Tag: sleep well

This is how you sleep well!

There’s no need to explain the fact that a good night’s rest is important for our well-being.

During sleep, the body’s repair processes are running at full speed.It helps us become fit and attractive, literally overnight. However, if you have a hard time falling asleep, or toss and turn during the night—and get upset about it to boot—the nightly calm and flow that contribute to your quality of life get disrupted.

Sleep disturbances have different causes. From serious illnesses to psychological stress to the belief that you’re simply not capable of sleeping well. I especially want to encourage those of you who fall into that last category.  Thats why I want to share my ideas about how to get a good night’s rest.

In the post “How You Can Lower Your Biological Age”, I describe the conditions for creating a sleep-friendly lifestyle.

Apart from the temperature, darkness and noise levels in the bedroom, it’s the little things that can make a big difference in the quality of your sleep.

Here’s my recipe for a good night’s sleep:

  • Take a 15-minute walk shortly after waking up—and once again after dinner.
  • 1 hour before bedtime: Turn off or put away all the electronic devices you think you can’t live without.
  • On days when you exercise, take 400 mg of magnesium after dinner, which helps relax the muscles and make you sleepy.
  • On exercise-free days, have 1 cup of tea with sleep-inducing herbs in the evening.
  • Before lying down, do a 10-minute meditation at the edge of the bed.
  • If you wake up during the night, breathe deeply into your stomach several times. Count to 10 when you exhale. In between breaths, repeat the word “stop” in your head.
  • After a particularly exciting day, a tablet of high-dose (1000mg) valerian can help you calm down and sleep better.

Good night!

 

Let there be light!

There’s no living thing on earth, apart from a few animal species that only live underground, that doesn’t somehow depend on the sun.

Nothing has greater power over our planet than the sun. It determines the rhythms of nature, regulating its hibernation and blossoming phases. The warming rays of the sun give us a sense of comfort and well-being. When the sun withdraws, nature longs for it to reappear.

Besides warmth, the sun provides light, which is not only indispensable for the survival of plants and animals, but also for us humans, as part of life on earth. Sunlight determines our waking and sleeping patterns, thereby influencing our sense of well-being.

Through exposure to sunlight on our eyes and skin, we release hormones that keep us active during the day and help us fall asleep at night. Without a sufficient “dose” of sunlight, our hormones grow out of balance and become more susceptible to disruption, ultimately impacting our biological age.

So what’s a sufficient “dose” of sunlight? I don’t think there’s an upper limit here.

Every morning, I try to take a 10-minute walk around the block before breakfast.

If you go to work early in the day, you  automatically get your morning dose of sunlight.

During the day, try to spend as much time outside as possible. Even in winter. Why?

Light and fresh air create the best conditions to improve your biological age!
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