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The Body Articles are really a standalone addition, but, since you can’t have just, “Mind and Spirit” without “Body,” the last section was swiftly added. As you can imagine, these self-growth articles focus on keeping your body in tip-top form.
A lot of people feel life would be a lot more fun if we didn't need to sleep. Indeed, due to the fact that, normally, we all sleep from 22:00 - 06:00... our lives are 33% sleep. Oh how much more we'd get done if we no longer needed sleep. Though, if you're an insomniac, you probably don't share these sentiments. Don't get too frustrated though, insomnia is actually a pretty common condition to suffer from. This is because sleep is the one bodily function that is mainly determined by many physical and mental factors.
You see, during the night hours, the level of melatonin, a hormone with many roles, rises, creating, among other things, the sensation of sleepiness. During the dawn hours, the levels drop back down. This, in turn, regulates our sleep-wake cycle. Yet, as mentioned earlier, many factors, mainly mental, have an effect on the release of melatonin, creating irregularities thus leading to conditions such as insomnia. Interestingly enough, melatonin is inhibited by light and permitted by darkness; for these reasons, it is referred to as, "the hormone of darkness." With that, the tip of the iceberg on a way you can overcome insomnia may have just been shed. ;)
When it comes to insomnia, there are four stages of sleep. Most people with insomnia fail to make it to the III and IV levels, which happens to be the rejuvenation stages. Stage 1 When we're awake, the brain gives off alpha waves. Whilst lying in bed, preparing for sleep, the brain gradually begins to shift into theta waves. These waves trigger that cozy drowsy feeling... it typically lasts for about 15 minutes, but if we're woken up during this stage, we may say we weren't sleeping at all. "I was just resting my eyes lol" Stage 2 This is the stage where awareness of reality slips away. Muscular activity, body temperature and heart rate all slow down. This phase compromises roughly 50% of a night's sleep in adults. Stage 3/4 This is referred to as deep sleep. During stage 3, the brain releases the restorative delta waves. During this stage, there is no eye movement nor muscle activity. Stage 4 is just a more advanced form of Stage 3 where the delta waves make up a ratio of about 10:1 This is the stage where night-terrors, bed-wetting and sleep walking occur. Stage 5 - R.E.M Sleep Rapid Eye Movement - Dreams
Based upon the cause and duration of sleeplessness, insomnia can be broken down into a few categories. Primary Insomnia This type of insomnia is not linked to any ailment/health issue. Due to the fact that this type of insomnia is not a secondary effect of a more serious ailment, there are several general guidelines to follow in treating this.
If these measures still do not correct the issue, it would be best to take up prescription drugs. Be warned though, this should be a last ditch effort considering prescription drugs will be your only means to control the problem, and not get rid of it. Co-morbid Insomnia Roughly7 out of 10 people are believed to suffer from this type of insomnia. This is the direct opposite to primary insomnia where an underlying ailment is to blame. In short, the major causes of this type are as followed.
Acute Insomnia This is the type to not worry over too long. It's mainly caused by excitement, temporary stresses, sickness, change in one's sleep pattern e.g. from traveling and jet lag. Should wear off when things settle down. ;D Short-Term Insomnia This is pretty much the same as acute insomnia, but caused by more severe and ongoing stress/trauma/anxiety. Be wary, this is a psychological type of insomnia that may turn chronic if not dealt with soon. Chronic Insomnia This type of insomnia has no rules. It can occur every night, many nights a week or several nights a month. This insomnia may be caused by an underlying medical problem or deep psychological problems, such as depression. Treating the underlying ailment may treat the insomnia, but, because there may be many causes, it is difficult to pinpoint. It is best to seek a professional.
Further Tips to Help you Sleep Do Not Eat or Drink Right Before Bed As stated, do not eat or drink before going to bed or after waking up in the middle of the night. Digestion may interrupt your sleep cycle. Water is fine though. If awoken during sleep, in the middle of the night, it be best to simply lie in your warm and dark room until you fall back asleep. Do Not Try to Catch-Up on Missed Sleep Catching up on a previous bad night's sleep by sleeping more the next night does not work... AT ALL. If you happened to sleep for 3 hours last night, don't think you can fix the problem by sleeping an extra 5 hours the night coming up (13 hours)... it is best to simply stick to your schedule and forget about last night's lack of a full night's sleep. You'll be doing harm, not good by "Catching up." Do Not Sleep Near Electronical Items As said in the previous section. Electromagnetic Frequencies/Waves have a negative effect on our sleep cycle. Among them is fatigue, insomnia, paranoia, that creepy feeling, hallucinations among others things. Sleep with a Clear Mind Take care of all important things a few hours before sleeping. It is not healthy to go to bed with a mind full of things to do. Makes sense, right? Use your Bed for Sleeping Only It's interesting how the mind works. It attributes certain things to certain tasks. What I mean is, don't use your bed to do work like homework and whatnot. Allow your mind to recognize your bed is meant for sleep and sleep alone... and it shall become that. :) Wake Up when Meant To As said, keeping a strict sleep schedule will have enormous benefits in overcoming sleep disorders. Stay away from the snooze button and get up when you planned to, even if you don't want to. You'll save yourself in the end. Sleep with your Blinds/Curtains Open As I said above, melatonin is the hormone of sleep. Levels rise when there is, literally, darkness around you and fall when there is light. It makes perfect sense to let the sun be your brain's cue to lower the melatonin levels so that you start to feel awake, by letting the sun hit your eyes when it's meant to. (morning) Schedule the Most Work when You are the Most Awake This is pretty self-explanatory and obvious, but, when you have things to do, let them be done when you are feeling the most awake, so that the evening is yours to relax, making it easier for fatigue to set in when it's meant to. (night) Practice Relaxation Breathing Techniques Breathing is a lot more important than you think. Proper breathing goes hand in hand with martial arts, yoga, pacing and relaxation. For relaxation, I've enclosed this courtesy video, not done by me, by the way. :D
No time to get all "superstitious" now! Meditation has been practiced since the dawn of our existence. If we're truly focused and in touch with ourselves, meditation can have boundless positive health/mental/psychological effects. Give it a try. :) Yoga I seem to suggest yoga as a potential solution for just about everything, don't I? That's only because the benefits are THAT good. Body, Mind and Spirit (My apologies for including Spirit if you are atheist :3) together. Don't underestimate this, especially if you have yet to try it, and seriously.
The Insomnia Battle
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