Barb Brown

Preparing Your Environment to Get Good Sleep

June 25, 2018 by Barb Brown

Sleep is vital to our health. To get better sleep it's important to consider your diet, activities, routines, and your sleep environment. There are many things that can be done to enhance your sleep environment to improve sleep.

Preparing Your Sleep Environment

In addition to a regular bedtime schedule, it is important to make your bedroom a place that is conducive to sleep. The more comfortable and relaxing your sleep space is, the better your chances for falling asleep and staying asleep. Consider these tips when creating your relaxing sleep atmosphere:

Get rid of all annoyances and interruptions.
Control the room temperature; cooler air (between 65 and 70 degrees F) is typically more comfortable for sleep, however, set the temperature to your preference.
Allow for room ventilation, if possible. Crack a window slightly to allow for air flow. The circulating fresh air will help you breathe deeply, and provide oxygen that is essential for good sleep.
Use ear plugs if there are noises outside the bedroom. There are many types of plugs that are specifically for sleeping, so if at first you don’t find the perfect pair, try another.
Mask noises with a white noise machine if you decide to not wear earplugs. Machines are designed specifically for this purpose, or you can use a fan or air conditioner to provide the background noise. This will hide background sounds such as traffic or a barking dog.
Try listening to music using a CD player to play soothing background music. (more on that later on)
Your circadian rhythm, your body’s internal clock, relies on light and dark patterns to determine when to signal your body to fall asleep. Keep your room as dark as possible to help your body settle into a sleep state. Use mini-blinds and thick curtains to block light from windows. Try wearing an eye mask to block any remaining light.
Having a clock by your bedside might be adding to your sleep problem. If you are watching the clock all night long, face it toward the wall so that you can’t see the time. Constantly looking at the clock only makes you think about sleep, and lack of sleep, which continues the cycle of sleeplessness.
Consider a room humidifier for winter months when the air is dry.
Use your room only for sleeping. Remove the TV, computer, stereo. Your mind should associate your bedroom only with sleep.
Wear the most comfortable clothing you own. Non-constrictive clothing won’t wake you in the middle of the night. Or try wearing nothing at all.

Reducing Your Evening Stimulation

The best nighttime routine is one that leaves you feeling relaxed and ready to go to bed. If you are experiencing trouble falling asleep, it may be beneficial to avoid external stimulations for an hour or so before bedtime. Stimulation, such as watching television, keeps your mind active and alert. If you find it difficult to give up television before bed, try to select shows that are calming rather than aggressive, action-packed programs.

When reducing your evening stimulation to promote healthy sleep habits, try these tips:

Keep your bedroom television-free. This will help your mind and body associate the bedroom with sleeping only.
Don’t exercise up to three hours prior to bedtime. Remember that exercise wakes up your body, and unless physical activity is done well before you plan to go to bed, it will work against you when trying to sleep.
Plan to unwind when returning home from being out. If you jump directly into bed, your mind and body might not have sufficient time to decompress and slip into your evening routine.
Try reading. Non-technical reading might help make you tired. Avoid work-related or overly complicated material.
Consider an adult coloring book such as Color Me Calm.
Avoid falling asleep without turning off the light. This will wake you up in the night and disturb your sleep cycles.

The goal is to define the fine line between stimulation and relaxation when deciding how to unwind. Being able to easily relax at night will be paramount to your success in falling asleep naturally.

Cut Out Distractions and Sources Of Light

It’s hard to fall asleep when you get distracted by a noise or some blinking lights just as you’re ready to drift off. Cut out as many noise and light distractions as you can from your bedroom. Get rid of electronic devices and invest in a good pair of curtains. Any source of light can mess with your ability to fall asleep.

This includes your phone or tablet. It’s one of the worst sources of light, particularly because you have the device close to your face. The illumination coming off your screen tricks your brain into thinking it’s daytime. Turn off your phone and leave it in the other room when you go to bed.

As you can see here, there are many different tips to try to help you sleep better. Each individual has their own unique combination of elements that make up their perfect sleep environment. If one suggestion doesn’t work for you, make note and try another until you find out what works best for you.

If you would like more information about getting better sleep, please visit www.GetGoodSleep.com.

