Getting the right amount of sleep is essential for a long life and personal effectiveness. Yet in today's ever-changing, fast-paced, and often pressure packed world making sure you get the right amount of sleep every day is rarely a concern. If you don't get enough sleep your work suffers. In fact, every single study in the area of health shows that you will be far more productive if you get the right amount of sleep. Insufficient sleep makes you feel cranky, dysfunctional, and even depressive. The administrators of these health studies often recommend that you not only need the right amount of sleep each night but you should also to include time for a nap every day. Our bodies benefit from taking a nap. In fact, studies conducted by the National Sleep Foundation show that our biological systems are programmed for a midday rest, which might account for the common post-lunch slump that people often experience. Most people today work at least eight hours and day and usually more, therefore they don't have time for midday naps, but part-time employees and those on flexible schedules should take a nap if they can. If you're working a full time work schedule then you should try to grab a nap on the weekends. History books tell us that our forefathers probably slept through the night, hunted in the early morning, then escaped the midday heat by napping in a shady spot. Mexican workers make time for a midday nap or siesta and have a very productive work day. Unfortunately for the American workers because of everyday demands taking a nap during the day has become a not only a thing of the past but a sign of weakness or even laziness if you do it. Taking a nap relaxes your body, improves your mood, clears your mind, and offers a break from the stressful pace of life. Studies show that an afternoon nap may also help you by-pass heart disease. These studies show that, people living in countries where taking an afternoon nap is customary show a significantly lower rate of heart attacks and coronary disease. It is also important to get a good night's rest. Researchers have found that the internal chemicals that trigger slow-wave sleep also rouse the immune system into action. These chemicals defend the body against viral and bacterial infections, and maybe even cancer. Even though the body is conserving energy during sleep it is also busy repairing tissues, renewing itself. The brain too requires sleep. It rarely relaxes when we're awake. Even though our subconscious mind continues to work while we sleep and we often have restless dreams, sleeping is still a relaxing time for our conscious mind. If you're irritable, listless, or low on energy, consider adding nap to your schedule. Make sure you get seven to eight house of sleep every night, but don't go over eight hours because too much sleep is not good for you and can be counterproductive. Try hot baths before bed, and exercise in the morning as opposed to the evening. Millions of people suffer from insomnia because they worry at night about all the things they have to do the following day. Much of this needless worry at night can be corrected by simply planning for the next day before you go to sleep. Spend five or ten minutes before you go to sleep writing down all the things you need to do the next day. Go over your daily planner and write down everything you have to do starting with the most important to the least important. Write down your goals and the problems you have to solve. The act of writing out your entire day before you go to sleep will usually take the worries away from you conscious mind, allowing you to sleep more soundly and allow your subconscious mind to go to work on solving your problems and achieving your goals. When you wake up in the morning, you will often have insights and ideas that you can use to make solve your problems and make your goals a reality. When you're fully rested, eating well, and exercising properly you'll become a more positive, optimistic, and cheerful person. You will wake up in the morning with a feeling that there is nothing you cannot do if you put your mind to it. Copyright2006 by Joe Love and JLM & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. |
