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Are you getting a restful, full night of sleep these days? Sleeping like a baby without a care in the world? If you scoff at the thought, you're not alone. Even though we know that a good night's sleep will make you healthier, enable you to perform better, allow you to focus, lose weight, and generally feel better, how many of you actually get a full night of quality rest?
The other day I got an email blast from Tory Johnson at Women for Hire called Sleepless in the USA. It cites a recent poll by the National Sleep Foundation that that almost a third of us cannot get a good night's sleep because of the rising unemployment and dim economic picture. The Catch-22 with this is clear. Worry and not getting enough rest will only magnify your problems.
"What is very telling is that these Americans whose sleep is impacted by financial worries report that their sleep disturbance makes them much less likely to work efficiently, exercise, eat healthily, and have sex compared to their better-sleeping fellow Americans," said report co-author Michael V. Vitiello, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at University of Washington.
These sleep-disturbed Americans also report that they're more than twice as likely to miss participating in family events, leisure activities and work functions because of their sleepiness, Vitiello added.
Now anyone who has worked their way through a round of impending layoffs, even in decent times knows how unsettling it can be. Even if you are good at releasing what you cannot control, it is impossible not to have it cross your mind. You can cut the tension with a knife at the office. You go home and worry more as the tension mounts there as well wondering if the flow of income will continue. With all the media hype and chicken-little-ing going on these days, the group mind is mired in fear. Add a few people to a conversation and all of a sudden a small conversation about money or business turns into a roaring blaze of panic. No wonder people cannot sleep. Need I remind you though that lack of sleep makes for desperate thinking and desperation is not attractive.
While you cannot control your employer, the general economic climate, or what your clients choose to do/not do, you DO have control over how you take care of yourself. Self-care is important all the time and even more important in times of crisis. Even though I personally don't consider the current state of affairs a crisis (more a wake-up call and re-adjustment), many do and regardless of where you stand on the issue, your body may feel like it is a crisis because of your beliefs about the matter. So get back to basics and follow tried and true habits for better sleep. Things like:
- Don't watch upsetting or violent television right before bed (that includes the news)
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine
- Exercise regularly (but not right before bed)
- Take time to wind down mentally and physically before hitting the sheets
- Use your bedroom for what it's meant to be used for - sleep and sex (not doing work, watching TV, paying bills, etc.)
- Have regular sleep times
Check out these resources to read more tips:
- National Sleep Foundation - "Sleep Smart"
- Wife of a Warrior - How to Get a Good Night's Sleep
- "Have Sleepless Nights? How to Get a Good Night's Sleep"
Remember that losing sleep is not a strategy for thriving and it is not even a coping strategy. Take good care.
Paula Gregorowicz, owner of The Paula G. Company, offers life coaching for women to help you gain the clarity, confidence, and courage you need to have success on your own terms. Get the free eCourse "5 Steps to Turn Fear Into Freedom" at her website
Get the latest word on personal finances from an LGBT perspective and Paula's practical coach approach to the topic at Queercents http://www.queercents.com.
