Are you Sleeping?

I conducted a workshop this week on the importance of Sleep; part of my focus on corporate wellness programs. Many people tend to discount the importance of having a good nights sleep. Good or bad, it impacts your body and your mind. Some experts say a "good nights sleep" should be eight hours a day. Other experts say it depends on the individual and how they feel when they get up....are you tired? Some people only need five hours while others need closer to nine hours.  I need six and one-half hours and once in awhile a power nap of 15 to 20 minutes during the day.

We process through five stages of sleep during the night on average of four times (90-minutes each). During sleep, our body is recycling our thoughts from when we are awake, rejuvenating itself, priming the immune system and restoring our physical body.  Our body also has an inner alarm clock that awakens us when we have to go to the bathroom, when we hear noises, when we hear a child cry or when we need to pull up the covers.

Some signs you may need more sleep include difficulty waking up in the mornings; inability to concentrate; falling asleep during work hours; feelings of moodiness, irritabilty or anxiety; impaired memory; simple tasks may prove more difficult to complete and increased difficulties interacting and cooperating with others.

Some things you can do to help you fall asleep are winding down the evening and preparing for bed as a relaxing experience.  Keep your bedroom free of clutter; don't use it as a workspace unless it's necessary and if it is, keep your work area neat. It helps to have your room painted in soft muted colors - stay away from bright colors such as red or orange. You want to have a calm space. Take a hot bath or shower; do some stretching exercises or give yourself a foot massage. Read a dull book and if you have to watch TV, watch something funny or light - not a drama or wild adventure. Breathe: take full, deep belly breaths to the slow count of 4.  Hold your breath to the count of 7 and exhale to the count of 8 (out of your mouth).  Do this four times and then breathe normally again. Practicing this technique a few nights in a row will help you include this in your nightly routine. You might consider putting on some quiet music.

To help maintain more energy during they day you can incorporate these ideas:

• Go go bed and get up at the same time every day (even on weekends if you can)
• Get to know your peak energy times and plan your projects and work around these in order to be most productive.
• Take breaks, regularly - walk around and stretch
• Practice deep breathing
• Decrease your intake of caffeine, soda and sugar throughout your day: find healthier substitutes
• Move physically several times throughout your day. If you have a desk job, walk around the office or go outside during your breaks or at the very least, standup and stretch (preferably at least once an hour). Our bodies were not created to sit in a chair all day.
• Decorate your work space with photos, pictures of places you want to visit or have visited; affirmations, fun things to keep you motivated when you start feeling stressed.
• Eat at regular intervals throughout your day and don't eat your lunch at your desk.  Choose healthy food. Don't skip lunch, your body will appreciate this.

You will notice a remarkable boost to your energy levels if you practice these tips. Good sleep patterns will help you feel and look younger and your body will thank you.