needing rest is a frustrating situation. However, before you chalk yourself up as being a hopeless case, you may benefit from learning that there are simple ways to fight insomnia and win.
Not being able to fall asleep at a time when you feel most tired and needing rest is a frustrating situation. However, before you chalk yourself up as being a hopeless case, you may benefit from learning that there are simple ways to fight insomnia and win. This involves checking some factors surrounding your sleep time, which may or may not be easily changed, and you may find yourself dozing off more efficiently when you tackle the following questions:
1. Is your bedroom clean or messy? Many people have become used to treating their bedroom as an all-in-one room, which means they also work or do other stuff in it. This would result in a room that is very difficult to maintain clean. Even if you believe you are the type of person who can function well in a less-than-tidy room, your brain may think differently. Sometimes a messy bedroom causes restlessness even if you are not conscious of it. As such, it may do you well to create a relaxing atmosphere by keeping your room clean, and if possible, removing any stressful or work-related items from that room. If you have a one-bedroom apartment and really cannot transfer your work station, you can opt to make one corner limited to work just to keep your things organized and not strewn all over the place. If anything, keep your bed area clear.
2. How much light does your room get? Even if you are the kind of person who can sleep with the lights on, it may be a good idea to check this factor. For some reason, darkness triggers the release of melatonin, or the sleep hormone. If your room lights are too bright, perhaps you can consider changing your bulbs to those of lower wattage, or add dimmers. If your room faces a bright street lamp, consider putting up heavy blinds or thick curtains to dim your room; they will also help you stay asleep longer by keeping the morning sun out.
3. What time do you usually exercise? This is important, of course, if you have a workout routine. Intensive workouts are known for making a person more alert, so if you have a workout schedule, check that it does not happen in the evening, or at least not late in the evening. A basic gauge would be to finish your exercise routine at a minimum of three hours before you head to bed.
4. When and what was your last meal? As crazy as it sounds, what you eat will have repercussions on your sleep, largely because spicy foods tend to cause unsettled stomachs, which makes it harder to fall asleep. Also, if you go to bed with a rumbling, empty tummy, you will be so uncomfortable as to fall off to sleep easily. Of course, it is not advisable to load up on a heavy meal right before sleeping. Instead, you can try taking a glass of warm milk. Interestingly, some experts also recommend eating a handful of nuts or a piece of turkey. These, like milk, contain the amino acid L-tryptophan, which has been proven to induce sleep.
5. Are you worrying about something? Now, this is a factor that is not too easily gotten rid of, and is perhaps the leading cause of insomnia across all sufferers. It could be worry about money, or about relationship problems, or even an unconscious anxiety about the future. In any case, this cannot be solved in a hurry and you may find ease from it when you deal with the worries during the day. Some people find it comforting to believe in a God who cares for them, who would even give up His life for them, as the belief in perfect love drives away every fear. In any case, you will need a way to vent out those anxieties and find something to give you peace of mind. Once that happens, you will find that falling asleep will no longer be a problem.
These are basic things that you can check in order to fight against your sleeping problem. And surely, you will find yourself winning the battle and enjoying countless nights of beauty sleep to the envy of all your friends!
11:22 PM | 0 komentar | Read More

Sleeping Properly: How much sleep do we need?

