Make Today Matter » Energy

Your Weekly Challenge: You Need A Good Night’s Sleep

Brook — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:49:21 +0000

Making sure we are getting ample rest is one of the single-most important factors in maintaining a positive attitude and lower-stress which in turn increases our ability to challenge life, care for our selves, and care for others. With today’s hectic pace many of us aren’t refueling with adequate sleep or quality sleep.

Lack of sleep or lack of quality sleep is not something to take lightly. When we are tired we lose our ability to operate at our best which can quickly damage relationships, self-esteem, and job performance.

Are you getting enough sleep?

Answer these questions based on the last 7 days:

- Do you sleep through your alarm clock (once or more a week)
– Do you use the snooze button to sneak some extra sleep?
– Do you sleep in on weekends or days off?
– Do you wake up feeling non-refreshed?
– Do you find that you are irritable during the day (especially in the afternoon)?
– Do co-workers or family members often ask what is bothering you (they can’t identify an obvious source)?
– Do you have difficulty focusing on a task for over an hour and completing it accurately?
– Do you find yourself making “little” or “silly” mistakes?
– (Mistakes that could have been easily avoided by paying attention to detail.)
– Does the amount of sleep you get each night vary by more than an hour? (Example: 6 hours Monday, 5 hours Tuesday, 8 hours Saturday)
– Would you describe yourself as moody or would your co-workers or family?

Someone who is getting adequate sleep will usually answer less than 2 yes responses. If you marked between 3 and 5, lack of sleep or lack of quality sleep is likely having a negative impact on your life. If you marked 6 or more, lack of sleep or lack of quality sleep cannot be ignored any longer. Not only is it bad for your health and stress level, it is also a risk for hurting your overall performance and relationships.

Notes: If you scored 5 or more, you may want to re-take this quiz each week to monitor your improvement. Also, scores can vary week to week depending on hormones. We shouldn’t seek continual perfect weeks, but we want to make sure that more often than not we are getting our zzzz’s. Aim to be marking 3 or less yes responses 3 out of every 4 weeks.

How much sleep do I need?
That answer varies greatly person-to-person. The best way to uncover your personal sleep quota is to use the above quiz as a guideline. Experiment with different hours of sleep each week. When you find your scores are low, you are likely in the right range for you. However, prior to monitoring your nightly zzzz’s to determine your optimum level, make sure you have followed the suggestions that follow. By following these suggestions you can avoid having to “oversleep” to compensate for poor habits. As a general rule, 8 hours of sleep should be plenty for a healthy adult.

How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep:
Choose a schedule and stick to it. Choose a time to go to sleep and a time to get up. Maintain this daily, including days where you have the privilege of sleeping in. Sleeping in just 1-2 days a week can throw off your sleep schedule for the entire week. If you lay down and aren’t sleepy, don’t get out of bed. Read a book or listen to music to relax.

Avoid caffeine: Cut off caffeine (even if you think it doesn’t affect you) at least 6 hours before going to sleep.

Smokers: If you smoke, avoid smoking an hour before going to bed. Smoking can cause restless sleeping.

Health Watch: Our need for sleep is tied to body weight – the more we weigh, the more sleep we need. Snoring, which interferes with solid sleep, can also often be reduced through weight loss and physical activity. Excess weight doesn’t just affect us during the day, but at night as well. Consider beginning a health regimen to increase energy and improve sleep.

Worried? If your mind is filled with worries, write them out in a journal before going to bed.

Create a Relaxing Routine: A bath or shower before bed, reading a book, listening to calming music or doing some stretching can all help slow down the body and mind for more restfull sleep.

Avoid late night snacking: After dinner, minimize any snacking to very simple and easy-to-digest snacks. If a body is working to digest a lot of food it can hamper the sleep process. Avoid snacks with additives or artificial sweeteners and avoid protein.

Prepare at night: Prepare as much as you can for the day ahead. Set out clothes. Plan you day. Advance preparation helps people relax so they can sleep better.

Activity matters: As our activity increases through this program to 5 days-a-week of 30 minutes activity, you should find your sleep quality improves. Try to avoid exercising right before bed as exercising creates endorphins and energy that will make it hard to
sleep.

Make a sleep-friendly environment: Make the room as dark as possible–use an eye mask if necessary. Use ear plugs to block out sound or use a fan or soft-constant music to mask sounds that can disturb sleep. Turn your clock so you cannot see the time.

But I don’t have enough time to sleep! If you don’t get ample sleep and score high then you are going to have a lot of extra pressure and problems to deal with. Instead of spending hours of dealing with stress, why not just use those hours to get the sleep your body needs? When you sacrifice sleep, remember that you aren’t only affecting you–but all of those who interact with you! Need more help on sleep? Check out the National Sleep Foundation at www.sleepfoundation.org

Your Weekly Challenge: How did you score on the sleep test? Based on your answers, what are two changes you can make this week to improve the quality of your sleep?

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Around the Corner:			Today’s quote is actually a wonderful story that you will find below.
ONLINE CLASSES: Starts This Week - Make Today Matter New Group Enroll Through May 23rd – Two Week Free Trial and Then Only $19.95/mo Learn more and register Make Today Matter: A complete program for getting organized, managing time, living by your priorities and building the life you want: Learn more and register or, Get Brook’s complete kit and get all you need in one package: Learn more and order Monthly Special: Free, $28 Challenge Workbook on CD ROM with all Orders of $78+ Add the CD-ROM to your order and enter coupon code: CHALLENGE at checkout More to Explore: Make Today Matter on Facebook Brook Noel on Facebook Brook Noel on Twitter Make Today Matter on Twitter Brook Noel’s Blog Reading Room Archives			Good morning! Today’s good morning is contributed by Tricia who sent in this story of unknown origin. An elder Cherokee Native American was teaching his grandchildren about life. He said to them, “A fight is going on inside me… it is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. “The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. “This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too.” They thought about it for a minute and then one child asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” The old Cherokee simply replied… “The one you feed.” . Your Turn: What emotions are you “feeding” in your life? Remember that those you feed the most, whether positive or negative, is the one likely to prevail. Your Daily Affirmation: I nurture the positive in life.
(c) 2011 Brook Noel and Make Today Matter, LLC. For more information visit www.brooknoel.com

