The reason why sleep is so important for your health is because that is when your body does 90% of its healing and repair work. Sleep studies show that getting less than 7 hours of sleep per night can severely affect your health – everything from getting sick more often to becoming irritable, anxious and depressed.
But often the times when you’re most stressed (and need more sleep to help you handle it), are the times when insomnia kicks in. Here are a few tips that might help you get the rest you need:
1) Commit to a regular bedtime – It works for kids, why not you too? Getting into bed at the same time each night will start training your brain and your body that it’s the time to switch into sleep mode.
2) Take a shower or bath – Prep your body for a relaxing sleep by taking a soothing shower or bath. Raising your body temperature calms your nervous system as well as your muscles allowing you to fall asleep easier.
3) Write it down – If your mind races out of control during the night, get those thoughts of your head and into your journal. Spending a few minutes as you lie in bed gets writing about the day you’ve completed or the day coming up prevents that stress from interfering with your much needed rest.
Give these tools some time to work. After a week of using them consistently, you should notice yourself sleeping like a baby.
——–
*Adapted from the Being Well Lifestyles Home Study Course by Dr. Jay Warren.
Drawing on over two decades of experience as a hands-on holistic practitioner, Dr. Jay Warren is a primary healthcare provider and licensed chiropractor in the San Diego area. He has spent tens of thousands of clinical hours helping his patients achieve their optimal health potential through holistic approaches bolstered by years of personal experimentation, education and research. Dr. Jay creates customized plans integrating exercise, nutrition and stress management strategies to overcome a myriad of health maladies. For more information, call 619-239-0053, email Info@BeingWellLifestyles.com or visit www.BeingWellLifestyles.com.
