Real Life Real faith Journey to Wellness Journey to Wellness September/October | Page 6

This is why we need to give ourselves extra rest and sleep when we are ill, so that the body can heal itself.

“Sleep deprivation has effects on the body much like stress, including weight gain, increased cortisol levels, distorted thyroid hormone levels, and elevations in glucose and insulin that increase the risk for insulin resistance and diabetes,” says Robert Sach, Ph.D., of Oregon Health Science University in Portland.

A study from the University of Chicago shows that a sleep deprived body:

•Is less efficient at metabolizing sugar

•Has elevated glucose levels

•Can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity

•Tired people often turn to food as an aid for staying awake; therefore, sleep deprivation could be related to weight gain.

Sometimes when we’re snacking nonstop and wondering why, it’s our body telling us that what we really need is sleep. Since not thinking clearly is part of sleep-deprivation, it’s not surprising that we don’t recognize those signals.

God designed our bodies to be active during the day and to heal themselves while we sleep at night. When we follow His plan the healing takes place and we have fresh energy in the morning. Too often, though, we ignore this basic principle and suffer the consequences.

So if you have trouble sleeping or getting to sleep, here are some ideas. of them, but if just one idea is new and helpful to you, it will be worth reading.

1.Make sure the room is dark. I mean dark!

No moonlight or streetlights coming in through the windows, no lights from the alarm clock or plug-in devices. No lights!

Our bodies instinctively know that when it is dark, it is time for the mind and body to relax and shut down.

2.Don’t charge your tablet or phone near your bed, and don’t talk on your cellphone prior to an hour before bedtime.

3.Keep your day planner or a pad and pen by your bed and write down what you need to do tomorrow.

Thoughts are the enemy of sleep! If you lie down with all kinds of thoughts about what you want to do tomorrow, of course you can’t get to sleep because you’re worrying that you will forget them.

This way if you happen to wake up and think of some great idea or something to add to the list, it is right there for you to write it in and then forget it and go back to sleep.

4.Don’t eat or drink anything 2 hours prior to bedtime. Otherwise:

a.Your body will be busy digesting the food instead of relaxing.

b.When you do get to sleep, your body will still be working on the digestion process instead of being about the business of healing itself during the night.

c.Obviously if you drink liquids shortly before bedtime (even the frequently recommended chamomile tea), you may have to keep getting up during the night for bathroom visits!

5.Try different relaxation techniques while lying in bed, from counting sheep to tensing and then relaxing specific portions of the body, one at a time. Or listen to soothing nature sounds, white noise, or just a fan is helpful to some. Try a quality lavender essential oil in a diffuser by the bed to help you relax.

6.Try rubbing a few drops of lavender oil into your temples, or better yet ask your spouse to do it for you! This may not put you to sleep, but it certainly will relax you. Or dab some oil onto your pillow (be sure it won’t stain first) or place a cotton ball next to your pillow.

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