Super Health component #5 is sleep and rest. God’s rest comes in two forms; one is sweet sleep and the other is just taking a break or resting from work or idleness. We all know we need 6-9 hours of quality sleep a night but why aren’t we getting it?
Sleep helps restore the immune, nervous, skeletal, and muscular systems; and is vital to overall mental, physical, and spiritual health. Lack of sleep has many negative impacts (see Day 28 in the 30 Day Home Management Project); including sleep deprivation, sleep debt, the danger of micro-sleep, and sleep stress. In addition to the quantity of sleep you get, the quality of sleep such as appropriate sleep/rest patterns comprise the fifth component of Super Health.
Patterns of rest were established in Genesis 1: 3, God paused, looked at his work, and said it was good. After evening there was morning, there was morning the first day. In Genesis 2:2, God rested from all his work.
Genesis 1:3 establishes the circadian rhythm, the cycle that tells our bodies when to sleep, when to wake, when to eat, and many other physiological processes we may not be aware of. Our bodies were created to be in sync with this 24 hour clock that regulates the physiological processes of all living beings, including plants, animals, fungi and cyanobacteria. The more we try to cheat this rhythmic clock with artificial lights and stimulants such as caffeine and energy drinks, the greater toll it takes on our physical and mental health.
Creating a healthy sleeping environment is as important as creating a healthy sleeping pattern. According to Harvard Health, exposure to artificial light at night curbs the secretion of melatonin, a hormone that influences circadian rhythms. There are also a number of studies citing that blue light, light from LED bulbs and LED TV and computer screens before bedtime are depleting our bodies of the necessary levels of melatonin for REM sleep.
Psychology Today reports a growing body of research confirms lack of REM sleep causes fatigue, daytime sleepiness, clumsiness and weight loss or weight gain. It adversely affects the brain and cognitive function.
In addition to a good night’s sleep, your body and mind benefit greatly from rest breaks through the day. Although there are specific numbers cited in research, a good rule of thumb is take a short diversion from your mental or physical work once an hour. If you work at a computer screen, get up and refocus your attention to distant objects, get some sunlight, and rest your brain. If you do physical work, rest for a few minutes under a shade tree. If you are idle all day, you need exercise breaks. Get up and tackle a physical task, stretch, or take a short walk.
Here are the basic routine patterns you can add to your daily routine to make sure you are giving your body what it needs for Super Health.
SUPER HEALTH: SLEEP and REST
- Create sleep/wake routines that include 6-9 hours of sleep, preferably at night and consistent waking times.
- Create a dark, quiet sleeping environment between 65 and 72 degrees .
- Avoid blue light (TV screens, smart phones, computer screens, and LED light bulbs) 2-3 hours before bedtime .
- Switch between physical activities and mental activities every hour or two.
- Take a rest from your hectic schedule one day a week to enjoy the results of your work.
If you absolutely have to use the computer 2-3 hours before bedtime, experts are recommending using blue light blockers. They say this is especially important at night or when you can not dilute your exposure with sunlight. So if you spend your day inside a windowless room in front of an LED screen, these blue light blocking glasses may help limit your exposure to harmful light.
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