Sleep for Success

Georgie Arnaud

Don’t let life get in the way of your beauty sleep. I know that it can be difficult to remember to take care of ourselves at times, especially at this time of the year. The festive season has come and gone, so now instead of recovering from that busy period you’re probably thinking, ‘now I have to start preparing for a new year ahead.’ As much as that may be exciting, it is essential to take a moment to restore our sleep patterns and release any stress we’ve brought into the New Year. Let’s celebrate the year that’s just finished by celebrating our own wellbeing. If you have caught yourself zoning in and out of conversations lately or simply lacking the energy to get through the day, you need to start prioritising your rem cycle. Here’s how and why you should be getting some shut eye.

“Your future depends on your dreams, so go to sleep.”

– Mesut Barazany

1. Fitting sleep into your busy schedule

Have you noticed yourself zoning out during meetings or in conversations with work colleagues? You may be experiencing fatigue from unbalanced sleep patterns. It’s common when starting a new year to find ourselves pushing a bit too hard to ‘start the year off right’ or achieve all of our new year’s resolutions as soon as possible. We tend to disregard the fact that we need rest in order to be our productive, successful selves. It’s all about balance. Think about it this way, if you don’t give your mind and body the chance to recover each night, you’re probably never giving 100 per cent to your job or any of your other daily activities. You will never reach your full potential without first looking after yourself.

2. Recovering from Christmas stress

We’ve had a long, tough year. Don’t just ignore what you’ve been through in the last year or through the stressful Christmas season. Recognise the struggles you’ve overcome in 2021 and make an effort to start fresh. Somewhere along the way we all forgot to give ourselves a break and give ourselves that eight hours of sleep each night. It’s not too late to take control of our rem sleep and start the year revived and ready to go.

3. Returning to work environments

Office Christmas party fun would’ve been an exciting way for most of us to enjoy the new freedoms we’ve been granted after a long year of on and off lockdowns. However, the initial shock of normal socialisation would’ve been overwhelming and somewhat exhausting for some. It’s important that we acknowledge this and start to reintroduce healthy habits towards everyday connections with our friends and family again. Let’s focus on reigniting these friendships and returning to our energetic sociable selves, slowly but surely. How can you do this you may ask?

Here are my tips and tricks to rejuvenating myself for the new year.

Salvaging your sleep patterns

So, let’s explore some ways you can start making your sleep a priority rather than a convenience. Life is too short to disregard looking after ourselves and be present in everyday life. Some basic need to know tips are: - Making sure you set boundaries with work- don’t sacrifice your health by overworking yourself. Once you get home each day, shut all distractions from your job off and only focus on you time. - A proven way to improving sleep is being consistent with your diet- If caffeine is likely to keep you up at night make sure you’re watching your intake, and I know we all get a bit peckish around bedtime but it’s best to finish food intake a couple of hours before bed for good digestion, leading to a better night’s sleep. - Lastly, a regular and consistent sleep cycle is guaranteed to improve your sleep quality- ensure if you are getting a certain number of hours of sleep every night that you are getting that same amount each and every night. Set alarms to remind you if need be.

“The minute anyone’s getting anxious I say, ‘You must eat and you must sleep.’ They’re the two vital elements for a healthy life.” — Francesca Annis

Sleep retreats

It’s challenging to escape the everpresent technology and busyness of our everyday working lives, however what you could consider, is attending the very unique and modern experience of a sleep retreat. Rejuvenate yourself through the deep, relaxation methods of natural therapies, holistic treatments, and personal consultations. If you’re really struggling to balance your sleep and get a good night’s rest, there are multiple destinations across Australia that specialize in restoring your normal sleep pattern. Some possible getaways are: Golden Door Health Retreat NSW, Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat QLD, and The Sleep Detective Melbourne.

Yoga retreats

If you are looking to simply take a break from working or the stresses of life and recover for the year ahead, a yoga retreat could be your solution. Yoga retreats focus on reviving your energy and caring for your holistic wellbeing. They offer a variety of classes focused on pain relief, grief or trauma, gut health and a variety of other healing options targeted at your personal growth. As a result, studies have shown that yoga balances sleep patterns and is likely to reduce insomnia, due to the breathing awareness and mindful approach of yoga practice. Some options for yoga retreats in Australia are- BIYOME in Brisbane, Rasalila in Byron Bay NSW, Samadhi Retreat in Daylesford, Victoria.

Meditation and Self-care

The most accessible solution to rejuvenating your mind and soul before the working year, is to practice meditation and self-care each night. You can do this from the comfort of your own home, and it only takes a few minutes each night to relax yourself before your head hits the pillow. Simply take a seat anywhere you feel comfortable and start to take note of your breath, each time you feel yourself drifting away, bring yourself back to the present moment. In regard to selfcare, having a regular skincare or nightly routine will help to prepare yourself for rest and remind your body that you’re there to take care of it but now it’s time to take a break. If you want to practice a deeper understanding of meditation, consider attending a meditation or silent retreat, where you can find your peace in a quiet environment. You could visit Kadampa Meditation Centre in Brisbane or Perth, Billabong Retreat Sydney, or any of the many retreats around Australia.

You may not even think of sleep as one of your top five priorities right now, but the reality is if you fall behind in salvaging your sleep this year, overtime it will reflect in your job, your relationships and being present in your everyday life. Make sure you start this year right and acknowledge everything you’ve accomplished despite the obstacles thrown at you last year. After all, you have to wake up with yourself every day for the rest of your life, therefore you are the most important priority. So, remember sleep equals success and you can’t have success without a good night’s sleep.

Appetence

1. Desirous, wishful 2. Having or expressing desire for something