Alive & Well

Ten Ways to Get Better Sleep

When a person has a chronic illness, they often focus on treating the symptom rather than treating the underlying cause. After doing a thorough health and lifestyle examination on a guest at Lifeline Wellness Institute, we learned that one of the primary factors contributing to their ailment was lack of sleep.

Our bodies are designed for rest and, currently, our world goes on and on, nonstop. There is a sense of pride for those cities that “never sleep” and the 24/7 has become a reality in our society today. Fifty percent of our clients suffer from insomnia, sleeping less than six hours per night. The importance of rest can’t be underestimated as this is the only time our bodies can heal and repair. The body will always prioritize dealing with stress and digestion over healing and repair. And if we can’t find time to rest physically, mentally and spiritually, our bodies break down to a point which makes recovery become very difficult. So, how can we form good sleep habits and get a good night’s sleep? 1. Exercise. Try to achieve at least 7,000 steps daily and try to do it outdoors. 2. Get as much sunshine during the morning as possible. This will reset your “wake/sleep clock.” 3. Avoid stimulating drinks and foods. These will overwork your nervous system and eventually make you chronically tired, making it harder to rest. 4. Use the bed for sleeping only. Train your system to know that the bed is only for sleeping. If you can’t sleep, get out of bed and read something until you feel tired again. 5. Avoid late dinners. Remember that the body will always prioritize stress and digestion over rest and

healing. Making the evening meal too heavy will disrupt your deep sleep. 6. Journaling. Write down your daily activities, top priorities for the coming day(s), and at least three things for which you’re grateful. This will help your brain unwind by pulling you into the present moment and allowing it to process information that keeps you up at night. 7. Make a relaxing environment for yourself. Your sleeping area should not be too hot or cold, and you should avoid using any lights at night. 8. Daytime pauses. During the day, take five 15-minutes breaks to change the pace, get up, walk through nature, talk to someone, pray, or read a Bible verse.

This will allow your brain to rest and will pay dividends at night. 9. Weekly break. Sabbath was created for our spiritual reset. Don’t miss the blessing of finding the intended rest of this day. 10.Walk step by step with the Lord. Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). P

Ramon Irizarry is the director of Lifeline Wellness Institute in Knoxville, Ill. E Ramon Irizarry