Around the Corner:			“Both optimists and pessimists contribute to our society. The optimist invents the airplane, the pessimist the parachute.” ~Unknown
ONLINE CLASSES: Starts Today - Health Jumpstart: 30 Days to Start and Chart Your Health Goals. Enroll Through April 11 – Only $39 Learn more and register Make Today Matter: A complete program for getting organized, managing time, living by your priorities and building the life you want: Learn more and registeror, Get Brook’s complete kit and get all you need in one package: Learn more and order Monthly Special: Free, $28 Challenge Workbook on CD ROM with all Orders of $78+ Add the CD-ROM to your order and enter coupon code: CHALLENGE at checkout More to Explore: Make Today Matter on Facebook Brook Noel on Facebook Brook Noel on Twitter Make Today Matter on Twitter Brook Noel’s Blog Reading Room Archives			Good morning! I was talking with a friend a while back (you know who you are) and she had one of those wonderful “a-ha” moments. She explained that she considered herself an optimist and wanted to be an optimist. Yet as we spoke, I noticed that she continually snuck in “little jabs” at herself no matter what area of her life we were discussing. This had become so habitual that she didn’t realize how frequently she was doing it. She worried that her life was careening out of control and she couldn’t figure out how to stop it. Yet if she wanted the best, and was willing to aim for the best, and considered herself an optimist at heart — how could everything seem so “lost?” There are definite optimists in life. There are also definite pessimists. There is another group of people, a large group, that I will nickname “poptimists.” “Poptimists” are optimists at heart – yet their level of disbelief forces them to “pop” their hope as soon as they create it. They are so convinced nothing will work, because very few things have, that each ray of hope also carries a shadow of doubt. Yet they aren’t pessimists–because they haven’t given up. They still know how to hope. If we use today’s quote to visualize a “poptimist,” a poptimist would be wearing a parachute while in the airplane. She doesn’t want to get off the plane really, because she knows there has to be something better. Yet, she isn’t willing to let go of her safety net and disbelief long enough to truly enjoy the scenery that is visible from the plane. Her vision is constantly hampered by her parachute. The biggest challenge for the poptimist is letting go. A potimist must learn to trust themselves and trust in life. You can’t truly experience the journey if you are constantly waiting for the “other shoe to drop.” This would be like trying to enjoy a Sunday drive with the parking break on. We can’t move forward, when we doubt the steps ahead of us. Your turn: Are you an optimist, pessimist or poptimist? If you relate to the idea of “poptimism” make an effort to put down your parachute so you can fully enjoy life. Suspend your disbelief for an hour, talk good to yourself. Then challenge yourself to do it for two hours, then three, then a day, until you embrace a shadowless heart of hope. Your affirmation: I let go of doubt and disbelief, knowing that I deserve the best and can create the best.
(c) 2011 Brook Noel and Make Today Matter, LLC. For more information visit www.brooknoel.com

Around the Corner:		“The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.” ~Marcus A. Antoninus
ONLINE CLASSES: Learn more and register Make Today Matter: A complete program for getting organized, managing time, living by your priorities and building the life you want: Learn more and registeror, Get Brook’s complete kit and get all you need in one package: Learn more and order Monthly Special: Free, $28 Challenge Workbook on CD ROM with all Orders of $78+ Add the CD-ROM to your order and enter coupon code: CHALLENGE at checkout More to Explore: Make Today Matter on Facebook Brook Noel on Facebook Brook Noel on Twitter Make Today Matter on Twitter Brook Noel’s Blog Reading Room Archives Starts This Week! High Energy: Five Weeks to Recover, Reclaim, and Maximize Your Energy. Enroll this week - Only $39!!!		Good morning! Being responsible is one of our most important personal duties. Responsibility makes the difference between the medium and the magnificent. Unfortunately, much of the world has developed a “victim mentality,” where it’s easier to blame others than to take responsibility. When we learn that we are responsible for our actions, thoughts, goals and futures, we can begin to lay a path toward greatness. If we are stuck in the victim mentality then we always leave our fate at the hands of others. Self-Management expert Carol Gerber Allred, Ph.D., author of Positive Actions For Living, offers this insight into self-management: “Whether we realize it or not, we are all managers responsible for our own resources. Every one of us has resources of time, energy, talents, money, possessions, thoughts, actions and feelings that we need to manage. We feel good about ourselves when we manage our resources well.” Here are a few fundamentals to review about self-responsibility: We are responsible for our own actions. No matter who tries to sway us or encourage us, in the end we are completely responsible for everything that we do. When acting out in any form, know that you are responsible for the positive or negative outcome that results from your action. Blame need not exist. Blaming another person is a seed of the victim mentality. Blame allows people to avoid taking responsibility and action. When we are productive and responsible, there isn’t any issue of blame. Give up the guilt. By being responsible we are bound to make decisions that won’t always be the “best” or “correct.” That’s all right. It’s better to make mistakes and learn than to blame and stall. Your Turn: Take some time to think about the role of responsibility in your life. Are you responsible? If the answer is ‘no,’ think about the areas where responsibility lacks. Choose a strategy to try and reinstate responsibility. Your Affirmation: I am responsible for my life and my choices and my thoughts.

Make Today Matter » Energy

Your Weekly Challenge: You Need A Good Night’s Sleep

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