How much sleep are you getting each night? I used to be chronically sleep deprived for two reasons, one is that I believe I have sleep apnea and the other is that I scoffed sleep so that I could get more done. This created a combination of chronic sleep deprivation that while I was not aware of it at the time, contributed to depression, irritability and tension.
I was not aware of it because my type O blood constitution allowed me to have tremendous energy and good health. Little did I know that the tremendous energy was coming at the expense of my adrenals and thyroid. These little energy-creating powerhouses were working their hearts out to keep me buzzing around from late night cramming & partying in college to my workaholic corporate lifestyle.
Time to Rejuvenate
Had I allowed myself to get the sleep I needed, I would have provided my adrenals and thyroid a chance to rejuvenate in 7 or 8 hours of good sleep. Instead, I felt like it was fine to have one too many nights of 4, 5 or 6 hours of sleep, have some coffee in the morning and accomplish amazing feats of work from early morning to late night.
Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to fatigue, daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, slower reflexes, emotional instability and occasional short-term memory loss, according to this article in Alive Magazine. Imagine how challenging it is to make attempts at recovery from an eating disorder or addiction in the midst of chronic sleep deficiency?
Sleep, The Top Of My Self-Care List
If you have read my articles about self care, you’ll understand what’s happening here. Our bodies are amazingly strong, as long as we care for them. Caring for them includes getting plenty of sleep, taking time during the day to relax and relieve stress, eating healthy foods that work for your body, being with people who align with your values, doing what you love to do, getting exercise that fits your nature and anything that makes your mind, body and spirit feel peace and joy.
Sleep, in my opinion, is at the top of the list for many reasons. Most of which I have just learned in the last year. As many of you know, I left my corporate job over a year ago. I was recently reflecting back to that time and could not believe how exhausted I felt. I was wondering where all my energy went. I took my time getting my coaching business started and got plenty of rest. At the same time, I got a sleep apnea device called the TAP II from my dentist. I had not been tested for sleep apnea, but I had all the classic symptoms (more information, below).
For the first time, I was getting at least 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. I started to feel my body healing – and I started to make better choices about how I wanted to spend my day, especially about my own self-care. Eventually, all the areas of my life started to heal.
Physical Symptoms of Sleep Deprivation
Another reason I feel that sleep is on the top of the list is that recently, I have traveled a lot. Each time I travel, I have a few nights where I drop down to 6 – 6.5 hours of sleep. After a few nights like this, I start to feel tense and irritable – and less at peace. It’s much better than it used to be because I have a solid foundation of sleep and self-care before and after the trip – so it’s never chronic. But it does allow me to see the effect it has on my mind and my body. My digestion feels bad when I lack sleep – this is something I have started realizing lately – because it has been so good since starting The Body Ecology Diet. All it takes is the first night of plenty of sleep to get my digestive system feeling good again.
I now honor sleep and give it its due respect. I no longer scoff at it, thinking I am superwoman, able to complete big projects in a single all-nighter. Good, restful sleep has been a key to balance and health for me. In this past year, I am convinced that I’m getting a full night’s sleep for the first time in my life. Always a snorer from childhood on, the TAP II allows me (and my thankful husband!) a quiet, peaceful night’s sleep.
Lungs & Colon Connection
Perhaps Emily will comment about this – I found it interesting that in Chinese Medicine, the lungs and colon are related – both serve to receive energy and release toxins. Over time, a simple case of snoring can create a case of sleep apnea. It’s amazing that I had problems with both my ability to breathe and my colon as a child – and that over the years of continuing trouble, the problems escalated. Now, as I heal, both are healing as well. And I have experience of this healing through the wonder of sleep. Perhaps the awareness that I have developed in my life has allowed me to realize this. In any case, I am grateful. I don’t have to travel to the ends of the earth or climb a mountain for this healing – it’s right here at my bedroom door!
Your Actions
- How well rested do you feel when you wake in the morning?
- Are you getting the sleep your body needs?
- Are you aware of the amount of sleep you need to function at your best?
