shutting it down

hello all and happy weekend! we’re deep into saturday and all the plans i had seem to have fallen by the wayside. instead of my usual running to be productive, it’s been a leisurely day of lounging and napping, surfing and dreaming.

i’ve been thinking a lot about sleeping lately, talking about it with friends and reading up on the benefits that happen when we get it and the downside when we don’t, even if it’s our choice. funny how some go with just a few hours a night and others need a full 1/3 day. some try to go without it completely although i can’t imagine why…

do you love to get that deep hard sleep where you feel almost drugged? why is is that we fight it like we’re kids who don’t want to miss anything?

i know for parents it’s got to be an impossible task trying to fit it in between moments of silence. that’s probably when you’re least likely to shut down, when you know you have to!

i’ve been reading a bit about it and found that even resting without actually sleeping helps recharge your batteries when you just can’t turn that running commentary in your brain off. in fact there’s some speculation that the body at rest, with the eyes closed, is still getting the exact same nutrients provided during actual sleep.

even if we can’t seem to shut off our brains, we can get horizontal and decompress. there are lots of ways to induce sleep from aromatherapy to yoga to feng shui to eating certain foods. some tips are below and links at the bottom of the post.

if only it were this easy!

if you know someone who needs a nap, taking the reins for a while can be the greatest gift you can bestow on them since it changes everything from an irritable mood to clarity.

and we need it as much as air air and water to do all we do

it’s hard to sleep with abandon, let your problems go, but know you have done what you can for today.

trying to sleep organically can prevent feeling tired in the morning and has the added benefit remembering your dreams. that can lead to a whole other life on a parallel plane!

i’m a firm believer in power naps but there are sure fire trips to get it all at once. one way is to start going to bed a little earlier each night and turn off your electronics for at least 15 minutes before shutting your eyes.

also unplugging all the things in your bedroom with wires, LED lights either blinking or steady…basically unplugging all electromagnetic frequencies so you can sleep uninterrupted

would you be a different person with more sleep?

maybe we’d be a little happier or peppier?

free to conquer the waking and sleeping worlds

even if you’re up from 8 to 8 it’s a long time to be vertical with no rest, it may have to be a conscious decision to shut life down.

sleep is a sure way to wake with a fresh mind and clean slate every single day no matter what happened the day before.

well i hope you have a great night

with lots of dreams

and if you need it, get to bed early

there’s always tomorrow to obsess all over again!

i hope you sleep like a king

and enjoy every minute of unconscious bliss!

all images via pinterest.com/parisapartment/sleep

yoga for sleep

feng shui

aromatherapy