In his book Seven Steps To Radical Well Being, Dr. Deepak Chopra writes: “Getting regular restful sleep is an essential key to staying healthy and vital, yet it is so often neglected or under emphasized. There is even a tendency for people to boast about how little sleep they can get by on. In reality, a lack of restful sleep disrupts the body’s innate balance, weakens our immune system, and speeds up the aging process.” Here are some suggestions Dr. Chopra offers to gain restful sleep:
- Aim for 6 to 8 hours of restful sleep nightly.
- Avoid using drugs or alcohol for sleep. “Restful sleep means that you’re not using pharmaceuticals or alcohol to get
- to sleep but that you’re drifting off easily once you turn off the light and are sleeping soundly through the night.”
- Respect “circadian” rhythms. “You can get the highest quality sleep by keeping your sleep cycles in tune with the
- rhythms of the universe, known as circadian rhythms. This means going to bed by about 10 p.m. and waking at 6 a.m.”
- Eat a light evening meal and get light evening exercise. Dr. Chopra advises eating no later than 7:30 pm, then going for a brief walk and retiring to bed by 10 pm.
- Use a journal to write out troublesome, anxiety producing thoughts. “It’s also very helpful to download your thoughts from the day in a journal before going to bed so that your mind doesn’t keep you awake.”
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