Get the rest you deserve

After a long day of work, we all look forward to one thing -getting a good night's rest-
But sometimes this prooves to be hard, usually because our mind's on something, or we have an anxious feeling that just keeps us awake.
Whatever the reason, sleep deprevation is not something to be taken lightly as it can interrupt our daily activities. For example:

1. Feeling tired all the time
2. Dropping off during the day
3. Finding it difficult to concentrate
4. Finding it hard to make decisions
5. Feeling of depression.

Lack of sleep may also make us more vulnerable to high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes.
So, by now you're probably wondering how you can reward your body with proper rest, well here's how.

• Do not nap during the day. If you are having trouble sleeping at night, try not to nap during the day because you will throw off your body clock and make it even more difficult to sleep at night. If you are feeling especially tired, and feel as if you absolutely must nap, be sure to sleep for less than 30 minutes, early in the day.

• Limit caffeine and alcohol. Avoid drinking caffeinated or alcoholic beverages for several hours before bedtime. Although alcohol may initially act as a sedative, it can interrupt normal sleep patterns.

• Expose yourself to bright light/sunlight soon after awakening. This will help to regulate your body's natural biological clock. Likewise, try to keep your bedroom dark while you are sleeping so that the light will not interfere with your rest.

• Exercise early in the day. Twenty to thirty minutes of exercise every day can help you sleep, but be sure to exercise in the morning or afternoon. Exercise stimulates the body and aerobic activity before bedtime may make falling asleep more difficult.

• Hide your clock. A big, illuminated digital clock may cause you to focus on the time and make you feel stressed and anxious. Place your clock so you can't see the time when you are in bed.

Lastly, we should allow ourselves to have at least 7-8 hours of sleep, and avoid a sleep debt (i'll explain this some other time). Phew, I'm getting sleepy already....... zzz *falls asleep*