Daytime Habits to Improve Sleep

June 6, 2018 by Barb Brown

Your daytime routine can impact your ability to sleep well. Making good choices during the day can have a huge benefit of getting to sleep easily and staying asleep longer. Daytime activities such as eating, exercise, and stress management play a role in overall health as well as getting good sleep.

Experts say that eating the right foods can help a person be lulled into sleep without so much hustle. If one wants to get better sleep, paying attention to what we eat will go a long way to sleep better. In addition, it’s important to avoid eating foods that may upset our stomachs or contain ingredients that stimulate the nerves and the senses such as those with caffeine content.

To help the body relax, enough physical activities, such as walking, elliptical, dancing, or weightlifting should also be included in your daytime routine. Exercise does a couple of things. Moving your body on a regular basis uses energy during the day so you can be tired at night. Daily exercise also helps with stress and anxiety. And when you take a walk outside, sunshine during the day (especially morning sun) also helps you sleep at night (balances your circadian rhythm). More on that shortly.

How Foods Affect Your Sleep

Your diet matters and impacts your ability to fall asleep and maintain sleep at night. By eating a healthy diet, avoiding processed foods, sugar, fat, and preservatives, you may find that you can stop the cycle of insomnia and improve your overall health.

Consider these guidelines for a healthy sleep diet:

Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Eat lean protein and limit red meat.
Avoid processed foods, sugar, and fast food.
Avoid spicy, fatty and heavy foods.
If you need a snack before bed, make it low in fat and sugar.
Eat your last meal four or more hours before bedtime.
Try not to overeat at your nighttime meal.
Drink plenty of water throughout the day. A well hydrated body won’t wake up in the night because of dehydration.

Watch yourself for food allergies that might be subtly causing you sleep disturbances. Common food allergies that might affect your sleep patterns are wheat, dairy products, corn and chocolate.

A well-balanced, wholesome diet will help you be a healthier person overall. General health is a huge factor in your ability to fall asleep naturally. If your daily intake of food is healthy, your body and mind will be healthy and well-nourished, helping you sleep deeply without waking in the night.

Stay Away from Internal Stimulants

While there are many external stimulates in your environment, there are also stimulants that affect your body from the inside. Impacting the way you feel, think, and relax, these products contain caffeine, sugar, and chemicals. While you don’t need to completely remove these items from your diet, you do need to pay attention and be sure not to ingest them after dinnertime to avoid difficulty falling asleep.

Caffeinated beverages. Caffeine wakes up your body and mind by raising your heart rate. Since it has this effect, it is considered a stimulant. Coffee, colas, teas, and chocolate beverages contain caffeine. Have your last caffeinated beverage at least 3-4 hours prior to bedtime to avoid having difficulty sleeping.
Chocolate. Chocolate has caffeine and sugar, both of which are stimulants that will keep you from having a restful night’s sleep. Do not have chocolate for 2-3 hours prior to bedtime.
Alcohol. While alcoholic beverages might make you feel drowsy and help you fall asleep, the sleep is typically not restful. For example, you might find yourself waking up in the middle of the night feeling dehydrated, then have trouble falling back to sleep. If you have sleep problems, alcohol really isn’t your friend.
Smoking. Tobacco contains nicotine which is a stimulant. Your body’s nicotine dependency can cause your body to wake when the level of nicotine in your system becomes low. Try not to smoke in the hours before bedtime. Better yet, quit for good to improve your sleep and your overall health.

The Benefits of Sunlight to Help You Sleep

It may surprise you that getting morning sun can help you sleep at night. So go outside and soak up some sunshine, preferably within two hours of waking up. Morning sunlight boosts your daytime energy and can contribute to regular, more restful sleep. Here’s why, “every living thing responds to the greater rhythm of night and day, darkness and sunlight, called circadian rhythms. Sunlight regulates circadian rhythms, our sleeping and waking cycles, and a host of hormones involved in our overall wellbeing.” For more information about the circadian system you can visit www.sleepfoundatoin.org.

Physical Activity
Being active during the day is an important factor in how well you sleep at night. If you are physically active during the day, your body will be able to relax and fall asleep easier. Exercise helps your body deal with daily stress and anxiety and it has a positive impact on the chemicals in your brain. How much you exercise is linked to your physical and emotional health. Regular exercise will help you fall asleep and maintain a sleep state because your sleep cycles become more consistent and the transition between them becomes more seamless. Try to work physical activities into your life daily to help with sleep.

