How to Sleep at Night Part III

Photo by sfllaw

This post is a continuation of How to Improve Your Sleep.  It is the third in a 3 part series.  Here I will explore optimum sleep time, waking, and sleep debt.

How Long You Sleep is Important

I have spent my entire life going to bed when I feel like it and waking up when I need to be up.  I never gave much thought to how long I should sleep.  8 hours is the suggested average, and I strive for between 6-8 hours most of the time.  Getting a solid 8 hours isn’t actually wrong, but it isn’t necessarily optimal either.  You see, you body sleeps in 90 minute cycles.  This is the time it takes for your brain to cycle through the different brainwave patterns and return to it’s original early sleep state.  Read more... (853 words, 1 image, estimated 3:25 mins reading time)

How To Sleep at Night Part II

Photo by tambako

This post is a continuation of the How to Sleep at Night series.  It is Part II in a III part series.  Here I will offer more small changes that can be made to your life in order to improve your sleep each night.

Empty Your Mind

I don’t mean clear your mind like you would in meditation, but empty it of the clutter, “To Do’s” and problems that are nagging at you throughout the day.  The best thing to do is sit down about an hour before bed and write your “To Do” list and MIT’s for the next day.  For more on MIT’s  click here.

How to Sleep at Night Part I

Photo by andy_bernay-roman

It seems that in this day and age, our lives have become so busy and so full that even the simple act of getting a good nights sleep is foreign to many of us.  I have to admit, I sleep well at night, but not all the time.  In fact, much of the time, I am restless, can’t settle down, can’t relax, and sometimes wake up through the night for no apparent reason.  It turns out, I’m not alone.  Read more... (1849 words, 1 image, estimated 7:24 mins reading time)