Sleep Tight…….

Sleep Tight…….

At night, when we are sleeping, something powerful and

important is happening. This is when our brain heals from

the anxiety of the day. So, you can imagine what happens

when we don’t get a good night’s sleep. Stress and anxiety

build and can snowball into the next day, and the next, and

the next….

When our sleep environment is not adequate to facilitate

a restful night’s sleep, then we suffer the following day.

As William Shakespeare said, sleep is the “balm of hurt

minds,”a chief nourishing element in life’s feast.

We desperately need quality sleep, and technology often

interferes. Many of us view sleep as something that gets in

the way of our internet surfing and TV watching. We don’t

realize the peace we can experience as a benefit of a good

night’s sleep.

Researchers are learning that without a good night’s

sleep, our health begins to be compromised, and we struggle

in our day-to-day lives. Sleep disorder diagnoses are on the

rise. With over 71% of us sleeping with our phones by the

bed, it has become a large factor in sleep disorders. Anxiety

and depression are symptoms of sleep disorders, and anxiety

is the number one mental illness in our world today.

Is it a coincidence that we all have smartphones in use

constantly, and we also have higher than ever anxiety issues?

I highly doubt it.

Do you need a nap every afternoon, wake up tired in

the morning, or fall asleep while watching TV? Then quite

possibly you need to curb your device usage at bedtime.

See if you can relate to a few other symptoms that

manifest when tech interrupts your sleep:

»» Irritability

»» Trouble focusing during the day

»» Needing alcohol to fall asleep

»» Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep

»» Consuming multiple energy drinks

during the day to stay awake

»» Feeling that your time is not productive

If any of the above describes you, then you are likely not

getting proper sleep and should consider less screen time to

support your sleep health.

Research supports that if you spend more than one hour

each day on your device, you will be more likely to exhibit

symptoms of depression, which is the twin of anxiety. Too

much device usage an hour before bedtime can cause brain

stimulation, which interferes with REM sleep. The best way

to remedy this—set your bedtime, and don’t watch your screen for 2 hours before sleeping.

Turn the lights down, take a warm bath then tuck away for a lovely night’s sleep. You will notice

the difference the following day and be glad you did.



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