02 Aug 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.