Better Sleep Coach; Your Help to Better Health through Better Sleep
  • Home
  • Who we are
  • Tips for Better Sleep
  • Tips for Students of Any Age
  • Tips for Making CPAP your Friend
  • Tips for Techs
  • Sleep Quiz
  • Coaching
  • Night shift coaching
  • Products to Help You Sleep Better
  • Blog

A Thought For The Night

12/31/2014

1 Comment

 
Picture
1 Comment

How to Set Your Sleep Goals

12/28/2014

1 Comment

 
I talk a great deal about the importance of adding sleep as a part of your lifestyle.  What you need to know is how to set and add this to your lifestyle.  This is the time of year that most people are setting resolutions or making change; the truth is that most people do not follow through because they do not know how to set a goal that will motivate them to change. 

The theory of SMART goal setting is sound but there is a significant key that is missing.  The true motivation for the goal.  This is not I want more energy or a healthy lifestyle but is something that is personal and is emotionally significant.

I come from a long line of women who develop cancer.  Poor sleep can contribute to this condition.  I know it is an issue but it is not something that will drive me to change.  I am also going to college for my MBA.  I am quite passionate about school because it affects my self-worth, my career and education really revs up my life.  I know that in order for me to be a successful student I need to be well rested.  That will allow me to think clearly so I can take in new information, write papers and take quizzes.  This is much more likely to motivate me to change my sleep pattern so I will be more successful in school.  Now that I have this emotional motivation I can create my SMART goal to achieve.  

I will go to bed at 9:30 pm on weeknights and 10:30 pm on weekends (this hour difference is not drastic and allows me time to be with my son in the evenings on the weekends).  I will meet this bed time 26 out of 30 days a month. I will share this with my mentor so I can be held accountable.  This goal is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time specific.  It allows me to not be perfect.  It takes into account what I need to do to achieve it.  

If I want to get more specific I would include my sleep routine that would start at 9 pm and would include my 10 minutes of yoga, 15 minutes of reading  and 5 minutes of night-time hygiene.  The more specific it is the more likely I am to follow through.  

Once I have achieved one goal as part of my lifestyle than I can add a second goal.  I would rather be successful at one thing than to fail at multiple things because I was unable to balance all my expectations. 
1 Comment

Why Sleep Needs to be a Priority

12/26/2014

0 Comments

 
PictureFraya knows why her sleep is important
                When we think about health we usually think about disease control or weight or maybe even wellness.  One of the few things that will affect all these areas is sleep.  If you make sleep your priority you will not only affect your health but you will start to create optimal wellness. 

                Sleep research has found that sleep deprivation contributes to multiple issues such as dementia, colon cancer and diabetes.  Not to mention the daily issues of poor memory, fatigue and the lack of focus that can keep a person from reaching their goals. 

                So how do we improve our sleep so we can improve ort health?  Most people believe that they are short sleepers and that they only need to sleep 5 to 6 hours a night.  This is not true.  The average person needs 7 to 8 hours.  Younger people need even more.  But we need to train our body to sleep.  Our brains work like computers and like a routine to tell us what to do.  They want to go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time.  They like to do the same thing before we go to sleep.  That means we need to create a sleep routine just like when our patents created one for us when we were kids. It needs to be between 20 and 40 minutes long and it needs to be personalized so that we are comfortable with it.  The following are some suggestions for creating a personal sleep routine.

  • Lower the lights in the room.  It will allow for your brain to start producing the chemicals needed to fall asleep.
  • Cool down the house.  Our body temperature dips when we are asleep, and the cooler temperatures help us to sleep better.  If you get cool try warm socks and pajamas.  
  • Do something to help you unwind.  It can be meditation, yoga, reading something to help you relax or anything that does not include computers, cell phones or television.
  • Take a warm shower or bath.  Your body will cool down afterwards telling your brain it is time to sleep.
  • Create a hygiene routine.  If you do the same thing every night before you go to sleep it will tell your brain it is bedtime.  
  • Give up that before bedtime drink.  Alcohol may make you fall asleep faster but it will disrupt your sleep later in the night.  
     Remember a routine needs to be personal so do what works for you.  Just remember that it should be done every day at the same time and you should wake up every day at the same time.  Routines are what allows the computer that is out brain to work optimally and contribute to our overall health.  


0 Comments

    Archives

    May 2020
    December 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    January 2018
    January 2017
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    August 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    December 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    January 2010

    RSS Feed

    Blog Roll
    Stop Snoring
    View my profile on LinkedIn

    Categories

    All
    Aasm
    Aast
    Add
    Allergies
    Amy Korn Reavis
    Amy Korn-Reavis
    Anxiety
    Apap
    Auto Titrating Cpap
    Balance
    Bedding
    Bipap
    Boards
    Bodymedia Fit
    Books
    Breathing
    Brpt
    Career
    Children
    Cpap
    Cpap Accessories
    Cpap Mask
    Cpap Masks
    Cpap Problems
    Cpap Solutions
    Cpap Therapy
    Daylight Savings Time
    Dental Appliances
    Diabetes
    Dr Steven Park
    Education
    Enurisis
    Exercise
    Fatigue
    Fibromyalgia
    Florida Association Of Sleep Technicians
    Gerd
    Growth
    Habits
    Health
    High Blood Pressure
    Holidays
    Hot Weather
    Insomnia
    Insurance
    Job
    Licensure
    Management
    Monitoring
    Morning Headaches
    Napping
    Nbrc
    New Cpap
    Obesity
    Obstructive Sleep Apnea
    Oral Appliances
    Osa
    Pain
    Pap Nap
    Physicial
    Planning
    Publicity
    Relax
    Relaxation
    Resolutions
    Respiratory Credentials
    Respiratory Therapy
    Shaq
    Sheets
    Short Sleep
    Sleep
    Sleep Apnea
    Sleep Deprivation
    Sleep Disorders
    Sleep Education
    Sleep Hygeine
    Sleep Hygiene
    Sleep Lab
    Sleep Routine
    Sleep Societies
    Sleep Stages
    Sleep Study
    Sleep Technician
    Sleep Test
    Sleep Testing
    Sleep Therapy
    Snoring
    Stress
    Studying
    Summer
    Support
    Support Groups
    Surgery
    Teens
    Tired
    Travel
    Treatment
    Vitamin D
    Weight Loss
    Winter Health
    Women
    Writing

    Amy Korn-Reavis, EzineArticles.com Basic PLUS Author
    Follow this blog
Photo from momentcaptured1
  • Home
  • Who we are
  • Tips for Better Sleep
  • Tips for Students of Any Age
  • Tips for Making CPAP your Friend
  • Tips for Techs
  • Sleep Quiz
  • Coaching
  • Night shift coaching
  • Products to Help You Sleep Better
  • Blog