DO YOU SLEEP WELL?

What keeps you awake at night? Do you have vivid story line dreams? Do you worry? Poor sleep can be a reflection of what happens during the day or in one's life. Grief reactions bring poor sleep. Do you fall asleep then wake in the early hours? There are often many suggestions of how to sleep well. Some work and some do not work. Some people need to get up at night, have a hot beverage, read then go back to sleep. We are told as we age, we have many naps and a shorter night sleep. Eight hours of sleep is the golden amount of sleep. Some sleep more, some sleep less. Having a normal bed time and routine is supposed to help with sleep. In couples, there can be two separate sleep habits. One person keeps waking up the other person. Thus the separate bedrooms-more to do with sleep habits. Those mattresses divided in the middle but connected so when one fidgets the other does not get the movement. Of course, there are medicinal aids- sleeping pills. Do they work and for how long? Having a busy exhausting day and being very tired can backfire. Sometimes we can be too wired to sleep! Along with talk about the weather, sleep talk can be part of a conversation.  How you sleep is part of a assessment of depression! Poor sleep can be an indicator of health issues! Anxiety and sleep do go together! However, some people always sleep well and others always have problems. So do you sleep well?

SUNRISE-A NEW DAY

Every day brings us a chance to renew. My morning ritual includes a quick prayer facing east where the sun rises to thank God for this day and my blessings- and yes I always have some requests. How do you begin the day? If we start with quiet energy and reflect on what we need to do then we can gear up for all the challenges ahead. Mornings with little children are always hectic but memories are made with all the little joys and sayings they give us. Having a job has great meaning especially if you have ever been unemployed. Monday mornings have a different slant! The goodbye kiss, the heating of the car, remembering the lunch and the to do list for the errands on the way home. If we stop and think about the day, we can try not to rush our lives away. Put positive thoughts and activities in place. One of my rituals is a noon hour touch base phone call with my husband. No, I do not constantly text or check emails as I want a life! I do not not plug in earphones as I want to hear the world around me! What are your rituals? Daily habits that bring meaning to your life? How do you stop and take in the world around you?