Sleep is hard to come by this time of year. I often push it off when I have other things I need to do, such as wrapping presents and preparing for holiday parties. I heard these interesting sleep statistics on the local radio station
from John Tesh and thought I would share. These little tidbits of information might make us all want to get our PJ’s on and fluff our pillows.
1 out of 5 of us have trouble sleeping on a regular basis. Yale University researchers have found a solution to tossing and turning night in and night out. Keep your jar of pumpkin pie spice handy. Taking a little whiff of cinnamon and nutmeg in the evening can kick-start your brain’s production of calming, muscle-relaxing alpha waves in as little as 2 minutes. Try it before you go to bed. Sniff some cinnamon, nutmeg, or vanilla or even light a scented candle for a few minutes. The aromas trigger calming, relaxing alpha brain waves – which can help us drift off sooner, and sleep more deeply.
One of the most common causes of not getting enough sleep is, get this, worrying about not getting enough sleep! In other words, when you’re afraid you’ll be a walking zombie tomorrow if you don’t fall asleep; it pretty much guarantees you won’t fall asleep. So what can you do? Simply remind yourself that you can survive with only a little sleep. That mental reminder might be enough to help you relax and actually get some rest.