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I remember years ago when I struggled to fall asleep, woke up several times a night and absolutely hated my alarm clock! Eventually dragging myself out of bed and would go through the day needing several teas, coffees and cigarettes (etc) to keep myself going. I used to be snappy and very inpatient with others. If you have ever felt like this, then you know exactly what I mean without me painting a not so pretty picture of this person!
We are all told, and deep down know, that sleeping is really important for our body. But we have so much to do that cutting down on sleep is the easiest solution to keep up with the demands of our life.
Waking up tired every morning, practically hating your alarm clock, getting snappy and inpatient with people during the day, making silly mistakes day after day, wishing for a nap instead of an afternoon meeting are all signs relating to the kind of sleep you had last night, for the past week or even for much much longer. But you are certainly not alone, more and more people give up hours of quality sleep to be able to keep on top of their lifestyle’s daily demands.
Where does this viscous cycle come to an end?
When is it enough and time to change?
What is the solution to turning this situation around?
The amazing power of sleep
It is scientifically proven that the quality and quantity of sleep we get each night massively influence the quality of our life: how we feel, our every day interactions with people, our productivity and so on… therefore influences who we become over time.
The truth is that sleeping is recovery time for your body and mind. We cannot afford to be without it because our body will just not function to its full potential giving us that ‘I am truly alive’ feeling. While you sleep your brain remains very active and manages a wide range of ‘maintenance projects’ to keep your body functioning to its optimum the next day.
Even minimal sleep loss will affect your mood, your energy levels, your ability to handle stress, the kind of relationships you build and even your weight. I clearly remember how my body behaved all those years ago when I did not sleep very well. When someone tells me about the reasons they struggle to get to sleep or have a great night sleep, I can totally relate to what is going on with them… been there, done that and got out of it. It was not an easy transformation but it was certainly well worth the commitment and work!
It is absolutely amazing what a great night sleep can do to our body and mind. We wake up feeling refreshed, happy with this sense of power and knowledge that we can deal with whatever the day brings. We stand firm and see things clearly, have the ability to come up with brilliant solutions to an issue we could not deal with the day before.
You can find many articles with the facts behind sleeping and its importance. Information overload… how much you need, what happens if you skip an hour or two, sleeping schedules and routines and so on. Everyone is in a slightly different place and that is why it is so important to find the real reasons you turn into the person you do every morning. Your struggles, your demands, your challenges, your beliefs, your demands. But discovering is just the first step, ultimately you have to want to change that morning feeling you get when your alarm clock goes off.
Who do you want to turn into when your alarm goes off in the morning? Some tips to get you started:
- make sleeping a priority, schedule time in if you run a busy diary
- build a regular bed time ‘routine’ to prepare your brain for sleeping
- mobiles off or face down, switched to complete silent mode – that means no vibrate either
- turn off screens about an hour before going to bed (kindle, phone, laptops, Tv – anything backlit with bright lights)
I would love to hear how you got along and if you need further help and support, just reach out. I am always happy to have a conversation and support you on your journey to a healthier more balanced life.
