Anybody who has suffered from chronic fatigue appreciates the value of a good night's rest when it comes along. Contributing to feelings of well being and mood elevation, all goes better after deep rest. Lack of deep rest can lead to depression, weight gain, accidents and confusion. It is as necessary as proper diet and exercise for total health. Rest and sleep cannot be taken for granted. It is something you deserve and should demand for yourself. In the stressful over stimulated world that surrounds us, you can be hypnotically drawn into accepting the stimulus, and never allowing retreat from noise and distraction. It is up to you to figure out a way and routine that allows a daily shelter or withdrawal from daily pressure. Balance is key to a happy life. Being over stimulated when you need sleep most, actually contributes to the circle of anxiety making deep rest even more elusive. To restore balance, the following techniques will help. As you take control of your waking life, you must take control of your rest.
Dreams happen as a result of one of the stages of sleep that allows your mind to release thoughts and energy. Just as your body releases waste, dreams do the same to help you clear your mind. All of the body processes including digestion are happening as you sleep. Fatigue stresses digestion and deep sleep allows the body to metabolize more easily. Both a clear mind and rested and restored body will lead to weight loss if caloric intake and exercise are also in balance. High calorie comfort foods are craved and mindlessly introduced into your body when fatigued. As children, we naturally went into deep sleep. As adults, most of us have to relearn how to do this. Imagine every day followed by a deep restful night's sleep.
Decide for yourself you will enjoy a night of deep rest rewarded by an energetic joyful day to follow.
Helpful tips:
** Exercise at least 40 minutes a day. Move in some meaningful way. You can do this. Just dancing to music will do the job. Walking is the easiest and can be done just walking through the mall. It burns calories, releases stress, and allows the mind to "download". Go either by yourself or with a companion that will not talk about the day's problems or goings on. Walking in Nature will release tension and stress 100 fold. Go with a not too chatty friend or by yourself for the best results.
** Learn to eat by consuming the highest carbohydrates and protein meals earliest in the day. Eliminate sugar from you diet as much as possible. Read labels and create a diet mostly free of processed foods. Eat lighter as the day wears on and no coffee/caffeine beverages or excessive alcohol after about 6pm. A small glass of wine or beer before bedtime can assist you to relax. Fruit or lightly dressed salad are good snacks a few hours before bedtime and help with digestion. High calcium and magnesium foods: milk, soy milk or almond milk will soothe as calcium and magnesium act to relax the nervous system. Tryptophan works when your stomach is nearly empty: so a light snack of these tryptophan containing foods will help; almonds, turkey, warm milk.
** Minimize sugar intake and be sure to have a protein snack in the afternoon to keep the blood sugar from dropping. Afternoon fatigue leads to your craving for comfort foods, carbs, and caffeine which will affect the natural cycle and can lead to restlessness and interrupted sleep patterns.
*** A perfect before bedtime snack: Oatmeal (rich source of sleep inviting melatonin) with banana (contains some melatonin, serotonin, magnesium) and warm milk (calcium rich and contains some tryptophan).
** Observe your breath and breathing throughout the day as this will center you and set the stage for relaxation and balance while oxygenating the brain as breath deepens.
** Prepare for sleep with as much care as you prepare for meals.
> Take time away from stimulating TV and electronics.
> A warm bath always helps.
> Keep your sleeping space uncluttered and never bring work to bed.
> Try sleep CD's with calming music created to program the mind into quiet.
> Take a calcium/magnesium supplement, a natural relaxant for the nervous system
with almond or soy milk.
> Use natural relaxants: calming teas (such as chamomile), valerian root,
caffeine-free aspirin or baby aspirin if your system tolerates it.
The mind body connection is key to balance in weight as in all aspects of living.
Consciously planning and structuring for success, educate yourself about nutrition and what works best for your body. Taking the leadership role and responsibility for your results insures your brain is engaged fully in the process. This is key! Make a decision about your ideal weight and assure yourself that you are capable of achieving your goal. Back up your goal and vision with action. Much information is available for consumption, but keep in mind the four necessary steps: excellent nutrition, burning calories by body movement with a program you enjoy, engage the mind for results and success programming yourself for deep restful sleep. Attention to the first three is likely to insure the last. Finally a visual affirmation before rest and a smile of assurance will bring your dreams, waking and sleeping, closer to where you want them to be.
So as you lie down to sleep, observe your breathing by concentrating on heart center...by observing the breath (Test this now!), it naturally deepens. Then scan your body from head to toe, allowing each area to peacefully relax. Let thoughts flow and let go. You are re-teaching yourself something you knew as a child, to let go into deep relaxing sleep.
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