Tricks To Fall Asleep When You Cannot

Many years ago I used to not be able to fall asleep till 4-5 am. Many times, around 5 am, when I’d have enough of not sleeping I would put my running kit on and go for a long, refreshing run.

The biggest problem was that I was always very active and creative at night, and still am, and I could always focus and learn better after everyone else would go to bed and I was alone in a very quiet house.

Sometimes that happens even now, actually some of my best blogs you see here were written after midnight.

Sometimes I don’t even try to fall asleep if I cannot because I know I create some cool things, including poems. Much of what I write is never seen by anyone else but I still write them.

The other side of the coin is that I am also a morning person. I like and I am able to wake up even at 4:30 am to do my training.

So do you struggle to fall asleep….but would like to? These are tricks I used to do and still do if I cannot sleep. Not all may work for you but you can try them out. You don’t sleep anyway.

Here are a few tips to help you fall asleep, things I do myself:

1. Open the windows for at least 1h to get some fresh air in your room before you go to bed. If it’s winter it’s even better, believe me.

2. Stop tossing and turning, if you cannot fall asleep you won’t. Stand up, walk around or just lie down and stop moving.

3. Work the muscles, get them tired. When you lie down in bed they will just relax to maximum. Some say that this will keep you awake. In my case it actually helps me sleep better. You can try it a couple of time, you won’t sleep anyway. If it doesn’t work for you then you don’t do it anymore. Try the others.

4. Practice some fluid movement. If you don’t know how contact me and I will show you a few movements. And you don’t have to commit to anything at all.

5. Breathing meditation. I have to admit this doesn’t work for me all the time. Fluid movement and getting my body tired work better for me.

6. Stretch your body to release that tension you gathered throughout the day. And here’s the perfect stretch for this.

7. Count. When you count you do something very boring your brain will go “I can’t take this anymore, I will shut down” and you fall asleep. It may take up to 100 or even 1000. When you start losing track it’s a good sign, keep counting though.

8. Focus your attention on sounds from outside. Every little sounds. Listen. It’s a beautiful feeling.

9. “Listen” to the silence. One of my favourites. Listening to that deep silence. If the environment allows you to do that it’s a wonderful experience.

10. Go for a walk, if that’s possible. Yes in the middle of the night. It’s one of my favourite things. But make sure you don’t go alone, for safety purposes.

11. Read a book, paper book not kindle. Preferably nothing violent and horror. Poetry would be nice and different for many people.

12. Have a glass of water. Cool your body down.

13. Write and draw. Write and draw what? Anything. Anything at all. Take a sheet of paper, a pen or pencil and let your hand do whatever it wants. Scribble. If it doesn’t help you fall asleep you might create a beautiful piece of art. If you think you cannot write or draw, think again, you are a creative being. We all are.

When you cannot fall asleep, never:

1. Turn on the tv

2. Check your email

3. Check facebook and other social media

4. Make phone calls or text

January 24, 2015January 24, 2015

How to wake up fresh and energized every morning

Today I was coaching one of my students and after the session she approached me with a question regarding sleeping.

She said that she can fall asleep just fine and she sleeps a normal amount of hours but she wakes up tired and she would like to wake up more refreshed and with energy. So she asked me if I had any advice.

I told her I do and I will write this blog for her. So here it is for everyone to learn

First a story

To answer this question I have to tell you a little bit about my experience. You know, I believe we learn through stories better than any other way. You must be used to this by now.

My sleeping patterns have never been strict. Is this wrong or right? Some may say it’s not healthy. However, I dread routine, I love creativity, freedom and the sense of “I choose what to do with my life and sleeping is a choice”.

I loved my crazy, colourful life. Filled with excitement and never a day similar to the other. And sleeping was one of the things that I felt was the most colourful. And health wise, this for me was pure health, when I had colour in my life.

I can sleep 10 hours and feel refreshed, I can sleep 5 hours and train, compete or study at the highest levels without a sign of tiredness or weakness or even the need to eat certain foods for energy. And then go to bed as normal and start the next day the same.

And no, there is no sleep debt and I don’t sleep 5 hours every night, it varies.

I can still do that now although I don’t do it as often because my social life is not as colourful as it used to be but my creativity is still at its peak after 10 pm. So you can sometimes call me around 1pm if you can’t sleep, if I am up at that time I am most likely writing.

So what is the secret

There’s no secret actually. The amount of sleep is less important than the quality of the sleep. And sleeping is not the same thing as resting.

Ok, so how to you rest you ask. I did some experiments when I went through a period of time when I would wake up extremely tired no matter how much I slept and what my sleeping patterns were at that time. So I began to experiment with certain habits. And here’s 3 of them:

1. Falling asleep watching movies

This was by far the biggest reason that kept me from resting properly. I experimented by alternating the days. One day I would watch a movie up to 10-15 min before going to bed and the next day I would read a book for 1 hour before going to bed instead.

The difference was massive. The day I turned off the movie and the computer 1 hour before going to bed I would wake up the next morning energized and rested. It was like magic.

And the change was from one day to another, it didn’t take weeks to see the difference.

