Volume 14, Number 3: June 2006
Rest & Relaxation
R&R Tips for Everyday Life
Everyone knows that soldiers under stress need R&R: rest and recreation. Did you know, though, how much your health depends on enough sleep and deep relaxation- R&R for everyday busy life?
Electric light and computers create a 24-hour world. Work and home responsibilities add up to overload. Sleep is elusive. Quiet time escapes. The situation isn't shrug-your-shoulders, "What can you do?" It hurts you physically, and you can try to change it.
The Mind-Body Connection. Science shows that sleep isn't a passive time-out. We need sleep for bodily energy and mental functioning. Too little sleep results in difficulty concentrating, impatience, lower productivity, and a weaker immune system. In late-stage sleep, high brain activity indicates the mind is sorting experience- getting ready for tomorrow.
Likewise, deep relaxation- deliberate release of muscle tension and the body's stress response- measurably benefits blood pressure, breathing and heart rates, brain wave frequency, insomnia, and frequency of headaches.
Clear your head: feel better. Feel better: think better.
Sleep: How Much & How To. People need different amounts of sleep, but surveys show that Americans aren't getting enough. One estimate is that most of us need 60-90 more minutes nightly. Eight hours is a desirable average. Here's a sobering research finding: sleeping six hours per night for one week provokes an inflammation process that can set the stage for heart disease. Chronic sleep loss results in "sleep debt" that can't be made up in a night or two- and impairs waking performance.
You can't eliminate every sleep barrier, but you can choose to see sleep as a healthful activity.
Here are tips for the wakeful.
- Chart your sleep and how you function the next day. Your sleep need will emerge.
- Stick to a regular bedtime and waking time, even on weekends.
- Nap if it helps, but only about 20 minutes before 3 p.m.
- Don't go to bed hungry, but don't eat or drink too much.
- Avoid nicotine and caffeine (no caffeine late in the day).
- Exercise regularly though not near bedtime.
- Make your bedroom dark and soothing. If you don't fall sleep within 30 minutes, get up and do something nonstressful. Don't worry; just wait till you're sleepy.
- Don't take sleep medications without your doctor's advice.
If sleeplessness continues long-term, see your doctor. A medical problem, such as sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome, may exist.
Deep Relaxation: You Can Do It. Healthful relaxation is not just sitting down for a minute. It's a skill, but one anyone can learn. Even 10-15 minutes of true relaxation, regularly or as needed, can eliminate tension. Don't think "meditation" and be put off. Several activities can elicit tension-release- yoga, repetitive prayer, jogging, progressive muscle relaxation, even knitting. The common denominators are (1) repetition of movement or a phrase and (2) calmly setting aside intrusive thoughts as they arise.
The beauty of "sitting" relaxation, though, is its availability. Try it! Here are basic elements:
- A quiet place where you're comfortable for at least 10 minutes.
- Regular, relaxed breathing (what you don't do when stressed or fearful).
- Muscle relaxation from toes to face, one muscle group at a time. (Tensing and then releasing is one technique.)
- Listening to peaceful repetitive music or nature sounds, or repeating a phrase such as "I am quiet and still."
Deep relaxation takes some practice but rewards you with more serenity and less stress-illness. Also, you'll start recognizing your rising tension- and have a tool to deal with it. (You'll probably sleep better too.)