- What would it be like if you had the sleep you needed each night?
- What do you need to do, in order to get the amount of sleep you need?
- Consider winding down each night before bed by turning off the computer and television at least 1 hour before bed, preferably 2 – 3 hours before bed.
- Consider using eye covers or removing all ambient light (glowing lights from electronics) so that your room is completely dark (your pineal gland picks up the light and it’s harder to get into your deepest sleep cycles).
- If you have insomnia or trouble sleeping, consider seeing a Naturopath, Rhonda Lenair or another holistic healing professional.
- As a Certified Body Ecologist and coach, I’d be happy to work with you on a system of mind, body and spirit balancing that can heal your colon, adrenals and thyroid — and contribute to a better night’s sleep. Contact me if you want to learn more.
Sleep Apnea Information:
One in five adults suffer from sleep apnea – that’s 40 million Americans, according to Helpguide.
Here are the symptoms they describe:
- Do you snore on a regular basis? Does your snoring cause you or your sleeping partner to wake up?
- Do you ever wake up suddenly, gasping or choking for air?
- Do you experience excessive sleepiness during the day? Do you often have trouble staying awake, even when occupied?
- Do you experience headaches, sore throat, or dry mouth in the mornings after waking up?
Hi Heather,
I can relate to much in this post. I was just reminded today of how much lack of sleep used to affect my life, as I worked an early shift the last two days and slept less the last two nights.
Lately, I have been lucky in not having to get up very early in the morning. I am the kind of person whose energy naturally peaks in the late afternoon and at nighttime. Mornings just never have been my favorite time of day. Mainly because, whenever I have to get up early, my digestion feels off for the remainder of the day, my skin feels dry and tight, and I generally feel uncomfortable, which, in turn, makes me irritable and cranky. This is why all of high school was absolutely miserable for me, and I’d feel comfortable in my body only during school vacation during those years.
When I have to get up and leave the house early, I usually am unable to move my bowels. I know people who’ll have their bowel movements at work or school, throughout the day, but I never can seem to relax enough to go unless I am at home. Not having gone, I feel uncomfortable and tense all day long. Sometimes, I’ll be able to eliminate once I get home, and, other times, I just plain won’t go that day. As a result, I feel toxic and stagnant.
Funny how such a simple thing as whether or not you move your bowels in the morning can set the tone for the entire day! When I am able to eliminate, I feel I was able to let go of the old in order to fill up with the new. This is true on a physiological level (new foods), as well as on an emotional level (being more open to and able to assimilate new experiences).
Heather, that’s interesting you should mention the connection between the Lungs and the Colon. In Chinese Medicine, both these organs belong to the Metal Element. It’s all about receiving and letting go. Metal is also the element most related to spirituality; and the emotion associated with it is grief. People who are grieving the loss of a loved one will often experience some kind of lung-related disease.
One thing I have learned through my practice of Qi Gong is that breathing properly can help tremendously to improve my digestion and stimulate my bowels! Most of the time, we breathe very shallowly, only into our chest. We can actually retrain ourselves to breathe more deeply and breathe into our abdominal cavity. This way, we can breathe into and stimulate the activity of ALL of our organs.
I still recall a Qi Gong class my friend had brought her husband to. Our teacher said “Now breathe into your lungs.” Her husband, surprised, asked what other organs he might be expected to be breathing into. Little did he know that in Qi Gong, we breathe not only into our lungs, but into our heart, spleen, liver, and kidney, as well!
In fact, Heather, what a wonderful reminder this post was for me, because I know I haven’t been conscious enough of my own breathing lately! I find that breathing deeply actually helps to stimulate my metabolism, regulate water in my body, and keep my digestion moving smoothly.
