Anybody who has suffered from chronic fatigue appreciates how a good night's rest contributes to feelings of well being and mood elevation. It all goes better after deep rest. To be the best you can be, deep restful sleep is something you deserve and should demand from yourself. In the stressful, overstimulated environment that surrounds us, you have the added, but wonderful responsibility of seeing to it that you get the rest needed. Balance is key. Being over tired or over stimulated when you need sleep the most, actually prevents deep rest. 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 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.
Challenge yourself to a good nights sleep every night!
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 by 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 stresses. Walking in Nature will release stress 100 fold. Go with a not too chatty friend or by yourself for the best results.
**Learn to eat by consuming the highest carbohydrate and protein meals earliest in the day. Eliminate sugar from your 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 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, soymilk or almond milk will soothe.
**Observe your breath throughout the day as this will center you and set the stage for relaxation and balance while oxygenating the brain as the breath deepens.
**Prepare for sleep as carefully as you prepare for meals.
>Take time away from stimulating TV.
>A warm bath always helps.
>Keep your sleeping space uncluttered and never bring work to bed.
>Try sleep CD's with calming music designed to program the mind to quiet.
>Take a Calcium/Magnesium supplement, a natural relaxant for the nervous system, with
almond or soymilk.
>Try using natural relaxants: calming teas (such as chamomile), valerian root, or 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, and 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 your are capable of achieving your goal. Back up your goal with action. Much information is available for consumption, but keeping in mind the four necessary steps: excellent nutrition, burning calories by body movement with a program you enjoy, engaging the mind for results and success, programming yourself for deep restful sleep. Attention to the first three is very 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 the heart center...by observing the breath, 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.
SWEET DREAMS
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