Is sleep the new sex?
Sleep deprivation can make you crabby. It can cause an inability to focus, and increases stress levels. Your skin loses color and elasticity. Your body becomes less efficient at metabolizing food and burning calories, so you gain weight. It’s more difficult to concentrate and perform high skill-level tasks.
A Harvard Medical School study concluded someone who is drunk can perform better than someone who is sleep starved. And it’s certainly not very good for your sex life. When you aren’t getting enough sleep, you are always too tired.
Consider this from Kat Duff’s “The Secret Life of Sleep”: “Prescription and over-the-counter medications, sleep studies, white noise machines, earplugs, eye masks, apnea devices, sleep monitors, specialty mattresses, high-thread-count sheets, aromatherapy pillows, high-end beds and alarm clocks fuel a sleep economy worth more than $20 billion a year, and it is growing at a rate of 20 percent a year. It has been said that ‘sleep is the new sex’ with Ambien filling in for Viagra.”
It’s tempting to turn to drugs to solve the problem. But drug-induced sleep isn’t the same as natural sleep, which develops in waves of light and deep sleep and dreaming. There are weird side effects, too. Many Ambien users have reported “sleeping” activities, including binge eating, driving and even having sex.
Now, consider instead some natural approaches and behavioral changes that can help you become a better sleeper and more productive in the workplace. Here are 16 sleep-enhancing ideas.
1. Prioritize sleep. Don’t apologize for it.
2. Get some exercise during the day. Work out for 30-60 minutes a day.
3. Learn to meditate. It quiets the mind and reduces stress.
4. Eat better food. You know what’s good and what’s bad.
5. Don’t eat or drink anything 2-3 hours before going to bed. Even water may cause a middle of the night bathroom trip. Caffeine can be stimulating, so skip the after-dinner coffee. And alcohol may knock you out, but you will probably wake up later in the night.
6. Set the scene: A cool, comfortable room and your favorite pajamas will work. Maybe some lavender oil on the sheets, too.
7. Keep out the light with sleep shades or heavy drapes.
8. A white noise machine or a fan can block out noise. Or pop in ear plugs.
9. Try sleeping without the kids or the pets.
10. No blue lights. That means no TV, phones, tablets, chargers, etc., in the bedroom. Turn them all off a few hours before bed.
11. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day.
12. Listen to sleep-inducing music or affirmation recordings, like
MyGoodnightMessages.com.
13. If you wake up in the middle of the night, use meditation to still your thoughts. It’s thinking that keeps you awake.
14. You might jot down the thought that you are stewing over. Then, let it go and clear your mind. (My vote: Let it go. If it is a brilliant thought or a to-do that must be done, it will resurface in the light of day.)
15. When you wake up in the morning, take a few minutes to give thanks and visualize your perfect day.
16. Get a physical checkup. Maybe there is an underlying health condition contributing to your sleeplessness. Find out.
What will work for you? Hopefully, this article will get you started on a path to better sleep. Explore some of the suggestions, and avoid falling into the sleep drug ditch. Know that you are not helpless. We can control our thoughts, and take a break from the detrimental soundtracks that will loop endlessly if left unchecked. We can adopt healthier life choices and change dysfunctional patterns.
Here’s to a great sleep life.
Ellen Rohr is an author and business consultant offering profit-building tips, trending business blogs and online workshops at EllenRohr.com. Her books include “Where Did the Money Go?” and “The Bare Bones Weekend Biz Plan.” She can be reached at ellen@ellenrohr.com.[[In-content Ad]]
