Zee's, Zed's--however you say it, it's one of my favourite things!

holistically: physical

"What the heck is she talking about?!" (I assume you're asking yourself.)

Glad you asked! I'm talking about sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep (or "sleep," as it's better known).

Before he passed, my dad used to say that being tired makes everything feel worse. As a kid, I didn't really understand it, nor did I think being tired applied to anything worthwhile in life. I pretty much thought that I could eat, sleep, play, sing, dance, pull heads off of Barbies (not my proudest moments) when I felt like it. Nap time? Who wants that as a child?!

Now, as an adult, I can recall many times when my mom told me that very same thing and how true it has felt over the years. Being tired sucks (for lack of a better term)! I crave naps, or simply a good, hearty sleep for more than 5 hours.

But how much sleep do we actually need as humans**? It's a topic that has been debated, refuted re-instated (as you'll see in the various sources below). Obviously, there is no "one size fits all" for humans. There are general guidelines, though, especially when Science is involved. Take ASAPScience, for example: these guys use Science to teach audience members/viewers about common-interest topics in a researched, valid way. They actually did a video on sleep, entitled "How Much Sleep Do You Actually Need?" (appropriate topic, non?).

Through research , they help viewers discover how much sleep is ideal for certain levels of functioning. Note that I did not say "how much sleep is needed by all....period." While simple, the research method used in the video helps us to understand that various amounts of sleep will have various effects on our brain, affect (mood), and basic functioning. This certainly sparked my interest and I do keep it in mind when I go to bedfordshire.

Being asleep is great and all, but what if you can't fall (or stay?!) asleep? Stress (along with other basic factors) affects sleep, falling asleep, and staying asleep. I believe that's a pretty well-known idea, but it's worth re-stating. It is easy to forget or to not think of simpler, "every-day" reasons for uncomfortable, annoying problems (like insomnia). Having trouble falling or staying asleep is potentially quite detrimental to your holistic health (mind, body, spirit). As stated above, insomnia, having trouble falling asleep, and/or staying asleep all affect your mind, body, and mood (and spirit). (For more information on insomnia and its effects, you may click here or here).

Have you ever had those nights where you are so tired so you lie down, fully expecting to fall asleep, and then stay awake for 30 minutes...1 hour...drift off for a bit then wake up again? How unpleasant. What the heck can you do if that's a frequent situation?

Well, for starters, go see a doctor if you have not done so in months. It's always wise to rule out any organic issues via blood tests, asking questions, and advocating for your own health. If everything returns "normal" but you're still having troubles sometimes, there are some simple tips that have worked for myself, and plenty of articles out there with recipes for falling asleep effectively.

Ashley's tips:

• DARKNESS: who can identify with noticing the subtle glow from their cellphone, the more glaring glow from an alarm clock, the unhealthy glow creeping in from the crack between the window and curtain while going to bed at night? I ended up buying an eye mask (from Amazon Canada) to help me sleep better. And it helps! I don't use the ear plus included, but that's up to you :) 
• MEDITATION: ok. I almost cringe when I see this listed anywhere, too, because it does sound like a buzzword these days. Please trust me that it does work! As stated in the previous post, using a quick, simple 10 minute guided meditation before bed works wonders. If I'm super stressed, doing 2 in a row is magical. I lie there, in the dark and breathe. The trick is that if your mind wanders at all, to simply notice those thoughts, say "thanks for that" to your thoughts, then focus back on your breathing. Again, my fave meditations to use are by Positive Magazine. 
• SOOTHING SOUNDS: crickets by the lake, waves, rain falling, waterfalls, white noise--whatever you find soothing, there's likely a Youtube video or an app for that! 
• BE DILIGENT but SUPER KIND TO YOURSELF: If you know you have to get up at 6am, aim (as best you can) to get to bed by 9:45ish to try to fall asleep for 10pm. This is if you know you do well with 8 hours. Try with 7 hours for a week first, if 8 hours is just not feasible. If you're a morning workout person, please be kind to yourself. You need energy in order to work out. You can harm yourself and actually set yourself back if you work out when you're exhausted. No, that doesn't mean skip your workouts or some form of exercise all week, but don't push yourself if you're already exhausted. Know thyself :) Forgive thyself. 
• AWESOME PILLOW: the fiancé and I bought memory foam pillows (example). We bought ours from Groupon, but I'm sure there are lots of choices out there. They claim to do backflips and miracles. We find them to be supportive on the neck, head, and help with improving back alignment. As someone who has low back issues, the pillow has been a great help. My previous pillow was much too soft and bothered my shoulders because of it. 

Other tips***:

• Shut off electronics 
• Make sure your room is a comfy temperature (not too hot, not too cold) 
• LAY OFF CAFFEINE....in the afternoon/evening, anyway 
• LAY OFF ALCOHOL....right before bed 
• Try not to smoke too close to bedtime, too (the nicotine can keep you from sleeping right away) 
• Do some puzzles or mental exercises (math, Su Doku, word searches) 
• Wear socks (but again, make sure your room temperature is comfortable) 

NOTE and DISCLAIMER:

If you're having serious issues falling asleep every night, taking medications to help you sleep, falling asleep at work/school, feeling sick all the time... GO BACK TO YOUR DOCTOR. Please advocate for yourself or bring a trusted friend with you to the doctor to help you ask questions. There could be serious problems that are causing your insomnia and keeping you from sleeping. For a simple, comprehensive list of potential causes for insomnia, please click on the Sleep Foundation's article.

