Pt. 5. Sleep, Rest and Recovery

Well here we are. Pt 5. already. In the previous posts we've dealt with breathing more consciously; getting enough water; moving; and eating good, clean, whole foods. And with all that extra brain power being applied, it can be a bit tiring to begin with, so it's fitting that today we're talking about Sleep. It's the fifth element on the "Five Essentials List" and as essential as the others on the list it occupies.

No matter what your daily activities are, your body and brain need down-time to repair and renew each day. And the harder and longer you work each day, the more you begin to realise how much your sleep means to you.

Without proper rest and recovery, your body is unable to carry out the vital daily repair and replenishment works required. At first it begins to run on its reserves, and when it can no longer cope with the stresses put on it, it starts to break down. You become unable to think clearly and quickly, and your memory begins to fail, basic physical skills such as speakign clealry become challenged and your immunity drops,...and that's just the start of it. Add in things like weight gain due to changes in how your body processes your food, and also increases the hormones that up your appetite (weight gain bringing with it a whole other set of problems) and you can see that good quality sleep really is important. If you're a new mum, now you'll know why you have Nappy Brain - in case you had any doubt. :)

The Fifth Element: Get Great Sleep. around 6-8 hours is enough for most adults. If you know you're low on sleep, put in some extra effort yourself and consult a medical practitioner for help if you need it.