Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/888057
Ask Bill has a master's degree in counseling psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi and has been a licensed professional counselor since 1987. He has 23 years of individual and relational counseling experience and serves as an adjunct instructor in counseling psychology at Mississippi College. He has been a reserve deputy for 13 years with the Madison County Sheriff's Office and is a ruling elder at Grace Chapel Evangelical Presbyterian Church. He adores his wife of 34 years and their two grown children. Without a good night's sleep, we can't function to our highest level. With chronic sleep loss, we can hardly even function adequately. Poor quality of sleep makes it harder to deal with the stressors in life, in return, causing us not to sleep well. What a terrible cycle! The importance of restorative sleep cannot be understated. Chronically inadequate sleep can contribute to a wide variety of health problems. Stress-related sleep problems are probably more prevalent today than any time in our history. The wake-sleep cycle is a delicate system working to put you to sleep and wake you up. Many, if not all, bodily functions are affected by this cycle. Inadequate sleep contributes to a weak immune system, weight gain, poor appetite regulation, poor glucose and insulin regulation, elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol, poor attention and memory, and much more. It is commonly accepted that people need seven to nine hours of sleep per night. Lying in bed resting does not count. You must move through the sleep cycle of the five stages of sleep each night. When you cut into your sleep time, the restorative effects of sleep are reduced. Here are some ways to improve your sleep. • Engage in routine moderate- to high-intensity exercise ending with time for your metabolism to slow down before bedtime. • Control caffeine intake. Don't drink any after 4 or 5 p.m. or earlier if you notice a wake effect at bedtime. • Moderate alcohol intake and don't use it to help you get to sleep. Alcohol disrupts sleep quality. • Get away from electronic screens for an hour or two before bedtime. • Set a wind-down time of at least an hour before bedtime to completely relax and allow your brain to calm down. • If you are restless in bed, don't stay there. Get up and do something until you feel tired. • Establish a routine sleep time. Avoid napping during the day. • Keep the temperature of the bedroom cool during sleep time. Make good sleep a priority today! It is a must for healthy living. Sweet dreams! SLEEP: A MUST FOR HEALTHY LIVING "THE PEACE OF GOD, WHICH SURPASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING, WILL PROTECT YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS. —PHILIPPIANS 4:7 14 w w w. s t d o m .c o m LOCAL