Hi and welcome to Calm in the Chaos,
Your cozy corner of the internet,
With me,
Charlie Olbers.
This episode is about sleep because we all know that getting a good night's sleep is imperative for your body to heal,
To restore itself the day ahead,
To be able to tackle whatever life throws at us.
However,
For anyone who has had nights of restless sleep,
Insomnia or even nightmares,
You know how this affects you the next day.
Sleep deprivation is detrimental to your brain,
Your body and your ability to function.
There's a reason why sleep deprivation was or is sometimes even now used as a form of torture.
After a while,
Lost sleep has a detrimental effect on your ability to function properly and make the correct decisions and you slowly slip into what I have termed an awakened state of unconscious insanity,
Meaning your brain is so overwired and working at overcapacity from lack of sleep and you're now in a state of spiraling delusion.
Keep that up and this is when the mistakes happen and your body eventually will start to shut down.
In the 1950s,
A radio disc jockey,
Peter Tripp,
Vowed to stay awake for 200 hours.
The experience was harrowing.
His body temperature dropped,
He started hallucinating and the normally cheerful DJ became irritable and aggressive.
He made it to 201 hours on no sleep.
It's vital for us to shut our eyes and to get a good night of restorative,
Uninterrupted sleep as this is when the deep dreaming sleep or REM can start.
An REM is vital for allowing the dreams to happen which are vital mechanisms for our brains to process the memories and emotions.
Your brain goes through periods of lighter sleep,
Deeper sleep and then the very deep dreaming REM sleep and it's that REM that restores us ready for the day ahead,
Enabling us to wake rested and not groggy.
If we don't go into REM,
We wake feeling groggy as if we haven't even had any sleep at all.
So talking about dreams,
We've been taught by Freud who believed that dreams were the key in understanding our unconscious mind,
That what we dream is an image of our repressed desires or our unfilled wishes.
However,
Studies show now that it's far more reasonable to think that dreams are actually the key in how we function and how our brain manages certain stressors.
So it's vital you work with your body,
Not against it.
If you've had a stressful situation in your day,
Perhaps you'll benefit from writing this down,
Offloading your stress onto paper.
I know when I have a lot going on in my life,
Sleep is suddenly not important or possible and the sleep I do have is fitful.
But when I take time to ease myself into a bedtime routine,
It really helps me.
Things that work for me and maybe for you too are gentle music,
Soothing lights and candles,
Slowly showing your body and brain that it's time to wind down.
Winding down for at least 30 minutes prior to bedtime will ease you into sleep.
Close down all screens and put away the work,
Avoid TV if you can,
Keep to a consistent schedule of waking and sleeping.
I know it's not always possible being a parent and a freelancer.
Establishing a soothing bedtime routine,
A hot bath,
A good book,
A calming cup of nighttime tea,
Avoiding heavy meals,
Caffeine and stimulants prior to bedtime and then finally trying not to work out close to bedtime.
Instead,
Practicing yoga and mindful meditations,
Allowing your body to shift into restful mode to give your nervous system time to slow down.
Let go of the day,
Allow your body to rest,
Know that tomorrow is a new day and everything can wait.
Now it's time to sleep and to heal and now time for your mindful moment.
Once you have completed your wind down routine,
If it's safe to do so,
Lay on your back on your bed or somewhere comfy with your arms gently resting on your tummy.
Close your eyes,
Take one deep breath in.
In front of you is a long staircase.
Breathe out,
Breathe in.
At the top of the staircase is a door.
Take your first step,
Breathe in and out.
And as you step on each step,
Making your way to the top,
Slowly breathe in and out,
Alternating your steps and breaths.
Repeat this eight times.
In and out.
In and out.
In and out.
In and out.
You've now reached the top and are standing in front of a big,
Heavy wooden door.
Take a breath in and as you do so,
Turn the big brass handle and open the door.
Breathe out.
As you open the door,
The space beyond is dark but lit with millions of stars.
You've reached the top of the world.
There are no more steps to take.
What do you do?
You turn around,
Seeing that the steps behind you have now disappeared.
What are you going to do?
Take a breath in.
There are two choices.
Stay where you are.
Breathe out.
Or be brave,
Have faith and step forward through the door.
Take the risk.
Breathe in.
You take a step forward and as you do,
The floor is filled with small flowers and deep,
Thick,
Cushiony grass.
The sky is blue above you.
Breathe out.
Keep walking and as you do,
Breathe in and out,
Gently,
Taking in the sounds and the smells around you.
The night sky has given way to daylight and the sun is shining down on you.
You pause and sit into the grass,
Feeling the cool blades on your legs.
Breathe in and out and rest your body.
And as you do,
You lean back into the grass,
Feeling the sun on your face.
Breathe in and out.
This is where your path starts.
You can now open your eyes.
As you go into your day,
Remember how brave you were to take that leap of faith.
We never really know what is beyond the doors,
But if we stay still,
We don't grow.
We don't grow.
Go and open the doors.
Have faith.
And when it's time for bed,
Recall the day.
Journal.
Meditate.
And let your mind rest freely so you sleep a long night of restorative,
Peaceful sleep.
Thank you for listening.
Join me next time for some more Calm in the Chaos.