Oh these days this means watching movies and tv but also smart phones, ipads, social media etc.

2. Not allowing time for digestion

Depending on the food you eat your body uses up more or less energy to digest it but it’s still energy usage. And depending on the food, its quality, amount and how you cook it can take hours to digest it.

So while you body, and that includes your organs, should rest and take a break they actually work for maybe half the night or more.

Doesn’t it make sense that eating 1 hour before going to bed is something you want to avoid?

If I am hungry around 10 pm I have a piece of fruit or a natural yoghurt (maybe add some organic honey if I crave something sweet). If I am really hungry then I have a plain salad with vinegar and olive oil.

I usually have my dinner around 6 pm, sometimes even earlier, and by the time I go to bed the food is well digested and I get a good night rest.

Remember that during the night you are not using a lot of calories anyway and they end up in the adipose tissues in some cases the muscles.

But this takes us into a different topic and story so let’s go back to sleeping.

3. Clear your mind before going to bed

Now you probably went straight to “oh, the meditation thing again, heard it before”. While meditation is a good idea I don’t always do it before going to bed. Sometimes but not always.

Going to bed with your mind running around means it will still be running for a while after you fall asleep and there goes your restful night.

What I do is go for a 30 min walk around the block. Talking to myself is another way to get thoughts out of my mind (and I get some real expert advice as well 😉 .

When I do both is pure bliss, talking while taking a walk. By now my neighbours are probably used to seeing me talking by myself on the streets.

Anyway, do try these habits and if they don’t work for you come back and we can talk about it. Everyone has different lifestyles and what worked for me will not necessarily work for you as well.

So if you’d like to know more about my approaches please download my free ebook The Merisoiu Technique or book a free call with me and let’s chat.

January 9, 2015May 3, 2015

11 habits to help you feel better in your own body

1. Turn off your devices when you sleep.

2. Sleep between 6 and 8 hours every night.

3. Don’t go to bed with your mind running around. Allow your mind to settle before you fall asleep for a quality rest.

4. For 1h before you go to bed avoid watching tv, checking facebook and emails or playing games on your phone. Instead read a book (a book with pages that is). You will wake up with more energy and avoid sore, dried eyes

5. Drink water throughout the day. The Earth is about 70% water, your body is around 75% water. We can conclude that water is life.

6. Move your body. After all that’s what it’s made for and we’ve been doing it for millions of years, it’s in our genes.

7. Smile. Science says that a smile will make you happier and it’s contagious, making people around you happier as well.

8. Reach for quality before quantity. Whether it is work related, personal growth or fitness strive for quality. This is help you be more productive, focused and appreciated for the work you do.

9. Breathe while focusing on your heart when you are anxious or panicked. It is the best cure. The beginning is more difficult but after 3-4 breathes it’s easier and you begin to calm down.

10. Socialize. I am probably the worst person at this, that’s until I go to an event, I meet wonderful people and then I enjoy it and feel happy for going. If you are not sociable, you could just be friendly. You may find interesting people to connect with and who knows you might even enjoy it.

11. Spend more time outdoors. Research shows that people who spend more time outdoors are happier.

If you’d like to learn more please download my free eBook “15 Healthy Habits For The Body” or book a free consultation with me.

December 17, 2014December 26, 2014

7 reasons why you shouldn’t sleep with your phone

Why is sleep so important?

Firstly we briefly need to answer this question.

I cannot emphasize enough how important sleep it for us. It is the only time our bodies regenerate and naturally heal themselves.

1. When you’re sleep deprived, your body almost immediately develops conditions that resemble the insulin resistance of diabetes. Sleeping, or lack of it, is linked to Diabetes.

2. Studies have found that people who aren’t getting enough sleep drive just as unsafely as someone who’s drunk.

3. Several studies over the past decade point to a link between sleep deprivation and obesity — in both adults and children. Your body takes energy from 2 sources: food and sleep. If there is no sleep, guess what….you will eat more and you will eat more junk food as well.

4. Sleeping more when fighting illness aids recovery, it helps resist infection.

5. Sleep is the ONLY time the body undergoes repair and detoxification.

6. People suffering from stress and depression feel a lot better after they sleep.

Thus sleep has a profound effect on our mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.

Improve the quantity and quality of your sleep by taking your phone out of the bedroom or turn it off before you go to bed. Here are 6 reasons why you should do that starting tonight.

1. Hypervigilance

What are you looking for after a hard day at work? Constant tension and alertness or peace and relaxation? If you chose the latter but sleep with your phone close by you won’t get any of it.

Whether you are aware of it or not, leaving your phone on or nearby can create a sense of hypervigilance. Hypervigilance is an experience often associated with post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD that involves feeling constantly tense or on guard.

Your brain is naturally turned on when the phone is around. Waiting for alerts from it. This prevents the body from achieving the desired state of total relaxation.

Somewhere in the back of your brain, you’re expecting a call, or a text, or facebook message and this makes you less relaxed and more tensed.

So how important is relaxation for you really?

