You may have heard that not getting enough sleep can make you cranky. But being cranky can also mess with your sleep... many people suffer from anxiety that increases agitation and stress, making sleep hard to come by.
So what is the right balance, and where do you start?
The ideal sleeping pattern looks something like this:
Wake up with the sun, go to bed within 3 hours of the sun going down.
Might sound easy... but we all have a life, right? Maybe work gets in the way, or sometimes we aren't willing to sacrifice our pleasure-seeking and relaxation activities to get the Z's that we need.
However, it is important to try to get as close to that model as possible. We are designed to work this way, and getting too off-track can lead to depression and mood swings. It can also lead to weight gain, and the body won't be able to repair itself adequately, among other issues.
Many people are pushed to try sleeping pills to get them to bed at night, but these have their side effects. Any time you can do something natural over synthetic, I highly suggest it.
So what can you do? Look into the areas of your life where you may be "borrowing" energy throughout your day. Do you need caffeine to wake you up in the morning? This may set you up for a high and low of energy throughout the day, causing wakefulness at night. Want to know how to wake yourself up instantly? Try a tall glass of lemon water, or even citrus essential oils will perk you right up. Exercise first thing will also get you going. Anything that will not cause a "crash" a few hours later is ideal.
Do you eat sugar or white breads and starches? These will set you on a high and low blood sugar roller coaster, which can cause sleep problems along with many other even more serious issues, like diabetes and obesity. Work on eating a low glycemic diet... foods that don't send your blood sugar sky high.
Are you overly stressed? Meditation can help with that... some even find it useful to meditate at night so it can put them to sleep. Find ways to cut back on stress.
And of course... practice until you get it down. I used to be a night owl; I would go in to work bartending, starting at 9 PM! I would get home and in bed at 3 or 4 AM, and wake up at 10 AM. I was way off track and I was miserable with sleep deprivation.
I finally discovered that not only sleeping 8 hours a night, but also at the correct interval, allowed me to feel better immediately. It took me almost 2 years to become a morning person! Now I enjoy my mornings, and you can too.
Andrea Holt is a Holistic Health Coach and the creator of Happy Brain Movement. After a life-long battle with low moods and a desire to never let another anti-depressant go past her lips, she set out to find exactly what it is that makes people depressed and what she could do about it. Andrea has collected her research and made it available to others with the hope that she can save someone else the trouble of going through the anti-depressant merry-go-round, and create a life that they truly desire and cherish. Healthy lifestyle, foods, movement and positive thinking are among her favorite subjects. Visit her website at http://www.happybrainmovement.com and Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/happybrainmovement.
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