Power down to Rest up

Restful sleep is one of the most important aspects of good health. It is when your body is able to repair and restore itself. Inadequate amounts of quality sleep not only leave you feeling run down and tired, but can have negative effects on your immune system, blood pressure and general health.

Bright like the sun

With the prevalence of smart phones, tablets and laptops, more and more of us sit or lay in bed staring at bright screens right before we try to sleep. This tricks the body’s natural rhythm into thinking the sun is up and it’s not time to sleep. Not to mention the mass of information you must be processing at the same time. Whether it’s facebook or e-mails from work, it all promotes more mental activity rather than allowing your mind to power down.

Power down at days end.

 

Have you ever noticed how if you don’t shut your computer down for a while, it starts to run a bit slower. That’s because a whole lot of small programs keep running in the back ground. Similarly, if you don’t power yourself down properly in the evening, you mind keeps running little programs, worrying about this and that, and not properly filing things away, giving your mind a chance to rest.

As your day draws to a close, avoid being ‘plugged in’.

• Turn on lamps and turn off bright down lights, put your phone on charge for the night and leave it there.
• Go for a walk after dinner.
• Make the bedroom a Tech-Free-Zone – no smartphone play, no lap tops, no TV.
• When you go to bed, take a moment to process your day. Put everything in its place, and know that it will all be there for you in the morning. Don’t worry.
• Breath. Get out of your head, and focus on your breathing. Slow deep breaths, into the bottom of your lungs.
• Consciously let go of your tension and relax.

Sweet dreams…..