In a world where doing and achieving gets so much reward, where life gives us goals and objectives and comparisons to strive against it can only be presumed that any time spent sleeping is time away from living your best life! Why would we spend any time understadning sleep, what’s the point of it?
Well I can tell you this much, scientists don’t know!
And I’m not even being flippant, there is a lot that is know, which I will dive eagerly into in just a moment. But of all that is known about our physiology in sleep, changes in brain waves, adjustments of the nervous system, endocrine system and circadian system, if a scientist were asked ‘why does the body need sleep, what happens with sleep that couldn’t just happen with deep rest?’ An honest scientist will admit that they don’t have the answer. They have not ‘yet’ been able to explain why it is, through the eons of evolution that we have never lost the need for our bodies to go into complete paralysis for 6-10 hours every 24hr cycle. This basic human requirement that no human being has been able to train beyond is not a trait that you would think lends itself to the survival of the species. Yet here we are 6 million years into evolution and we’re still at it!
What scientists do now know about Sleep is absolutely fascinating and I literally could just eat up this information all day long…except not in the final 2 hours before sleep.
In this newsletter I will start by unpacking an understanding of what happens in your body during day and night that impacts sleep and you will start to see, as I have, that all of our bodies systems require a healthy sleep-wake cycle. I have shared some questions that will help you tune in to your own sleep style (yoga perspective) and chronotype (scientific perspective). Any suggested protocols, adjustments or ‘action items’ will be shared in part 2 of the Sleep exploration in March. Take this time to become the observer of your own sleep and resist the inclination to jump into changes. Being the observer is a common guide point in yoga and meditation practices. From a scientific perspective it is referred to as a Natural Experiment where there is no manipulation of the independent variables. Like David Attenborough in the jungle, observing, taking notes, becoming familiar with the environment without influencing or adapting it. This is also an approach taken in business when investigating process issues, one of the primary tools of a Kaizen review is to ask the 5 Why’s and resist, at all costs, attempting to suggest any solutions. A very challenging task for hyper-functional problem solvers. But it is essential, to gather observational data, to know your starting point. If, for example, you were to ask someone for directions, the first question you would be asked in return is ‘where are you now?’. With this newsletter I’ll be turning the lights inward on sleep, so you can see where you are now.
Full Understanding Sleep Newsletter releases Tuesday Feb 6th.
- Sign up now and you will get the full January newsletter straight to your inbox.
- Receive February Newlsetter ‘Understanding Sleep’ on Feb 6th
- Sign up by Feb 5th for free lifetime subscription
- Newsletter will be €5/month for those signed up after Feb 5th
Each month your newsletter will include:
- Insights into established and emerging benefits of wellbeing activities. Taking scientific literature and translating into relevant and fascinating barstool facts.
- Exclusive coupon codes and discounts on upcoming wellbeing activities; indoor and outdoor yoga events, one-to-one treatments and wellbeing excursions and retreats.
- Live monthly newsfeed share with Bláithín. 20min sessions where Bláithín explains in person the information shared in the Newsletter. Recordings available in members forum.
- Opportunities to contribute to local research efforts in the area of health and wellbeing.
Each month in the Science of Wellbeing Newsletters topics that relate to the ever evolving Happiness Equation are being explored. Join us and contribute to the key components of the equation and start to understand your own happiness matrix.
The Happiness Equation
Eluminate each area of your life in your unique colours month by month