There is some controversy around when the perfect time is to be physically active. Some studies say morning activity is best while other studies say later in the afternoon or evening is best. Sometimes if you exercise too late it ramps up your body making it difficult to fall asleep. You decide what time works best for you.

The most important thing is to be physically active for at least 20-30 minutes a day, 3-4 times per week. Aerobic activities usually work best to remedy insomnia, and activities can range from an easy walk to a rigorous run. By making your heart rate go up, improving your lung capacity, and adding oxygen into your blood, your body will be in better health and you’ll be on your way to naturally enhancing your sleep.

In addition to aerobic exercise, there are other types of physical activity you can participate in that will benefit sleep. Consider yoga, Tai Chi, or Qigong. Yoga affects the brain and core muscles and improves blood circulation. Using yogic breathing techniques will help you relax and live with less stress. Tai Chi incorporates breathing with body movements in a slow-moving style that is perfect for individuals with joint pain or other issues that keep you from high-impact exercise. Qigong is similar to Tai Chi as well as meditation. It uses the breath to move energy through your body.

If you are having a difficult time falling asleep or stying asleep consider your diet and the amount of exercise you get in each day. Sometimes by making a few easy changes you can get back to a good night's sleep quickly. If you want more information, I invite you to consider my new self-study program, Get Good Sleep at www.GetGoodSleep.com.

The Importance of Sleep

June 2, 2018 by Barb Brown

Let’s talk about sleep. More importantly let’s talk about getting enough quality sleep each and every night. Why is this important? If you’ve ever gone a night without being able to sleep or have functioned on little sleep for any extended period of time in your life, you know first-hand how much sleeping or lack thereof impacts all aspects of your life.

Sleep’s Impact On Your Health

Getting a good night’s sleep is an important part of living a healthy lifestyle. Without adequate rest, your immune system will be compromised and you tend to get sick more easily.

Of course it doesn’t stop there. Lack of sleep has also been linked to increased weight-gain and all the negative effects of metabolic syndrome. Diabetics often notice their blood sugar levels and insulin levels getting out of whack when they don’t sleep enough. The same happens to your own body when you don’t practice healthy sleep habits. This explains the weight gain and related issues.

Combined with metabolic syndrome, lack of sleep has been shown to increase your risk of stroke and heart disease. That’s a scary thought, isn’t it? While a sleepless night here and there shouldn’t have you too worried, getting into good sleep habits should be something each and every one of us aims for.

Last but not least, you’re more prone to get injured when you’re running on too little sleep. To stay healthy, you need to make sleep a priority.

Sleep’s Impact On Your Emotional Wellbeing

Lack of sleep also wreaks havoc on our emotions. Sadness, joy, fear, anxiety… all strong emotions are amplified and blown out of proportion when you haven’t slept. Thus the expression “It will look different in the morning”.

While this is an important concept to keep in mind when you’re dealing with insomnia or other reasons for having to go without enough sleep, there’s also a strong connection to depression. Don’t increase your risk of becoming depressed by burning the candle from both ends for too long. You’ll feel better when you’re getting plenty of rest. I encourage you to make it a priority.

Sleep’s Impact On Your Mind

Finally, let’s talk about the brain and mind. Sleep helps you process thoughts, ideas, and experiences. Without sleep we often feel fuzzy. It’s harder to concentrate and focus because our brain just isn’t working as well as it should. Lack of sleep also reduces our ability to remember. If you want to improve your memory, focus, and clarity of thought, work on getting a solid night’s sleep on a regular basis.

There’s a reason you’re discouraged from driving when you’re very sleep deprived. The effect is similar to that of alcohol. Your decision making ability is impaired and your reaction time slows down.

Getting enough sleep keeps your brain working at its best. Isn’t’ it time you started making good sleep habits a high priority?

If you or someone you know is have a difficult time sleeping, I invite you to visit www.GetGoodSleep.com for my self study program about getting better sleep naturally.

Happy Movie

March 23, 2018 by Barb Brown

A Review of the Movie "Happy"

Last night I watched the movie "Happy." Filmmaker Roko Belic traveled to more than a dozen countries, searching for the meaning of happiness. Marci Shimoff, author of Happy For No Reason, narrated as people from all over the world are interviewed about being happy. Following are some of the highlights.

