I find myself writing and saying that a lot as I navigate through the world as a holistic health coach.
Because ultimately, however great the advice is, if it doesn’t work for you then it doesn’t work for you.
That is why there are so many options in life. Take food for instance. Nuts and seeds are very good for you, and ought to be included in your diet in some form every day. But if you have allergies, then you need to be careful not to go against your own body.
If you can’t eat walnuts then maybe you can eat pecans. If you can’t have tree nuts at all, then perhaps sunflower seeds are okay.
The issue I have with social media and the proliferation of website experts is their one size fits all, rather cavalier attitude towards recommending that we all follow a certain diet or lifestyle.
Is it really necessary to get 7-8 hours of sleep every night?
I hope not, because if so I’m in big trouble. If only I didn’t feel so fantastic when averaging 4-5, then I would consider worrying about it. But worrying would probably keep me up at night!
So who decided that all humans are the same and that our bodies operate under similar requirements?
There are nights where I wake up after 4 hours of sleep and just don’t feel the need to sleep more. I used to try to get more sleep, but then I began to wonder if it was truly necessary.
Then I started going with the flow, and I instantly felt better. I focused on the quality, not the quantity, and that made all of the difference.
I did a lot of research on this. While some studies insist that we need 8 hours, there have been many fully functioning human beings who didn’t come close to that.
Albert Einstein reportedly slept for 10 hours a night, and had naps during the day. I’m not going to argue with a genius about that!
Nikola Tesla, who was responsible for inventing the AC power that runs through your home, slept 2 hours a night. He would add a short nap during the day as needed.
And Leonardo Da Vinci practiced polyphasic sleep, which breaks down long periods of sleep into short intervals. Averaging about 5 hours in total, he would sleep from 20 minutes to 2 hours as needed.
It seems to me that there is no one size fits all.
I figure that as long as I wake up every morning and have lots of energy, then everything is as it should be!
5 Tips For Better Quality of Sleep
Keep your bedroom dark and cool
Don’t eat within 2 hours minimum of going to bed
Don’t drink too close to bed either. Experiment and see what keeps you in bed and not in the bathroom
If you enjoy the scent of lavender, spray a bit on your sheets and pillow
Don’t overstimulate your mind before bed. Take an electronic break and do whatever relaxes you. A soothing nighttime routine can make all the difference in the world!