Something else I have been doing regularly for about 2 years now is abdominal massage. Every night, before I go to sleep, I rub my belly clockwise 36 times (clockwise helps to purge the bowels, whereas massage in a counterclockwise direction has an astringent effect, which is beneficial for people suffering from loose stools and diarrhea), and then another 36 times up the sides starting from the hips and down the center of the abdomen. Following this, I rub my hands together vigorously to create heat and energy in my palms, and then rest my palms face down on my abdomen to energize and send healing energy into my organs. I usually repeat the abdominal massage in the morning before getting in the shower.
Whenever I get into a routine of practicing my Qi Gong regularly, I notice how my whole system becomes more balanced. By harmonizing my breath and sinking it into my center, my whole body and mind become more centered and balanced.
In writing this, I am amazed at the realization that I KNOW what I need to do to take good care of myself! I’ve got all the tricks I need! I just need to REMIND myself to be consistent about using them and to be more AWARE at all times!
I am reminded of a beautiful card in my mom’s tarot set: it depicts a little child behind a gate with chains on it. At first glance, it appears like the child is locked in. But, as you look more closely, you see that the lock is open and only loosely hanging off of the chain. On the other side of the gate is a beautiful rainbow. As it turns out, the child is free to open the gate and go towards the rainbow. It believes itself to be locked in, but the chains are self-imposed. No one is actually holding it captive.
I always love looking at this card and find so much inspiration in it. It is such a great reminder that WE are the ones putting limitations on ourselves. WE are in charge of moving towards happiness! We do not need to remain stuck in grief and isolation!
love,
Emily
Comment by Emily — May 13, 2006 @ 2:07 am
I dont have a problem sleeping as I have been on medication since the early 1990’s
I know I cant sleep with out it and I do sleep along night 10-12 hours It is a restless sleep I wake up a lot from pain and urinating But my body really does crave the sleep i am so not with it in the morning When I was well and working I could get up and get ready and get out I am so not in that head anymore I want to be in a real life normal situation but I never need to get up early anyway because I make late appointments
However I can nap I could sleep all day I ususally take naps every day some 2 or 3 or 4 hours That is not natural but my body craves it
I just love to sleepp and I need to break that habit
I also do a little QiChong I had never heard of the lung colon relationship but I would like to learn more about it Just as there is a relationship betwen the eyes and the bladder I dont understand that
I would love to hear back from you or Emily
And I do need to learn more about QiGong
KAren
Comment by karen — May 15, 2006 @ 5:46 pm
If you are interested, my teacher produced 4 different Qi Gong DVDs a couple of years ago. They are excellent, and you can do the Qi Gong at home with his guidance. He has one for stress, one for upper back and neck pain, one for low back pain, and one is Qi Gong Flow for beginners. He had a pledge drive on PBS some time ago, and you can buy his DVDs through their site. There are a bunch of other sites through which you can buy his DVDs, too. You can just do a search online, if you want. (I’m not typing out his name here, because I wouldn’t want someone to come across this if they did a search for him, and potentially find the link to me… but you’ll see his name if you go to the above link.)
I highly recommend his DVDs! You will really enjoy them! Very relaxing and rejuvenating.
love,
Emily
Comment by Emily — May 15, 2006 @ 11:44 pm
Emily, thank you I tried to write to you and I ended up starting my own blog
I hope I can write as well as you and Heather
Where do you live in CA?
Comment by karen — May 16, 2006 @ 8:04 pm
Hi Emily, thank you for your comment and the Qi Gong resources — they look great! I can identify with you re: the constipation. I have been doing a lot of research on cleansing, detox and colonic hydrotherapy — wow, little did I know how hazardous constipation is for our health! I knew that I felt bad growing up, but now that I have been doing colonics as part of my healing, it’s like a whole new understanding of my system has opened up. I’ll write more about this in a post — it’s been an eye-opening experience.
I loved your comment about your mother’s tarot card. You’re so right about us putting limitations on ourselves. Rhonda Lenair just talked about that in her teleclass on addictions. Here’s what she said that struck me:
“No limitations exist unless we believe they do….Undeniably, we are living in a boundary-free universe. Boundaries are created through the human experience – you could see this if you watched the earth revolve from day to night and back again.” The idea was that if we stood back and watched a situation from all angles — kind of revolved around it, we’d be able to see it in a more objective way — and know that possibilities are limitless.
