By Narelle Haw, Building Biologist and Feng Shui Practitioner
Statistics show that 9 in 10 of us suffer from some sort of sleeping disorder. From having difficulty falling asleep, restless nights spent tossing and turning to waking up feeling tired despite the obligatory 6-8 hours’ sleep the majority of us know what it’s like to be sleep deprived to some degree.
Do you take more than 15 minutes to get to sleep? Do you wake up several times during the night? Do you feel hungry even when you don’t need food? Do you suffer from poor memory, lack of focus or depression? Are you irritable, anxious, constantly frustrated or have erratic mood swings?
Our bodies need sleep just like it needs food and water. There is now significant research linking poor sleeping habits with weakening our immune system, impairing our memory, weight gain and increasing the growth rate of tumours and cancer.
The good news is that there are some simple steps you can take right now to transform the way you sleep. Start now, be courageous and make the change and become an unstoppable force.
- Declutter – Clutter is generally a physical manifestation of what is going on inside our minds. If you want to quieten your mind one of the best things you can do is clear the clutter.
- Detox your Bedroom – Conventional mattresses and bedding are treated with chemicals, many of which have been banned in Europe because of their negative impact on health and continue to off-gas for the life of the mattress.
- No screen time after 7pm – Blue light such as that emitted from TV, laptops and iphones prevent the production of melatonin, our drowsy hormone.
- Get rid of the electrical appliances – If you can switch it on or off or press the snooze button whilst still lying in bed IT IS TOO CLOSE and affecting your sleep!
- Turn off all wireless while you sleep – Recent studies link high frequency radiation, like those emitted by your mobile phones, cordless DECT phones and wi-fi with a multitude of sleeping disorders such as insomnia, restlessness, nightmares, muscle aches and pains and fatigue.
All of the above require you to think about your environment, its sustainability and its effect on our health. By living lightly on the planet, minimising our material possessions, our use of chemicals and electrical appliances, we will not only leave the planet a better place but be healthier ourselves as well.