The Sleep Revolution – Arianna Huffington
It turns out that nothing is more critical to our health, happiness, and productivity than having a good night’s sleep, with adequate quality and time.
Eliminate Sleep As a Punishment
Children are told off by being sent to bed early. So it’s no wonder that from a young age, sleep is associated with something we don’t want to “engage” with. It becomes the enemy of fun and games.
But while we sleep, our brain and body wash away the toxins accumulated during the day. Kids gather lots of energy to play with and also assimilate information much easier afterwards.
Sleeping Is Ideal With A Partner
The benefits of sleeping right don’t stop at productivity, but also extend to your relationship. A 2014 study among 1,000 people found that couples are happier if they:
- Sleep next to each other.
- Have body contact while asleep.
Meditation
You can use technology to access tools for meditation or to help you relax. Forgetting daily stresses and anxiety is an important part of a good night’s sleep.
And meditation can help you with that. There are many meditation guides available online, like Louise Hay’s videos that can be accessed on YouTube.
No Alarms
When the alarm starts blaring in the morning, you wake up with your body inundated with cortisone, causing the flight or fight response. So your feet didn’t even touch the floor, and you’re already stressed.
You can begin by forsaking the snooze button, and then, in time, you’ll wake up on your own. It’s recommended to pause for a couple of seconds, to find your bearings before getting out of bed.
Dreams As Guidance
Never underestimate the power of dreams. Waking up in the middle of the night is not ideal. Develop the habit of having a notebook and pen on your nightstand to write them down?
If you don’t wake up during the night, then in the morning you can describe what you dreamt about.
The Madness Of Sleep Deprivation
Over 30% of Americans get less than 7 hours of sleep each night, and in a lot of industries (consulting, investment banking) a lack of sleep is even considered cool and productive.
Yet, across the board, more sleep leads to better results. For young kids in school, for students in college, for professionals and CEOs, for lovers, athletes, and artists.
Being Close Helps
But it doesn’t just matter whether you sleep next to your partner or in separate beds altogether—how close you are matters too. 85% of those who slept less than an inch apart reported being happy in their relationship. This percentage kept decreasing the further apart people slept.
Be Your Own Cheerleader
Changing your sleep habits can be a challenging process. Still, you need to commit, take it day by day, cheer yourself on every victory, and be indulgent when you fall off the wagon.
It will take time to redesign your sleeping patterns through a trial and error process. Our lives are unique so it’s understandable if our sleeping habits need to be custom-made.
Sleeping Instead Of Sugar Or Caffeine
When you’re suffering from a poor night of sleep you go after sweets, doughnuts with all the various toppings, or that precious mug of coffee and maybe a double latte later.
And there’s also the 3rd option of combining the two: sugar and caffeine, which can be found in enormous dosages in energy drinks. Why not take a 20 – 30 minute nap instead?
It is our collective delusion that overwork and burnout is the price we pay for success.
No Electronic Devices Before Bed
Take your iPhone, laptop, and iPad out of the bedroom at least half an hour before you put your head on the pillow.
The blue light that these indispensable devices emit is causing alertness in your brain, translating into waking up in the middle of the night or staring for tens of minutes at the ceiling.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an efficient and natural way to improve your sleep. People have used it for centuries, but now modern medicine already confirms its effectiveness.
Research shows that acupuncture is an efficient way to cure insomnia.
Also, several studies have found that ear acupuncture points are helpful in encouraging deep sleep.
Lavender And Deep Sleep
Dioscorides, a physician from ancient Greece, wrote about the tranquillizing properties of lavender at the beginning of the first century.
Modern science has proven that it can lower heart rate, lower blood pressure and skin temperature – another important factor to sleep well!
So you can try different herbs and aromas, such as lavender or valerian root, and find out which oils work best for you.
Removing Blue light from Electronic Devices
By removing the blue part of the spectrum from the light your screens emit at night, your body stops suppressing its melatonin production.
Install an app that tints the color of your screens in sync with the sunset (and sunrise in the morning).