Genes, Life Circumstance, or Intention

From a study of identical twins, they found that 50% of our happiness level is determined by our genes. They also found that only 10% of our happiness comes from our life circumstances, such as our job, health, home, social status, etc. That leaves 40% of our happiness up to each of us with intentional activity and actions we choose to do each day. They determined that variety is truly "the spice of life" and happier people stay active and try new things on a regular basis.

Our bodies create a neurotransmitter called dopamine. This chemical is needed to feel pleasure and happiness. We tend to lose dopamine with age and severe loss can lead to Parkinson disease. Being active and adventurous creates dopamine and makes us feel happier. Regular physical activity and other activities that require us to "be in the zone" such as dancing, music, singing, and SoulCollage® leads to experiencing more happiness than others who don't participate in such activities.

In the movie, they interviewed several authors, professors, and other experts in the field of Positive Psychology who shared their wisdom and insights, including Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of the book Flow and Daniel Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness. Some of the insights they shared may surprise you.

All Adversity Isn't Bad

They explained that most people have an assumption that "all adversity is bad," but that is a false belief, according to the research. In fact, a key ingredient to happiness is the ability to recover from adversity quickly. "Bad" things are going to happen from time to time but how you deal with adversity and bounce back are key factors in determining your happiness.

Intrinsic v. Extrinsic Goals

Another concept the movie introduced is the idea of extrinsic and intrinsic goals. They suggested that people who focus on external goals are less happy than those people who focus on internal goals and needs including personal growth and a desire to help others. This concept will be discussed further in a future post.

All Work and No Play (and rest) CAN Kill You

The movie took us to Japan, not the happiest place on earth. I was surprised to learn that there is a phenomenon called Karoshi, which means working yourself to death. According to BusinessInsider.com, "Japan's karoshi concept can be traced back to the aftermath of World War II." Young people in their 30's are dying or committing suicide from overwork, lack of sleep and exhaustion.

We then traveled to the country of Bhutan, located in the Eastern Himalayas. As a country, they have adopted a philosophy known as "Gross National Happiness (GNH)." It includes an index which is used to measure the collective happiness and well-being of the population. In 2008 they set the goal of the government of Bhutan to focus on happiness. Can you imagine what life would be like if our own countries adopted the same philosophy?

The Happiest Place on Earth

The movie then took us to Denmark, known as one of the "happiest places on earth. In fact, the new World Happiness Report was recently published and for the seventh year ranks Denmark among the top three happiest of 155 countries surveyed. According to the movie, some of the reasons the people of Denmark are so happy is that Denmark promotes social equality and provide free education through college as well as free health care for life.

The movie concluded by saying that "we all need something bigger than ourselves to care about" in order to happy. Being a part of a community, being social, being of service to others, and participating in structured religion or spiritual practices can be beneficial to our emotional state and make us more happy.

Happy people function better, are more productive, are healthier and live longer lives. That's what this blog and my mission is all about. Discussing ways to find more happiness and joy in our everyday lives and journey on this planet. I'm glad you are here and hope you come back often to see what insights I have to share about being happy. I encourage you to check out the movie (I found it on Netflix). I've included the trailer below.

Choose Health to Find More Joy

February 22, 2018 by Barb Brown

Healthy living is a matter of making peace with yourself, others, and the world around you. It’s about balancing your life, time, and obligations as well as balancing your mind, body and spirit.

You can use a variety of techniques to achieve health and balance, but true harmony and balance comes from within.

It's Time to Put Your Health First

Your well being should be a priority in your life, but let’s be honest, life gets in the way. The job, the house, the kids, and more all demand our time and energy making it so easy to place our health on the back burner, leaving it unattended until illness sneaks up.

Our health can be something that's taken for granted. We feel invincible until it fails us. We live in a stressed out, crazy fast, and toxic world that takes a toll on our body, mind, and spirit. If we get caught in the rat race trap, life happens and we get older, sicker, fatter, stressed and further away from our goals and dreams. However, by taking preventive action in the form of adopting a more healthy lifestyle you will reap many rewards including better health, mental vitality, a longer life and lasting joy!