(403) 609.3059
If you answered yes to and of these questions, then you’re suffering from low-quality sleep — a problem many people face in our go go go society.
Over the years, I’ve treated a lot of people. Lately, one type of person has stuck out: the kind of person who is very passionate about what they do and highly motivated about doing it. This person is always putting in extra time at work, but forgets to eat; they’ll pick up a book, and then stay up at night an extra hour or two to finish that chapter; they’ll go to bed late, only to wake up early to make up for lost time.
Now, being able to push yourself like that is something to be proud of — not everyone’s able to to it — but if your passion and motivation are regularly getting in the way of quality sleep, you’re slowly burning yourself out.
The problem is that this becomes a cycle: you go go go until you crash, and then spend the next day feeling sluggish. The problem is, is that as a highly motivated and passionate person, you push yourself through that sluggishness — over and over and over again.
Your body isn’t in full recovery mode until you’re sleeping deeply. You intuitively know this is true, because after you do finally get the rest that you need, you’re able to plough through your day without any resistance. This is because your body can only truly begin healing and restoring itself when you’re mind is fast asleep.
Look at it like this: You spend your entire day thinking about … everything, with each thought co-occurring or leading you towards your one out of a thousand experiences and conversations you’re having with friends, family and coworkers throughout the day. Your mind needs to recharge as well.
Becoming passionate and motivated about your sleep will change you. Put as much energy into the quality of your sleep as you do to the rest of your life and you’ll have the energy and drive you need to live the life you dream about.
Make sure your bedroom is just a bedroom: leave your phone, laptop and tablet in the other room. Charge those in the kitchen, living room or office.
Tidy up the boudoir: a cluttered room can lead to a restless mind. A really good habit to cultivate is having your bedroom tidy at all times — this way, when you walk into your bedroom, there’s nothing to do other than relax.
Journal: clear your mind by clearing the chatter before you lay down. Journaling really helps relieve mental tension. Think of it like this: after an intensive workout you cool down with a slow walk. Journalling is the same: after a day of go go go you can cool down your mind with a hand-written journal.
Stop and breathe: cultivate a night ritual that works for you. Some people prefer to meditate for 15 mins at night before bed. Others like to do some yoga postures that are specifically designed to help you sleep better.
If you create space to sleep, you’ll find that you’ll have the energy to live a much fuller, happier life. If you’ve already tried some of this and need some help, or are suffering from any kind of sleep disorder, book an acu-therapy appointment with me at Amatsu Clinic, and I’ll give you a net that you can catch some Zzz’s with.