2. Slow down before going to bed

Every time you check your phone, twitter or facebook your brain releases dopamine. Dopamine is created in various parts of the brain and is critical in all sorts of brain functions, including thinking, moving, sleeping, mood, attention, motivation, seeking and reward.

Dopamine causes you to want, desire, seek out, and search. It increases your general level of arousal and your goal-directed behavior.

Set a switch off time for your phone, ideali 30 min- 1 hour before you go to bed. Give your bain the opportunity to slow down and relax rather than stimulate it.

3. The light disturbs the body’s natural circardian rhythm

Probably the biggest danger to your sleep is the light your device emits. According to Dr Charles Czeisler, a professor of sleep medicine at Harvard University, the light interferes with the body’s natural rhythm, it’s tricking our bodies into believing it’s daytime.

If you wake up in the middle of the night refrain yourself from using your phone. Put it somewhere where you can’t see it or reach it easily. The light will simply disturb you further.
We sleep in cycles of 1½-2 hours, with brief moments of waking in between that normally go unnoticed. That is our natural sleep cycle. A simple flash of light or vibration of your phone at the wrong moment could make you fully conscious.

A few more reasons why you should leave your phone out of the bedroom when you sleep

1. Increase productivity

The two hours after becoming fully awake are likely to be the best. You feel refreshed, relaxed, ready to take on your daily challenges.

Instead of checking facebook sit down, have you breakfast and do your to do list for the day. Then begin with the most difficult tasks on the list. You will finish them in no time.

Of course, if you don’t want to be more productive you don’t have to follow this advice.

2. More/Better sex life

Couples who keep mobile devices in their bedroom have less sex than those who don’t.

And spouses who choose to interact with one another on an emotional level have better, more fulfilling sex.

That makes complete sense, you don’t hurry up so you can watch the next episode of your favourite show, answer the phone, or play Angry Birds.

3. More/Better relationship with your family

Don’t get me wrong, I am not against using technology in your home. I use it every day. And I only have one room, the only place to take my phone is in the bathroom where there is dampness so I chose to turn it off.

Removing technology from bedrooms fosters interaction, you can see this with your own family and friends, I am sure. No one is distracted.

Re-create the relationships with your family

The 7th reason is the fast that your body undergoes the healing process when sleeping.

Wow, how important sleep and switching off is for us, from mental and physical health to better sex life, productivity and more quality time with our families. This can truly be called a balanced lifestyle.

Pictures from http://pixabay.com/

November 21, 2014March 13, 2015

7 Things I do to avoid the Flu

1. Drink water with lemon and ginger every morning.

Boosts immune system
Alkaline food – Balances pH Levels
Cleanse
Aids digestion
Lemons are high in pectin fiber – helps fight hunger cravings – Aids in Weight Loss

2. Training outdoor.

Especially if you feel a start of a cold, you need to get your immune system up and running asap.

Don’t wait until it is very very bad. It will also make you feel better mentally.

The great thing about training outdoor is that you avoid the viruses which incubate in indoor, hot places. Even if you immune system is down you have less changes of contacting a virus outdoor than indoor with 100 other people.

Boosts immunity
Away from viruses
Oxygen for your brain, blood and muscles

4. Eat citrus fruit or drink citrus fruit juice made by yourself

Citrus are ins season in winter. Indeed they are high in sugar but they are not high on Glycemic Index.

What can they do for you?

Boost of Vitamins
Keeps the whole fruit so you don’t miss any nutrients
No added sugars, colours, preservatives etc
Low Glycemic Index
Grapefruit give you about 59% of your daily recommended value of Vit C

5. Drink lots of tea.

Cleanse body of toxins
Boosts immunity
Green tea and other herbal teas are best

If you fancy a tea with a twist, but still green, healthy and full of antioxidants, check out Matcha Tea on our store, as well as our review on it

6. Eat fresh vegetables of all colours
Every colour has its vitamins and minerals the body needs to stay healthy, strong and fight illnesses.

Green – vin A, B9, B2, Calcium, Magnesium, Iron,
Red – vit A, vit C (red apples contain quercetin, a compound that can fight colds, flu, and allergies)
Orange – vitamins C, A, B6, potassium, and fiber
Yellow – potassium, fiber, manganese, vitamin A, magnesium
Blue – antioxidants, fibre
Purple – anthocyanins (antioxidants that protect blood vessels and preserve healthy skin), vitamin A and flavonoids
White – vitamins and minerals: vitamins C, K, and folate, contain fiber

7. Sleep good.

Sleeping properly, a restful sleep, 6-8 hours every night gives the body a change to regenerate and heal. It is probably the most important tool to fight illnesses, if you ask me.
I use meditation and relaxation tracks which help me relax and also help me have positive thoughts before I go to bed.

8. Your mind has the power

Never say “I will get sick” or “I am sick”

Since high school, when I had the odd cold, I used to tell everyone that I am not sick and I actually produce antibodies.

My friends always wondered how come I was ill but had more energy than when I wasn’t, I would train harder, laugh harder and be very cheerful all the time. What you think and what you tell yourself and others influence the outcome in reality.

I did not know then that this was actually a science, I had no idea why I was so energetic when ill. Well now I know.

And I have the perfect article to support this