On the importance of sleep...........

Sleep.

 For some of us easier said than done, and for some of us,...sometimes a rickety old bench may have to do for a bed and a smooth rock for a pillow.

(This painting is my interpretation of a photo I found in a "Best of Black and White Photographs" book.)

The back story to this photograph: a bombed out city, debris everywhere and people all around  the sleeping man foraging through the rubble searching for anything that they can use. In the midst of all the fervor, a man sleeps. 

I was attracted to this image not only because I thought the photo was great, but also because there seemed to be such a stillness about the man on the bench.

For some of us, sleep comes easy, yet for other of us, sleep can be evasive and we may find ourselves unable to switch of our "brains" long enough to fall asleep.  Why is sleeping important? one may ask.

Those in the know tell us that we need sleep in order for our bodies and minds to function properly. While we are sleeping, the body goes to work repairing and healing, balancing and supporting, restoring and developing, and preparing us for our "awake" lives.

Although we may experience sleep as our minds and bodies as being at rest, apparently, that's not the case, rather...our minds and bodies are hard at work. 

Not getting enough sleep, and with that I mean; enough sleep in order for our minds and bodies to rejuvenate; can have dire consequences. Lack of sleep can affect: our ability to make sound judgments, our ability to focus, our ability to think clearly, our patience, our stamina, our emotions, etc. etc. in short, a lack of sleep can potentially turn a Dr. Jekyll into a Mr. Hyde.

In my early twenties, as an experiment, I decided to see what would happen if I stayed awake for three days. After one night of no sleep I felt a bit shaky, foggy, irritated and de-hydrated, but still able to function at work. After two nights of no sleep, work was out of the question. I could not concentrate and I had zero patience with anyone or anything. After three days of no sleep, I began to hallucinate, light hurt my eyes, sound hurt my ears, and I was all over the place both mentally and physically. Conclusion: Sleep is a necessity for well-being and a sound mind.

So, having said that, what if one is a person who finds it hard to fall asleep?

Perhaps a good start to overcome it is to try to define what it is that prevents you from falling asleep.

Some have suggested that it may be helpful to turn off and not bring mobile phones, pads, pods, etc. etc. i-Thingy's into the bedroom.  

The body's core temperature drops while we are sleeping, so it can be helpful to have a cool-ish bedroom. (If you're feeling cold, "hug" a hot-water bottle rather than turning up the room temperature.)

Some people find that relaxing music(/sounds) playing softly in the background can be helpful to dropping off, yet others may find that ear-plugs can assist falling asleep by shutting out sounds.

During a particularly difficult and stressful time in my life when I found myself staring at the ceiling hour after hour, night after night, my then partner feed up with me tossing and turning turned to me and asked:  "What time is it? 

"Three in the morning," I answered.

"What can you do about the thing that you are tossing and turning about.. right now?" 

"Nothing" I answered.

"Well, stop thinking about it until you can actually do something about it then" and with those words my tossing and turning was "cured". (Who could argue with that logic?)

I have since then also discovered that I can quiet my ever racing mind by listening to talk-back radio when I hop into bed, which may not work for some, but may still be worth a try.

There is something called the "4-7-8  Breathing technique" that some find really helpful:

1. Breath in for 4 seconds

    2. Hold breath for 7 seconds

               3. Slowly breathe out for 8 seconds

Even if one has a very hectic and busy life, viewing sleep as essential for good decision making and a balanced mind can also be helpful.

Some suggest that having a regular sleeping schedule can be beneficial as well.

What many consider not to be helpful is drinking coffee before going to bed, ruminating on what if''s, and or using the bed as a "work-station".

Sleep, is when our conscious minds can hand over all our worries and concerns

to our ever present and equally wise subconscious minds,

so that when we wake up, 

once again, ..... the sun shines.

"Sleep is the golden thread that ties health and our bodies together."
(a revision of a Thomas Dekker quote)