Welcome! Today we are going to reflect upon that necessary but at times an allusive state…Sleep.
And what it actually does for our body, mind & spirit with some useful tips to help us get that deep restorative sleep that we all so desperately need.
First, let’s get our cuppa’s, with the winds blowing from the icy South pole, I thought Morning Sunshine tea, a blend which combines black teas from Assam, Darjeeling & Rwanda would keep us toasty warm.
To accompany this I have made us some gf buckwheat pikelets with sliced banana & maple syrup straight from the hotplate, with a dollop of decadent fresh cream, topped with flaked almonds… Delicious!
We are seated indoors in my comfy & warm living room that looks out onto the Bush reserve across our front garden as the morning sun filters through our full length windows.
Sleep is such an important & necessary time each day…
Don’t you think… last week during our time of reflection, as you may remember, we looked at Who are you? & the important lifestyle inclusions that longitudinal research has discovered that greatly help to lower our risk of dementia.
Quality & quantity of sleep is one of these inclusions & I shared that this is the main one, since having chronic health conditions, that is at times the most allusive for me.
And that I have now put strategies into place that are actually working & have helped enormously.
So, I thought I would share these with you today, as many who visit here shared that they also find getting enough restorative sleep, allusive.
However before I share these strategies, we’ll reflect upon what sleep actually does for us & why it is so important.
During our waking hours there are a great deal of neuro chemicals surging through our brains, while these help to maximize our thinking ability, over the course of the day, they build up a waste product that becomes toxic in our brains…also known as Amyloid-beta plaque.
It appears from recent research findings that only during our sleeping hours do brain cleaning cell teams really come alive & flush away this toxic chemical bywaste.
Therefore, the quality & amount of sleep (approximately 6-8 hrs) is very necessary for this cleaning & restorative process.
The rest of our body is also renewed, refreshed & restored during the process of sleeping, the body’s own maintenance teams all come to life in all the different systems of the body as we slumber!
In other words the body’s night shift teams do their work as we sleep! The following sleep strategies are those that I find work for me:
- Increasing my daily physical activity…That is apt for my personal circumstances.
- No caffeinated drinks or any food after dinner (6.30 -7pm) at night. Instead my last cuppa at night is Vanilla Rooibos shared in Focus…
- I journal any concerns I may have…then I put my faith into action & trust God for the outcome.
- Keep to a set pre bedtime routine, this tells my brain it’s time to wind down.
- Have the bedroom at a neutral temperature (not too hot or too cold).
- No digital devices or TV in the bedroom.
- Warm the bed in winter before climbing under the covers, then turn off the warmth. It’s not good for your heart health to get into a wintery cold bed, remember what is good for the heart is good for the brain!
- Always a prayer time & goodnight kiss with my hubby before the lights go out.
- We have white noise going during the night.
- We like a dark room, so we have block out curtains.
- If I can’t fall asleep after 30 minutes I get up & read for a little while (don’t toss & turn as that is counter productive) then go back to bed.
These strategies have been working for me…I call that a great success!
A good night’s sleep also recharges the spirit
The world looks so much brighter & we feel much more positive when we are refreshed!
It’s also a great investment for our future brain health in the prevention of Dementia strategies.
Do you have troubles sleeping dear friend?
What strategies have you tried or are thinking of trying?
Until next time,
Jennifer
You’re most welcome to join me in The Reading Nook
Or in Prayer
© 2019 Jennifer M. Ross, teawithjennifer.blog All Rights Reserved. Photo on Pexels.com
Featured at Grace & Truth Linkup
Tea With Jennifer 
Sleep is not the best of things,
a truth I had to learn.
Peace ain’t what the darkness brings;
it’s when monsters return.
Wish I had lived another life,
that would have been quite nice,
but I chose Way Of The Knife,
and now I pay the price.
My wife and I can’t share a bed;
not by choice, for safety’s sake,
for memories inside my head
make me dangerous to wake,
but I guess that is the score
when one comes back from the war.
Such a poignant poem Andrew, thank you for sharing your heart here.
I know that your life has been turned around by the Lord now & you have much to teach from past experience to all to follow His peace & not war.
Bless you 🙏
I hope your sleep has continued to go well since you originally wrote this post, Jennifer. Mine has improved this year. We finally got blackout curtains and wow, it does make a difference. 🙂
Yes, these sleep strategies continue to help Lisa, qulaity sleep is such a precious gift.
I’m glad you too are finding a simple strategy of blockout curtains has helped. 🙂
I too struggled for years with sleep issues.
I’m glad you have found a resolution now 😀
I’ve always had trouble sleeping. These are all great ways to sleep better. I’ve tried most of them and most of them help a lot.
It’s good to get what works for you Tina, there’s nothing like a good night’s sleep! So glad they’re helping 😀
I used to be able to quickly fall asleep but am finding this harder as I grow older. But going to bed when I am tired and not fighting or trying to stay up later always seems to help. A cooler room so I can snuggle underneath my covers helps me too. I appreciated your suggestions!
Thank you Joanne, sleep is so important in so many ways, it’s getting that right fit for us to be able to have that quality rest 😀
Another great post! I try to write everything down, so I don’t forget anything, but also so it doesn’t keep me up. I also have made peace with my insomnia. I find that worrying about it makes it even worse, so I just allow myself to be awake peacefully.
Writing & journeling before bed are great practices Mishka, it helps to unload the mind…sending you a peaceful day today 😀
These are great tips, Jennifer. I know this is a struggle for many women. I used to struggle with it, but have been able to overcome it for the most part. Now I only struggle with it if I drink caffeine in the evenings.
Oh, and by the way, I’m featuring this post tomorrow for our weekly Grace and Truth link up on Candidly Christian.
Oh thank you Heather, what a privilege!
Yes, caffeine is problematic for sleep as its a stimulant…Great to hear you are getting the sleep for your body’s maintenance teams to do their work 😀
Thanks for sharing, Jennifer. I rarely have problems sleeping, but when I do, I really do… Sharing your post as there are so many who need relief and restoration when it comes to sleep. ❤ Blessings!
Thank you Bette for your encouraging support ♥
Thank you so much for this post. Your posts always relax me and I feel as if I am actually there sharing a cup of tea with you. Keep up the great work.
That’s wonderful to hear, I’m so glad you enjoy our time together & thank you for your encouragement 😀
These are great tips, Jennifer! Getting enough sleep is so important and something I have been trying to work on. I’ve found it helpful to be more intentional about going to bed earlier and taking some time to wind down by reading before I sleep.
Thank you Lesley 😀 Those sound like great sleep habits! 😀