Maybe we should change the way we think about sleep?

In this fast-paced world, there are many people who suffer from insomnia. Sales of pharmaceuticals, herbal preparations, tinctures, and a myriad of devices are available to try to get us to sleep better but It seems we’re not winning the battle.

With the advent of the digital age, and the crazy fight for productivity it has come with, should we not consider fundamentally changing the way we think about sleep?

There’s an unsettlingly large number of people using stimulants like nicotine and caffeine to buffer their chronic lingering fatigue, their general malaise or their downright and unrelenting lack of motivation.

Are we looking at sleep as a ‘have to do’, a task, or a dreadful chore that needs to be completed? Could sleep be the key to unlocking some of mankind’s current maladies?

If we started to study “sleep” we would learn that sleep has been implicated in almost every mental condition known to man, we would realise that sleep is absolutely essential to recovery, and the athletic performance that it brings. We would see that good quality sleep is intimately related to mood and we would better understand why babies value their sleep so much; some of us parents know the hazards of denying a child’s sleep all too well!

Sleep is so essential to human life and the lack thereof can be so harrowing, so torturous, so downright evil that it is even stated clearly in the Geneva convention that sleep deprivation is a form of torture!

Your sleep is important and making it a priority may seem impossible, so here are a few simple measures you can use to help you sleep deeper and to ensure a good night’s recovery.

• Try putting the phone down an hour before bedtime: the hormone melatonin that ensures good sleep is dysregulated by electronics.
• Avoid alcohol: even a single glass causes many disruptions and awakenings throughout the night.
• Try maintaining a neutral spine throughout the night: Lying on your side with a pillow between the knees eases the lower back and aids restful sleep. Make sure you have a comfortable pillow and mattress; they are worth the investment.
• Try dimming the lights at sunset: The brain needs to think the sun has set in order to ramp up those sleep-inducing neurotransmitters.
• Caffeine is extremely detrimental to quality sleep: Try to cut back on any caffeinated beverages after 12 pm, this alone can have a massive impact on sleep quality.
• Herbal products that are mild and non-addictive, can be beneficial: Chamomile tea is a great option.
• And while sleeping tablets are a tempting “cure”, they can be very addictive and recent studies have shown an increased risk of cancer and dementia in users.

Food for thought.

Reproduced with permission @ www.unsityourback.com