Your short guide to relaxing and rejuvenating sleep!

Have you enjoyed a good night's sleep and seen the difference it makes? You feel relaxed, more energetic and happy.  Healthy sleep can help you with better moods and creativity too!  Here are some actions you can take to ensure healthy sleep.

1.  Appropriate food/ beverage choices - Eat a light and healthy dinner before 8 pm. Avoid caffeine,  sugar drinks and alcohol at night.

2. Moderate exercise during the day - Regular walks 30-45 mins during the day helps you sleep better. Avoid intense exercises after 5 pm

3. Follow a regular routine each night - have a meditation session to relax your body, listen to gentle music or take a warm bath or shower

4. Have the right environment in your bedroom - make sure you have a comfortable mattress and pillows, proper low lights and a quiet place will facilitate a good relaxed sleep.


How much sleep do you need? It varies from person to person and based on the level of your physical activity, stress levels and age - typically from 7-8 hours is common for most adults. If you wake up feeling tired and have less energy in the mornings, it is possible that you are not sleeping well. Check with your doctor or a sleep professional.

The link below connects you a free 70 page booklet released by NIH (National Institute of Health) with more details on this subject.

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/sleep/healthy_sleep.pdf

Three rules of stress management all of us must know!

If you have a pulse, you have life . . . and you have problems . . . and stress in your life. Happy people are those who have found ways to cope and even thrive under stress.

When I was a young engineer, I was visiting Garibaldi Square in Mexico City, Mexico. On Saturday nights, the best mariachi bands (traditional Mexican music bands) play in the crowded square. As I watched the bands play, I saw a very old couple in pretty shabby clothes. It was very apparent that they were not very rich. I had my dreams and frustrations - I was waiting to buy a new car, a house . . . may be even a boat. I saw the contrast between them and I. I was this rich "North Americano" engineer and they were this poor couple with very little material things in their life. But I also saw that they held hands and very much in love with each other. They were enjoying the music. They were enjoying the present.

At that moment, I realized, all I had was the present moment! I could choose to be happy with what I have and where I am in my life. I did not have to have my house, my car and even my boat to be happy.

Three simple rules:

Rule One: Awareness - take the time to see what stress you have in your life and how it manifests. Do you yell at your kids? (I do sometimes), Are you carrying tension in your body (I carry it in my neck and shoulders), Do you have headaches?

Rule Two: Acceptance/ Acknowledgment - Irrespective of your circumstances, you have a choice. Your left brain has specific rules about how life must be for you to be happy! They are "false" rules - your right brain will tell you that.

Rule Three: Action - What is in your control? What can you do about it? Does worrying about your problems help you? As you relax, the answers will come. Take the action you need to help you. In some cases, it may mean no action. For an action oriented person like me, that is the biggest challenge :-)