Since we undergo a lot of changes as we grow old and develop, our sleeping patterns change as well. If sleeping is an important natural phenomenon for all of us, then how much sleep do each of us need? What is the average sleep for the different age groups?
As we grow old, our body develops. We experience the different changes that we normally go through in our everyday lives. Some are hard to get used to and some we get used to quickly. However, we might have not noticed it but our sleeping patterns also changes as we age. It is something that we somehow take for granted as we discover what life is all about. When we were young, we were told that sleeping is an important part of our lives since we need it to be able to grow and develop properly.
Sleep or sleeping is a natural phenomenon that is categorized by the reduction or absence of our consciousness, idleness of most of our voluntary muscles, and the moderate suspension of our sensory activities. When we sleep, we have a decreased ability to react to any stimuli. However, it is an important phenomenon that puts an emphasis on our growth and the rejuvenation of our bodily systems such as the immune, muscular, nervous, and skeletal systems. Therefore, we need it in order for our body parts to develop accordingly.
Since we undergo a lot of changes as we grow old and develop, our sleeping patterns change as well. If sleeping is an important natural phenomenon for all of us, then how much sleep do each of us need? What is the average sleep for the different age groups? In every age group, we all have to sleep according to the average sleep that we all need to be able to grow and develop in a healthy way. The age groups is divided into seven categories according to the average sleep that all of us need. The age groups are categorized by an age bracket such as 0 to 2 months old, 3 to 1 year old, 1 to 3 years of age, 3 to 5 years old, 5 to 12 years old, 12 to 18, and 18 and beyond.
After being born, at about 0 to 2 months old, we sleep from 12 to 18 hours a day. When we get to being infants or reach 3 months old to 1 year, our average sleep decreases from 12 to 18 hours into 14 to 15 hours. As we move on to being toddlers or 1 to 3 years of age, our average sleep decreases to 12 to 14 hours. Then, as we reach the preschool stage which is from 3 to 5 years of age, our average sleep decreases from 12 to 14 into 11 to 13 hours. As we developed into being school-aged children or children who are in ages 5 to 12, our average sleep decreases to 10 to 11 hours. Subsequently, at the age of 12 to 18 years, we would need an average sleep of 8.5 to 10 hours. Eventually, as we reach our adult age which starts at the age of 18 and beyond, our average sleep has decreased to 7.5 to 9 hours a day.
As you can observe, as we grow old and get passed each age bracket, our average time to sleep decreases significantly by four after the newborn stage which is 0 to 2 months old. Then, as we grow old to being an infant to being school-aged children which is from 3 months to 12 years old, our average time to sleep decreases significantly by 3. Ultimately, as we get to preteens and teens up to the adult stages, our average time to sleep declines 3 to 2.5 hours. The decline is due to the amount of rest that we need to rejuvenate our body or help our body grow as time passes. Therefore, as we slowly age, it is imperative to get the required amount of sleep that we need in order to grow and develop in a healthy way.
Sleeping is without a doubt a very essential aspect of our lives as we grow old. It is something that we should never take for granted as it helps our body in healing our wounds, conserving our energy, and many more. The average sleep we get should not be deprived so that we would be able to function in good health as well. By following the required time for our age to sleep, we prevent ourselves from having certain disorders that would hinder us from doing our jobs well.
11:19 PM | 0 komentar | Read More

Emotional Causes of Insomnia

Insomnia is a very difficult condition to have. When a person is very tired, they desire sleep, but what if sleep doesn’t come? They wind up feeling more tired, and also cranky and stressed in the process.
Insomnia is a very difficult condition to have. When a person is very tired, they desire sleep, but what if sleep doesn’t come? They wind up feeling more tired, and also cranky and stressed in the process.
The days seem to melt together with more stress getting piled up. Perhaps you have tried every single possible thing to do, from dimming down the lights in your room, to downing a glass of milk at every bed time, as well as avoiding strenuous physical or mental activity an hour before bedtime. But if you still have trouble sleeping, perhaps it’s time to check the possible emotional causes of your insomnia:
1. Perennial worry: Is there something bothering you deeply? Perhaps it’s a pending move, a recent development in a relationship, or worries about your financial provision for the future. When asked straight out, you might not have an answer right away, as these things do not seem right at the top of your head. But the next time you stay awake past the midnight hour, try this: whatever things you find yourself thinking about, grab a piece of paper and write them down. Perhaps you find yourself making mental calculations of how much you need to save every month to meet your son’s tuition fees, or to meet your retirement savings plan. More often than not, worry is a major sleep-grabber for just about anyone.
2. Condemnation: Have you done something that you feel guilty about? Perhaps nobody else knows about it, but it’s eating you up inside. Sometimes it’s something you feel was very serious, such as having had an abortion several years ago, or for some people, it could be as seemingly simple as losing your patience over a child. In any case, you might not be aware that you are internally beating yourself up for whatever it was you failed to do or did wrong. This may be why Christians can be the most well-rested people as they believe that everything they’ve done has been paid for when God sent His Son to die in their place.
3. Anger: Are you holding a grudge against someone? Perhaps somebody betrayed you, or somebody is constantly getting on your nerves and you are dreading seeing that person again the next day. Some people observe that letting out their anger through some outlet, such as writing, or music, or prayer, helps them get over the angry feelings and be at peace. Other people find it easier to forgive when they realize how much they’ve also been forgiven themselves by a holy God.
4. Fear: Are you afraid of something? You most likely are not afraid of the dark, but perhaps you are afraid of losing someone you love, or of not having enough, or anything that may be irrational in the daylight but feels so real when everything else is silent around you. This type of fear is related to perennial worry, wherein no amount of rationalizing will shoo it away. In this case doctors might prescribe you anti-relaxants just to get you to doze off. But some people find it even more effective to set their sights on something, such as a God who cares so much for them that He will not leave them alone to fend for themselves. If you talk to Christians about fear, they will likely tell you that perfect love can cast it away, and you may be scratching your head as they explain to you that this perfect love is a love you can receive from your Creator!
These emotions may look simple, but when they attack you in the middle of the night, you are usually left with no resources to fend them off. As such, learning to renew your mind against such thoughts, such as feeding your mind on the answers to those worries, may just be the key to the beauty rest that you need! If anything, just acknowledging your feelings or writing them down may do wonders, and you will be well on your way to many sleep-filled nights to come.
11:17 PM | 0 komentar | Read More
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