We all know sleep is important so I won’t belabor the point. I would however like to review 4 important steps that will ensure a better night’s sleep. A good night’s rest is a necessary component for Optimal Health.
- No Food 2 hours before Bedtime: When we go to bed with food on our stomach, our blood supply is concentrated in the gut to help absorb the food. This prevents the circulatory and digestive system from getting the rest it needs to function optimally. Our bodies are forced to work to digest the food instead of rest.
- Turn off All Devices in the Bedroom Including the TV: TV’s, cell phones, pads, computers, and smart watches are a distraction that prevents proper rest. You may feel like you’re sleeping well but your subconscious mind is responding to the light and noise from the devices. In particular, sleeping with a TV on prevents your body from entering into deep sleep, which is essential for cellular repair and function. The TV, cell phone, watches phone and any other device release something called EMF’s (electromagnetic fields). EMF’s are wireless energy waves that surround your devices. These energy waves cause sleep deprivation, depression and emit radiation. The radiation is what causes disruption in sleep and decrease in immune function.
- Bedtime Routine: Having a bedtime routine that you follow sends a message to your body and mind that you are preparing for bed. Things such as turning off your TV and computer one hour before bed and maintaining a 2-hour fast prior to bedtime have been shown to be beneficial rituals to follow. This prevents our mind from being over-stimulated just prior to bedtime. I like to think of it as beginning the shutting down process. It is also important to note that going to bed at the same time each night and waking up at the same time each day, allows our body systems to stay in rhythm. An adult needs 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night for cellular repair and proper function.
- Pitch Dark Room: Make sure the bedroom is pitch dark. Just a tiny bit of light once again sends a message to the brain that stops the secretion of melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that aids in sleep.
According to John Hopkins University School of Medicine, sleep deprivation leads to heart disease, heart attacks, increased blood pressure, diabetes, and severely compromised immune function. They point out that you are 3 times more likely to catch a cold if you are sleep deprived.
We are so attached to our modern electronic devices and gadgets so much so that they are always with us, even when we sleep. The research is clear that this is not good practice for our mind or body.
Turn out the lights and turn all devices off in the bedroom. Make your bedroom radiation free and a place for a beautiful night of sleep and rest.
You will notice a difference in your energy level and over-all state of Optimal Health.
Sweet Dreams,
Vince
Good work!!!
Thank you Roland. Appreciate your love and support.
Thank you for a fascinating article Vince.
My son loves to play on his PS4. As he has major exams looming, we have removed this “toy” from his room.
the interesting thing is that his attitude has changed quite dramatically. He is still a typically frustrated teenager but at least now we can have a relatively sensible conversation with him unlike the “UG !” we used to get before.
He has however resorted to his Ipad and Iphone and is now either watching U tube or listening to music or playing games like Candy Crush. He actually said he was watching his exam subjects on U Tube and has learnt a lot from it.
However, he does switch everything off about an hour before sleep and just listens to music.
He like me and my father before me, has inherited a gift. The gift of putting his head down and just waking up in the morning. He also, like me, can sleep through absolutely anything. Prior to the removal of the PS4, he would be battling to sleep until the early hours of the day. That has now gone. So there is a lot of truth in what you say.
Thank you for your time.
Yuri x
Yuri,
First of all, didn’t know you had a son. :))
As always I am grateful for your response. I love that you share real life situations as examples. There are so many distractions for kids now days so sounds like you’re providing good guidance in elemenating those distractions when necessary.
Thanks again and much love to you,
Vince
Great tips for getting a good nights sleep, thanks for sharing.
Thank you.
Thanks Vince. This is a great post. I’ve learned this over time and it has been a challenge to disconnect myself from so many devices. However, I’ve found when I do, I wind down better, feel more rested, and when I check my blood pressure, it is lower than how it has been in the past. It’s still a work in progress to continue this all the time but efforts have been made. Great to see this post to help reinforce these efforts.
Jarrett,
Awesome. Thank you so much for sharing. Disconnecting is something I have to remind myself to do quite frequently. I look forward to hearing more from you.
Love,
Vince
Good Advice— No sleep affects your overall health…. I know so well!
Thank you Daniel