On a more fun note, I sincerely encourage you to check out ASAPScience's other videos. They are seriously educational and more importantly, enjoyable :).

SOURCES:

**http://sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need
**http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/adult-sleep-needs-and-habits
**http://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.htm
**http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-christopher-winter/sleep_b_2084339.html

***http://www.livescience.com/35920-tips-for-good-sleep.html
***http://lifehacker.com/what-should-i-do-when-i-cant-fall-asleep-1533434286

There's a website for that

holistically: mindful

Hello Interwebs

Just your friendly neighbourhood Social Work-esque blogger here.

We all know the phrase: "there's an app for that" (thanks, Apple).  Well, I believe that there is also a website for most things in life: cooking, loving, clothes, how-to's, organization, self-help, gadgets, gaming, resources, informational pages, etc. etc. etc.  If you've thought of it, there probably is a website for it.

Which brings me to my quest for "what will I resolve to do this year" (i.e. cliché New Year's resolution stuff). I'm not a fan of clichéd tasks, really: having a New Year's resolution feels uninspired and unauthentic.  Why?  Because we're force-fed resolutions by a plethora of sources (media, companies, advertising) that we "should" strive for: lose weight! look younger! get fit! be more [insert whatever trait society deems successful, beautiful, sexy, desirable, etc.]!  Not much room for change or creativity, eh?

Having said all that, I do see value in striving for self-betterment.  I believe in working on thyself and for thyself.  If you can't be your own employee, then whose can you be?

What does this all have to do with websites and the interwebs, you ask?

Everything *insert Inception noise here*

This is simply a start, folks, but while I was searching for ways to de-stress this year, I came across two websites (told ya this had something to do with websites!) that sparked my interest.

The first is through the Chopra Center.  Yes, I am referring to the Oprah-touted spiritual leader's website/community.  The specific program I'm referring to is called "De-Stress Your Mind and Body ... in 10 Days." (Catchy, non?)

So far, I'm on day seven.....ish (there's been a day or two in between each task for me), and I have been given small tasks to do each day.  They have been manageable and pleasant.  For example, one of the day's tasks was to be still and basically meditate for 10 minutes. Done and done!  With the astounding number of apps and websites dedicated to timers and guided meditations, you can find a way to do 10 minutes of meditation.

The 10-day program does center around Ayurvedic medicine, or the balance of mind, body and environment: http://doshaquiz.chopra.com/.   The beginning of the program starts out with this quiz, identifying which area(s) of your "self" is (are) out of balance.  This is not to pathologize, but moreso to identify where you may be needing to balance and channel your energy.  For me, my mind is in stressville, and my body is "heavy" with stress, congestion, sluggishness.. Fun, eh?

Something to note: your results can change from day-to-day.  For science's sake, I may do this over 3 random days and see what results come up the most.  Yay, science!

One of the main tips I keep getting from various resources over the last couple of years is to "be still".  In what way?  Well, by doing yoga, meditating, breathing (breathing is always good), etc.  Those activities almost seem like catch-phrases or clichés these days.  However, there is profound peace that can be attained by practicing those activities.

Bonus! You do not have to be a professional meditator (meditater? tater? I do love potatoes) or yogi to practice yoga, meditation, and deep breathing.  Nope! It's actually best to start out small, Pick one of those for now and try it out for a few weeks.  There are lots of materials of on all three, and lots of FREE videos on all three practices:

Ekhart Yoga: lots of free yoga videos from beginner to advanced
Positive Magazine Meditation Relaxation Inspiration: a variety of Guided Meditations and other instructional videos on meditation ... you get to learn how to r e l a x. Bam! That's some homework I don't mind doing!

Even do a search for "deep breathing" on YouTube.com and you'll get a wide list of videos instructing you how to deep breathe (and for various benefits, too).

Onto the second link in question: www.De-stress.ca.  Yes, you read that correctly.   There exists a website called "de-stress." This is a Manitoba-based website with lots of resources and information on stress and how to do simple, manageable things to de-stress.  It's also free, in case you didn't catch that.

What about other resources? Google-magic gives us a plethora (I love that word) of resources. For example, following the search "how to stress less," the first few options include (again) very simple, manageable tricks to identify stress triggers and minimize their impact.  To boot, these resources come from a variety of areas: the fitness world, WebMD, a site geared toward women, the Psych realm of the interwebs, and plenty of others. Men, I did a search including "for men" and found one for the guys, too.  Equal opportunity (i.e. Feminism), baby!

Folks, I will caution you against biting off more than you can chew.  With all of this information, please consider where you are in your life and what you feel like doing.  It may only be that you are able to stop at lunch to take 3 deep breaths each day.  Once that becomes a habit (i.e. it becomes automatic for you), then think about what you want to incorporate next.  Baby steps will help you make new thing habits faster than taking on too much, doing it for a week, then giving up.

Let me know in the comments If there are other resources you've enjoyed or heard about that have helped you!

Bonus: I came across the following app (and website!) called Calm.com.  It's such a handy, comprehensive app to take meditations with you wherever you go.  And, they range from 2-30 minutes.  Everyone has 2 minutes in their day :). I got the app for free from the Amazon Marketplace (on my Blackberry Q10).

ENJOY!