You know you're an insomniac when.......

I've just finished doing a series of free coaching sessions for people with sleep problems and not only has it has been really great to help people, but it was also fascinating how different and yet how similar their problems were.

So inspired by this, I thought I'd start a list of insomniac traits!

You know you're an insomniac when -

You celebrate getting 4 hours sleep.

It isn't a 2pm 'slump', it's a 2pm tsunami of exhaustion.

You have no idea what a 'sugar rush' is, you've been spoonfeeding yourself all afternoon and still want to sleep.

You laugh like a drain when someone complains they woke early at 5.30am and couldn't get back to sleep.

Your eyebags have bags of their own.

You can't remember the last time you had white eyes.

You tell everyone how amazing the moon looked at 2am this morning and they ask if you're an astronomer.

You've given up counting sheep and have moved onto grains of sand on the beach, but it still doesn't work.

You try your hardest not to snap when someone suggests you try Nytol

Or lavender oil....

You have 7 different shades of concealer in your make up bag, but none of them hide the grey under your eyes.

You can read a whole book in one night.

You are not going to be responsible for your actions towards the next person who says "It must be great to have those extra hours!'

You've forgotten what caffeine tastes like.

You can identify with zombies.

You can't survive without your weekend lie-ins.

When told that exercise will help you sleep and your first thought is "But I haven't got the energy to exercise!"

You could never be described as bright eyed and bushy tailed.

These are a few for a starters, I am sure there are many more and would love to hear your suggestions! 

 

The end of sleep?

This is a really interesting article about whether we can reduce the amount of time we need to sleep by the use of medications and control devices.

I find it an interesting debate.

In some ways spending 8 hours each day being effectively unconscious seems like a waste of time. So if we can reduce that time, then why not?

Then the other part of me kicks in thinking that if this is what has successfully lead human beings through thousands of years of evolution, why tinker with it?

Presently scientists do not fully understand why we sleep. They know we need it and the effects that happen if we don't sleep but not actually why we do it. This seems strange, especially in the modern world where technology and science are teaching us so much about our world and our bodies.

I love sleep, the getting ready for bed, feeling comfy and all tucked up, drifting of to sleep and the bizzare thoughts that go through my mind, the dreams and then waking - still feeling warm and comfortable in bed. As an ex insomniac I also know the side effects of not getting enough sleep - both the physical and the mental ones. It would concern me that if we all started reducing our sleep and relied on medication etc to counter the side effects - what the long term effects on our bodies would be.

After just one night of poor sleep I find myself being grumpy and irritable, taking things out on people when it is not their fault, poor decision making, eating more and exercising less. The long term effects are even more debilitating. It sounds great that the ideas mentioned in the article could help reduce these effects (and it opens the interesting possibility of how could these be put to use to help insomniacs) but how long for?
So far they seem to have useful temporary uses, but what would the long term effect of these be? This is one medical trial that I would be reluctant to put myself forward for. I have spent the last couple of years getting my health, fitness and energy levels back on track and would not want to jeopardize them.

One of the major things I find sad, is this modern belief that by sleeping we are wasting our time, when in fact sleep helps us make the most of the time we have, to live it more fully, be more productive and active each day. The modern lifestyle seems intent on reducing the importance and the time we spend asleep - the initial thoughts that technology would make our lives simpler and easier, allowing for more downtime, has in-fact been shown to be untrue and people are now connected 24/7, checking work emails before bed and when on holiday etc.
My life has been transformed since sleeping properly and maybe it is the people who have poor sleep patterns that fully understand the importance of sleep, rather than those who fall asleep easily and think nothing of it, who feel that we can reduce it or go without it.

It will be interesting to see where the research goes to reduce the need for sleep or to actively encourage it? In the meantime I'll continue to enjoy my sleep all 8 hours of it.

What do you think? 

Tips to improve your beauty sleep!

Everyone has heard of the term 'Beauty Sleep' and there has been scientific research to show that sleep deprivation will impact your physical appearance.

I remember my Grandmother telling me that an hour's sleep before midnight was worth two after. I'm not sure how true that is, however there are a few ways that you can further boost your physical looks while you are sleeping, how great is that?
Great results - minimum effort!

Feet and hands - While working in childcare, I needed to wash my hands frequently throughout the day, leading to dry, chapped hands. I'm sure there are plenty of other professions that cause your skin to dry out too. Before going to bed rub a generous amount of cream (or oil) onto your hands and feet and then put on a pair of cotton socks and/or gloves. Really be generous with the cream as over night it will sink into your skin and when you wake your hands will be soft and ready to face another day.

Hair - If you treat yourself to a deep conditioning treatment at the hairdressers then the treatment can only be left in for a short while, whereas if you put a treatment on at home, it can be left on for several hours overnight. There are plenty of hair serums that you can buy especially for this or you can try making one of your own. Make sure you cover the pillowcase with a towel before going to sleep.

Face - Of course one of the best ways of having healthy looking, glowing skin is to eat well, drink several glasses of water a day and, of course, get plenty of sleep but if you suffer a kin breakout then try here for some simple remedies to help clear your skin overnight.

Skin - when having your pre-bed bath, take the time to dry bush your body first to remove all the dead skin cells. Then after your bath, massage some oil or an oil based product into damp skin to keep in the moisture. Even better - how about using one with lavender essential oil to help you drift off to sleep.

So why not try one or two of these suggestions to help boost the power of your beauty sleep!