The Time Before Bed is Sacred : the effect on quality of sleep and tomorrow

I have inadvertently downloaded an app named  "Medium" which presents  articles based on the readers personal selection of topics and themes. I say "inadvertently' but clearly I have selected my interests, at some point - or perhaps this is another example of online click bait to which I have succumbed.

Either way, the article I have read this morning by Tim Denning at www.timdenning.net is relevant and interesting, if nothing different or new to what most of us know, but often don't put into practice. The detrimenral effects of not practising these suggestions are obvious, but repetition leads to consolidation, which in this case surely is a positive.

 What we do before bed determines how well we sleep and whether we will wake up  energised with our bodies and minds ready to begin the next day.
Morning routines are important, yet useless if you wake up tired and lifeless. It’s not easy to get out of bed and start your day with confidence and energy if you haven’t slept well.
The suggestion here is that our day is prepared the night before and that our mind needs to be emptied as the day has caused it to overflow with thoughts, ideas and concerns and stories which repeat themselves constantly.

Talking to someone about your day and in person  - face to face or with a phone call , rather than on social media can help with this. If this is impractical, write down your thoughts before you sleep. We seem to have lost the practice of diary writing which in itself is therapeutic as the act of writing unburdens us of too many thoughts all vying for top position in our exhausted brains. It's good to read back on these thoughts at times when we are struggling to focus and prioritise on feelings and events.

Though it is generally accepted that the less staring at a screen the better before sleeping, watching a mind-numbing TV show allows us to relax and escape our thoughts and concentrate on something simple.
Denning suggests that “Grand Designs”  is an example of this as he will will never be a builder and has no intention of building a house or renovating.  Whatever you are not particularly interested in and doesn't involve questioning your own actions and beliefs, is key here and we all have our own favourites.

The whole point of routines,  before bed or otherwise is to get yourself relaxed, mentally and physically. A warm bath or shower is an excellent and age old way to relax. There is something about time alone with your body immersed in water that is difficult to explain. Perhaps it is the "memory" of  being in the womb before birth;  the sound and motion of the water has a meditative effect, whatever the reason.

Eating just before you sleep is best avoided as the body needs time to rest and that includes your stomach. Not eating after 8 pm or before 7 am can increase your energy levels as your body has plenty of time to relax without being bombarded with never ending calories that it has to work overtime to process.

And finally ...

Most of us spend a large portion of our day in front of a computer or phone screen and this can easily add to our worries and keep us awake at best, or cause nightmares at worst. Not only do we have our own family and personal  concerns but we take on board many things that we have no control of. News and politics from around the world assault us every minute of every day and if we do not consciously switch off from this then we can become overwhelmed, leading to anxiety and stress.
Accepting worries and letting them rest until tomorrow is not easy to do though, so thinking about what we have achieved during the day can put things in context, give us a sense of pride and help us to relax. It doesn't have to be a major event ... did you get to read that book, or go for a walk or visit someone ?
Appreciating one thing helps you to realtse how much you already have. Every day, you get one gift of something going right amongst all the stuff that goes wrong. This gift is a good focus point to reflect on and be at peace with.

Have a good day, and a peaceful, restful night.



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