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Improve Your Sleep

How to Keep From Getting Drowsy or Falling Asleep While Driving

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Don't Fall Asleep Behind the Wheel

It’s only in the 40s today here in Kentucky, but the buds on the trees and the daffodils along the highway promise me spring is just around the corner! That means many of us will soon be taking trips – whether they’re “daycations” or full-fledged “vacations,” that’ll mean more time in the car. This brings up a problem that many people face – falling asleep behind the wheel or getting drowsy while driving.

I don’t  have to tell you how dangerous this is! Accidents happen when people are wide awake and alert, so it only makes sense that they are FAR more likely to happen when a driver is drowsy.

Sometimes the tendency to get drowsy while driving is a simple matter of not getting enough sleep but other times it can signal a health problem. People with sleep apnea, for example, often don’t get “quality” sleep and are prone to get drowsy during the day. Sometimes it’s as much from sitting still as it is from anything else… and most of us are most definitely sitting still when we drive!

Until Motown comes on the radio, that is… then, personally, I’m anything but still. If car seat dancing were an Olympic sport, trust me, I’d medal.

I’d like to point you to a great article all about preventing falling asleep behind the wheel of a car: How to Prevent Drowsy Driving. I hope you’ll read the article and, by all means, share it with anyone you know with a knack for dozing off when they’re driving.

This spring and summer, I hope you buckle up, stay safe, and have an outrageous amount of fun!

~ Joi

Are You Getting Enough Sleep? If not, it Will Catch Up with You!

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Quote About Sleep

Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

Study after study tells us how physically and emotionally damaging lack of sleep is.  To compound matters, more studies are coming now proving that not getting enough sleep is also causing significant mental impairment in individuals, so add mentally damaging to physically and emotionally damaging.

I don’t know about you, but just one of these three makes me determined to getting more sleep – the three combining efforts  (like a frightening tag team) makes me want to go to bed right now!

The hard cold truth is that, apparently, most of us are actually sleep deprived. We’re filling out our to do lists so ambitiously that we neglect to figure in time for sleep.

Obviously we’re not doing ourselves any favors by skimping on sleep. In fact, we’re doing ourselves a whole world of harm. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that most of us get between 7 and 8 hours of sleep each night. Sleeping less than this (on a regular basis) is associated with:

  • Diabetes
  • Stroke
  • Hypertension
  • Cardiovascular Disease
  • A Shorter Life Span
  • Weight Problems

A few tips from experts on improving your sleep:

  1. Establish a relaxing bedtime routine. Whether it’s reading before bed, taking a bath or shower, or watching a little television – having a routine you associate with “winding down” helps significantly (this is also very, very true with kids).
  2. Try to keep regular hours for sleeping and waking. I’ve started making myself follow the weekday routine on the weekends and it has helped my sleep greatly.
  3. Get enough activity during the day but not too close to bedtime. Too much activity right before lying down to sleep spells disaster. I used to do a few regular “chores” (cleaning the litter box, loading the dishwasher…) right before lying down but found that doing them earlier in the evening helps me fall asleep faster.
  4. Essential Oils – Lavender, in particular, is wonderful for helping the mind and body wind down. I love using Downy Infusions Lavender Vanilla on my bed linens and gown – it sets the stage for very sweet sleep. A lot of people also keep a small bottle of lavender essential oil (Amazon link) by their bed to simply smell right before lying down. There’s just something relaxing and magical about lavender that helps most of us fall asleep faster.
  5. Be sure your vitamin levels are within a healthy range. If your magnesium, for example is low, it will VERY MUCH impact your sleep.
  6. Don’t even think about touching that phone or iPad! I know, I know, it’s easy to take one last look at Twitter, your e-mail, or Instagram, but they’ll be there in the morning!

Sweet dreams! ~ Joi


How to Get More Done in the Morning!

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Morning Cat and Coffee

What My Mornings Look Like: Cats and Coffee!

About two years ago… after months of looking for more time in the day and being unable to uncover any… I decided to simply start getting up 30 minutes earlier. After a few months of seeing that, not only was getting up before 6:30 am not fatal, it was downright productive.

I was blown away by what the humble little 30 minutes added to my day. It suddenly seemed as though the day wasn’t sneaking up on me as much as I was sneaking up on it. 30 minutes may not seem like much at all, but when you uncover extra time to be used as you choose, it’s a gift.

Guess what. I got greedy.

