It’s 3am and you can’t sleep. 3am and you can’t sleep? Ugh. This post is for you. This post isn’t about WHY you wake up and can’t get back to sleep at 3 in the morning, or HOW to stop waking up at 3 am every morning. (That stuff will be in the upcoming additional posts in this series.) This …
Body Scan Mindfulness Practice
One very helpful mindfulness practice is the Body Scan. Mindfulness practice, as succinctly defined by Jon Kabat-Zinn: Paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally. In a body-scan mindfulness practice, the thing you’re paying attention to (on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally) is your body — everything from your toes to your scalp. Using your body as the focus …
Poor sleep hurts your brain: Risk factor in the development of Alzheimer’s
Poor sleep now, Alzheimer’s later? The amount and quality of your sleep now could play a big role in how your brain does as you age, including developing Alzheimer’s. Here’s more research to convince you to move sleep up from the bottom of your to-do list. I’ve written before about the importance of good quality sleep (here, for example). Now …
Defeat Your Snooze Button, and Triumph Over Your Whole Day
What you and your brain need to know about hitting the snooze button – it’s not just a waste of time. Consider these facts about sleep and snoozing when you’re waking up tomorrow, and give yourself the chance for a better start every day. “I’ll just hit snooze one more time.” Nine minutes, fifteen minutes… whatever the length of your …
Optimizing Your Brain: 22 Ways to Hack That Fabulous Blob
The brain’s the thing. It’s a gloppy collection of staggering numbers of neurons and other stuff, made up mostly of water, that can’t support its own weight if you put it on a table (which I don’t recommend). The fluid that supports it in your skull is about the same density as the brain itself. In short: It’s delicate, unbelievably …
Sleep, light, your electronic devices, and melatonin
Melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone related to sleep, needs to be released a few hours before bedtime. In a “natural” situation (one without artificial lights), daylight wanes, melatonin is secreted, and a couple of hours later, you’re drowsy and ready to sleep. Not only does bright light in the evening make it hard for melatonin release, light in the blue end of …