With love,
Heather
Comment by Heather — May 16, 2006 @ 11:32 pm
Hi Karen, I can imagine that it must be difficult to get a good night’s sleep when on medication. It’s great that you are looking into Qi Gong and Emily’s abdominal massage. I tried abdominal massage myself for years — it helped a bit, although it didn’t really do it for me. I’m sure if I learned a better technique, it would get better results!
In the meantime, following my healing diet — plus my amateur abdominal massage has definitely helped! For some of us, it might take a combination of things! When I first went to Rhonda, she gave me some herbal tinctures that really helped me sleep. They were amazing. Passion flower & wild oats. She’d probably recommend something else for another person, since we are all different — different herbs work differently for everyone. In any event, they helped me feel really relaxed and the quality of my sleep improved. That was before I got the sleep apnea mouthpiece, which finally allowed me to get a full-night’s rest!
Also, I don’t know if you have issues with frequent urination at night, waking you up for bathroom visits. I did — and I’ve found that since I’ve been getting colonics, the weight of my colon on my bladder is gone. Because suddenly, I can sleep 5 – 6 hours before having to get up to go to the bathroom! This is even after having a large mug of herbal tea before bed! It’s a miracle for me. I always felt like some weight was pressing on my bladder when I would lie down at night. Now I know why.
I hope the Qi Gong works! Check out this site for abdominal massage: Maya Abdominal Massage. If anyone knows if this is good, I’d love to hear about it! And maybe Emily has a resource where she learned to do abdominal massage!
With love,
Heather
Comment by Heather — May 16, 2006 @ 11:42 pm
Hi Karen and Heather,
Karen, that’s wonderful you’ve started your own blog! I look forward to reading it! Can you give us the link?
As to where I live in California, I’m in Santa Cruz. Are you in CA as well?
Heather, thanks for yet again lots of great insights! Frequent urination has been a life-long issue of mine, and I am intrigued by what you are writing about the weight of your colon aggravating the urge to go. I have recently noticed a pattern for myself that the frequent urination worsens before and during my period. My theory is that changes in the uterus and cramping thereof are putting pressure on my bladder. Although I occasionally do get up at night to pee, the major issue for me is being able to fall asleep in the first place d/t a burning sensation and discomfort in my bladder. I sometimes get up 5 times before I can finally fall asleep. Often, I will be just about to drift into sleep when I become very conscious of my bladder and cannot fall asleep until I’ve gotten up to void again. That, of course, wakes me back up, and the cycle starts all over… Certain supplements seem to help somewhat (including marshmallow root tincture), as well as avoiding certain things in my diet (sugar, caffeeine… actually, tea affects my bladder much worse than coffee!… I think it’s the tannins!). But, at other times, I feel like nothing really makes a difference. There are days I will have foods that I used to think aggravated the situation and I’m fine, and days when I think I did everything right, but the burning is intense.
As for the abdominal massage, I learned it from my Qi Gong teacher and from the book “The Great Tao” by Stephen Chang.
Ok, I need to call it a night. I can get so absorbed here that I’ve spent hours online before I know it!
sending loving thoughts to all of you,
Emily
Comment by Emily — May 17, 2006 @ 12:10 am
Oh Emily, it’s like you and I are living the same life! I had the whole get up 5 times before being able to go to sleep routine too! And it always got worse before my period! It was after my 3rd colonic that I noticed a big difference. Tomorrow is my 4th, so I’ll let you know if the period thing starts to change too.
It’s such an amazing difference though — and empowering to know that I have another avenue for creating digestive wellness. I’ll take pictures of the equipment — if they’ll let me — at my appointment tomorrow (just the equipment, nothing gross!). That will make the blog entry a little more interesting.
By the way, I posted Karen’s blog in my links section so everyone can find her.
With love,
Heather
Comment by Heather — May 17, 2006 @ 3:37 pm