I saw that this extra 30 minutes meant I could ease my way into my morning and, when ready to get busy, I was more of a mind to do so. Over the course of a few months, I thought of other things that could be accomplished by another 30 minutes. Greedy… yes… but also ingenious because it has meant the world to my morning routine and daily routine.

I get up at 5:30 each morning and ease my way into the day. Having extra time to sit, drink my coffee, talk about sports with my husband, and do my morning devotions and Bible reading starts the day off on a beautiful note instead of a sour note. Bonus to a better morning and better day…. you’ll sleep better at night!

The infographic below gives a lot of wonderful tips for making your mornings more productive. Starting the day off with less stress means you have less stress to carry around with you throughout the day.

Ingenious.

Stay well, stay safe… stay happy!

~ Joi

Productive Morning Routine
Source: 15 Tips to Help You Structure a Productive Morning Routine

 

Try to Have a Sleep-Filled Lifestyle

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Tulip and Huck

We all love to sleep. Most often, no matter what time the alarm goes off in the morning, we aren’t ready to get up because we just love sleep. But sometimes we view sleep through a negative lens too. If we sleep too much, we think we are being lazy and need to get up to get things accomplished. Yet we still can’t help but love sleep.

For all you sleep lovers out there who wish you could have more, there is good news. According to a recent study by the National Sleep Foundation done in 2018, most young adults (ages 18-25), and adults (ages 26-64) need on average seven to nine hours of sleep per night. The bad news though is roughly 50% of people report less than seven hours of sleep per night. If we love sleep and are often tired because of a lack of sleep, why don’t we sleep more?

Why don’t Americans sleep more?

One big reason why Americans don’t get more sleep is because of having poor quality beds and or pillows. Believe it or not, your sleeping equipment makes a drastic difference in how you sleep. Choosing a proper mattress and bed base can make a world of difference. Knowing which pillow supports your head and neck affects sleep too.

However, it’s more than just the bed and pillow you sleep on. Selfhelpdaily.com also reports that using digital screens with SWL illumination one hour or less before bedtime could drastically hurt your sleep quality and quantity. As tempting as it is to watch YouTube in bed, browse Facebook and Instagram, or beat the next level on Candy Crush, resist the urge and put the phone or tablet away.

Many sleep researchers and scientists suggest keeping all electronic devices out of your bedroom for just such a reason. They suggest having a charging station outside of the bedrooms for all devices to help ensure you don’t get on them during the night. If you are one of those people who use your phone for an alarm clock, you can find one for as little as five dollars online to solve your problem.

What should I do to help improve my sleep?

Believe it or not, sleep is part of a healthy lifestyle. Sleep is when your body does the majority of its healing and growth. If you don’t sleep, your body can’t repair itself. If you are a fitness fanatic, or you just want to maintain your health, sleep must be included in your regiment for overall well-being.

The first thing you need to do is make sleep a priority. We all have busy lives; we have chores that need doing and things that need to be taken care of. But if we aren’t well-rested and alert, we won’t be as effective and efficient as we could be. So prioritize your healing time.

The National Sleep Foundation also suggests taking some time and experimenting with amounts of sleep. Pay attention to your mood, your energy, and how you feel overall with each amount of sleep time until you find what works for you. Unfortunately, there is no way to determine the exact time for each age group since we are all different. So you have to do a little experimentation on your own to find out what’s right for you.

Here is a small list of other things you may want to consider to help you prioritize your sleep.

  • Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends
  • Have a bedtime ritual that helps prepare your body for sleep
  • Exercise every day, even as late as three to four hours before bedtime
  • Make your bedroom a “sleep temple.” Design your room for sleep with the proper bed, dark curtains, and make it distraction-free
  • Avoid acidic and spicy foods, caffeine, sugary drinks, and even alcohol and nicotine two to three hours before bedtime
  • As we’ve already stated (but it’s a hard one for some of us to do), turn off your electronics

Sleeping your way to better health

Try out some of the suggestions above if you find yourself struggling with feeling sleepy and lethargic all the time. If you continue to struggle to get better sleep and feel better throughout the day, consult your doctor to help you get to where you need to be. No matter the case, prioritize your sleep. Make sure you have an emphasis on letting your body rest and recover. There is no way to better improve your health. If you’re looking to become the next great Olympian, or if you’re just trying to live a healthier lifestyle, don’t diminish the importance of a good night’s rest. Sleep your way to better health.

Getting a Good Night’s Sleep on a Budget

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Get a Good Night's Sleep on a Budget

Please click the infographic above for the larger version. This infographic is shared with you courtesy of CouponChief.com.