The Importance of Good Quality Sleep

Benefits of a good night sleep are that the body can only restore and repair when we are asleep. We can survive as human beings on very little food and water. When we are sleep deprived it has a negative impact on our mind, body and spirit. This was why during the Second World War this was used as a form of torture, as it has such a devastating effect upon us.

How much do you need? It varies for each individual and as a rough guide eight hours is the optimum amount for most of us. Many things can have an impact on our sleep quality and duration not least chronic and acute stress. Also eating late in the evening can have an impact on how easily we sleep. A good rule of thumb is to eat no later than 8 pm if you are going to sleep at 11 pm. This is because it takes approximately 3 hours for your body to digest food. Any food which has not been processed within those three hours will turn to sugar, which can be disruptive for blood sugar levels and put an additional strain on the digestive organs especially the liver.

In Chinese medicine we believe that there is a system called the horary cycle that shows at what point of the day your body and specific organs are working at their optimum effectiveness. So, for instance if you are waking up consistently between 3 and 5am it is because your lung and liver meridian is working especially hard to process things on your behalf. The liver is said to be about fear, irritation, disappointment and anger. Whilst the lungs are always about unresolved loss and grief issues. Sometimes just knowing that this is why you are waking up can be helpful in knowing what support you may need to resolve these issues.

Something I teach my patients who have suffered or are suffering from chronic insomnia is how to sedate the adrenal glands using hand reflexology. Basically, starting at the middle outside edge of your thumb, using the index finger from your other hand, slide diagonally across to the centre of the palm of your hand. This is where your adrenal glands are situated just above the kidneys. So, with that index finger do gentle circular motions massaging gently away from the thumb. Then do the same on the other hand. This is best done just before you retire. Should you wake up during the night simply do it again. This will get your body back into a positive pattern and will promote restful sleep for you.

Additionally, watching and listening to the news throughout the day and especially in the evening can mean that painful, negative, challenging images are still playing on your mind as the negative words are embedded. Many of us who have been sensitive to the news in the past and acknowledge that our insomnia was caused by this issue chose to watch less or to stop watching earlier in the evening. Many years ago, a therapist challenged me to stop engaging with the news in any format for three weeks. I accepted the challenge and discovered that I was far more peaceful and slept restfully as a result. The news often increases stress levels, heightens our fight or flight response, and is reported as causing stress related disorders such as high blood pressure, digestive problems, and feelings of being agitated and anxious. I believe that the old adage No News is Good News applies very well here. Although it usually applies to a situation for instance when a loved one is in hospital and we believe that the fact that the hospital hasn’t phoned us means its good news.

There is a monthly newspaper called Good News. It carries lots of wonderful articles about the heroism in the world, and the beautiful kind and loving experiences that are happening globally.

Good News, Inspiring, Positive Stories

How much water should you drink before bed? This varies and depends very much on how much water you’ve drunk during the day. It is also dependent on whether you’ve been drinking stimulants such as tea or coffee. These have a tendency to dehydrate the body and work as a diuretic. A good strategy is to stop drinking tea or coffee at 3pm so that you are only drinking good quality water for the rest of the evening thus hydrating the body.

If you do take a drink to bed especially water and you do not drink all of it before sleep, put a cover over it such as a coaster so that it is not filling up during the night with debris and negativity that is released from you during sleep, as I suggested earlier.

Strategies that may promote restful sleep is to listen to music, light a candle, have a warm bath before bed. Write down 10 things before you sleep that you are grateful for during the day. For five minutes before retiring, lie on your back, with your legs raised high up as this can help your heart to rest.

Ensure that within the bedroom environment there are as few electrical devices as possible. If you do have a TV in your bedroom unplug it at night because if you leave it on standby, it is emitting electromagnetic field which can be agitating and cause anxiety during your sleep time. If you have to use your phone as an alarm you need to fix it with a resonator available from Andy Kemp at https://quantumK.co.uk. He programmes and sells small copper rectangles to attach to your phone so that the electromagnetic field or EMF as it is sometimes referred to cannot harm you. This can also be applied to every electrical device that you have in your home, ensuring that you remain calm and rested during sleep.

If you find that you have absorbed electro-magnetic field (EMFs) you may find that your legs twitching whilst you’re in bed, which is sometimes referred to as restless legs. You may find that you feel agitated and angry for no apparent reason. Other symptoms may include feeling exhausted and out of sorts, where there is no rhyme or reason for you to be feeling like this. All you need to address this is a domestic hairdryer. It can be as economical as you like. The procedure that you’re going to do is called degaussing. The most important part of the hairdryer is the motor at the back of the hairdryer, as within this there are magnets that are spinning. When you are experiencing some or all of the symptoms above all you need do is plug in the hairdryer (if you have a long hair like myself, tie it up). Turn the hairdryer on, use any heat setting that you prefer then run the back of the hairdryer around your aura as close to your physical body as possible. I generally do these 2 or 3 times. Ensure that you don’t get the motor too close to you. When you’ve done that take the motor of the hairdryer (the back of it) and while it is still plugged in and working take the hairdryer from your crown all the way down to your feet. What this does is the magnets in effect chop up and break up the EMF field. This has instantaneous benefits and usually helps you to feel positive, lighter and more optimistic. The next time you’re experiencing some of the symptoms associated with EMFs just give the degaussing procedure a whirl.

Accept that you are doing your best Rest, Restore and Relax

Love and Sparkling Merfaery blessings Annie x x x