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Monday, October 05, 2009Sleep Tight Tonight: 2 Strategies to Get More Zs
If you've been a reader of my newsletters for a while, you know that getting a full 7 to 8 hours of sleep
every day is important not only to your energy levels, but also to your memory,
mood, motivation, productivity and immune system. (For those of you who
may have missed the info, please see my article Beauty Sleep and Optimal Performance in the Balance & Fulfillment section under Full Articles).
Some of you may even have already read my top 6 tips for getting a good night's sleep (also in the article mentioned above). These suggestions work for most people most of the time, but
not for all people all the time.
So how can you get your full dose of shut eye if you are going through a
particularly stressful period and your mind can't stop racing at night?
Easy Strategies To Get More Zs:
1- Have a light night-time snack. But not just any
snack! You need a carbohydrate-rich, low glycemic index snack, such
as a whole grain toast, an apple, a peach or a small bowl of oatmeal.
Here's how it will help: carbs facilitate the production of serotonin in your
brain, and serotonin is responsible for sleep regulation, so carbs will help
prep you physiologically.
2- Try a sleep-inducing meditation. Not to worry, there's no need
for out-of-body or any other esoteric experiences. Just get in a
comfortable position, turn the lights off, maybe light up a candle and focus on
breathing deeply for a few minutes. For extra encouragement, play this
youtube video: Sleep Music. I recommend you
turn your computer screen off so it doesn't project bothering light while you
have your eyes closed. Focusing on nothing but your breath will help you
get ready for bedtime mentally.
Once mind and body agree that it's time to fall asleep peacefully, there should
be no stopping you! Try it out and let me know how it worked!