Why do we need sleep? 5 reasons to fall in love with sleep again!
Sleep is the best meditation.
– Dalai Lama
So here’s 5 (terrifying) reasons we should be getting at least 8 hours sleep a night according to Matthew Walker, author of Why We Sleep (and yes, 8 is the golden number, anything less than 7 is considered sleep deprivation):
Related: How to Slow Down
1. Sleep to beat Cancer
After one night of just four or five hours’ sleep, your natural immunity dips significantly. Special white blood cells, often called T-cells, which are responsible for attacking everyday cancer cells that appear in your body drop by 70%.
2. Sleep to boost the immune system
Sleep also impacts on your immune system in other ways, which is why if you have a night of little sleep, you’re more likely to fall ill. Well-rested individuals tend to respond better to winter flu vaccinations, too.
3. Sleep for a better bowel system
3. Sleep significantly affects the bowel – a lack of sleep can lead to an increased risk of bowel cancer. The gut flora (i.e. friendly bacteria) produced in the bowels has also been linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Not getting enough sleep severely impacts the production of gut flora.
4. Sleep for a healthier heart
One study found that adults aged 45 or older averaging less than 6 hours sleep per night are 200 times more likely to have a heart attack or stroke in their lifetime. This is because the more sleep you have, the lower your heart rate and blood pressure become over time.
5. Sleep to lose weight!
A lack of sleep also contributes to the body’s poor processing of blood sugar, which in turn can lead to hyperglycaemia (pre-diabetes) and weight gain. Hormones which control hunger and that feeling of fullness after a meal are also affected, which is why when we’re tired we want to eat more than we should.Yoga Nidra can help to promote a healthy sleep routine
One way in which we can learn how to fall asleep again is through the practice of Yoga Nidra. Yoga Nidra means “yogic Sleep”. It is a deep relaxation technique, which puts the yogi into a state of consciousness that is neither sleep nor wakefulness. It is also a place of creativity and focus, too. Have you ever experienced that feeling at night when you’re about to fall asleep and suddenly have a great idea? Then forget it by the next day? Then you’ve already experienced a taste of the Yoga Nidra state. It is a state of readiness and calmness. It can help to soothe anxiety around sleep, and help the mind to drift off into a peaceful sleep-like state. When practised regularly and under the guidance of a yoga teacher, Yoga Nidra can even help to process trauma and regulate sleep, too.
Related: Learn more about Yoga Nidra here
If you’ve interested in learning more about how Yoga Nidra can help improve your sleep…
I am running a 90 minute workshop on Saturday 19th June 2021. Find out more and book your place here (spaces limited).
Details of the workshop can be found here
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