The way that I thought about sleep changed significantly when I read the book, “The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari” by Robin Sharma. In that book, the character realises that it is the quality not the quantity of sleep that he needs. When he becomes a monk and leaves his high-powered job behind, (a rather extreme measure, but it is a fable), he discovers that he doesn’t need as much sleep because he was more relaxed every day and his quality of sleep was significantly better.
Psychologists and mental health professionals will always ask you if you are getting enough sleep if you are suffering from a mental illness or burnout. The reason for this is they know that it is the number one thing that will impact your mental and physical health. It is more important than eating, socialising, or having a happy home life. Getting rest as well as sleep is vital for us to have a sustained and productive life. I was talking to a lady who takes a lot of pride in her job and she regularly does 80-hour weeks and she has a global role so is up late every night and gets very minimal sleep. Unsurprisingly, she found herself in burnt out and had to take a significant break from work. During that time, she discovered she needed to be sleeping much more and recognised that the work style that she was leading was unsustainable.
If you are not getting enough sleep during the night, you may like to try yoga nidra (yogic sleep) at other times of the day. It is a state of being between sleep and consciousness that’s conducive to deep emotional and physical healing, rewiring your brain, and self-exploration. You are awake but the rest you get is significantly more powerful than sleep. It is said that you can substitute one hour of yoga nidra for 4 hours of regular sleep.
Experts recommend you should get 6 to 7 cycles of REM sleep every night. There are many things that affect this prevalence; consumption of alcohol or caffeine, sense of worry and the environment in which you sleep. Your ability to have sustained sleep also decreases with age due to the reduction of melatonin in your system. REM sleep is important for your learning and memory. I am very blessed to be an excellent sleeper and can fall asleep at the drop of a hat, so they say, but for those who don't, there are many things that you can do to increase your sleep, most important is to stop using any devices or watching TV an hour before you go to bed, removing all electronic devices from the bedroom, taking a hot shower before bed, diffusing essential oils and exercising during the day. Once you get the sleep right, it is easier for everything else to improve, including work and relationships.
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