3 Reasons for Why You Are Tired, What to Do About It & Sleep Soundly
A recent report on MSN is the impetus for this post; however, please know, this is not going to be a repeat of their thoughts. On the contrary, I’m taking their points and sharing my point of view along with steps for improving your situation.
your partner snores
you sleep with pets in your room
you have low testosterone
you eat too much sugar
you’re pregnant
you have night terrors
you have diabetes
your meds have sleep-related effects
you have a UTI
you are depressed
you have mono
you have restless leg syndrome
you have anemia
you drink alcohol frequently
you have sleep apnea
you have the flu
you’re stressed out
you’re dehydrated
you have an undiagnosed food allergy
you watch tv before bed
you keep your room too warm
you eat too much junk food
you’re not getting adequate exercise
your thyroid isn’t functioning properly
your body is lacking nutrients
So, I decided to at least list their thoughts, although, in reverse, primarily for reference. However, as I go over the various points of consideration, there is a common thread that is far more simpler and concise.
activated stress mechanism even if your tiredness is due to a snoring partner .. say what?
poor digestive process from the mouth to the cells which is due to an overactive stress response
Let’s take a couple moments to pick it a part.
Snoring partner clearly has inflammation issues due to oxidative stress; yet, if your brain cannot tune this out long enough for you to go to or stay asleep, then you are also experiencing some degree of stress. The brain is wired to go with the flow, and light is a signal the hormonal system responds to. While it’s easy to blame something or someone else, the fact is your system is reacting to the environment every second of every day. Moving to the next room may improve things for a minute; yet, check in and be honest … how well are you sleeping? Resist the need to blame ‘not sleeping in your own bed’ … feel free to discuss this further because there’s more to your situation beyond sleeping with a someone who snores
next up are the temporary conditions like the flu, a UTI, mononucleosis, pregnancy, sleeping with pets in the room, watching tv before bed, being dehydrated, eating too much junk food or sugar or having the room to warm? While circumstantial, they also reflect a system taxed by stress which is nothing more than a change in chemistry for the sake of keeping us alive and on high alert.
as for what’s remaining: diabetes, lack of nutrition, inadequate exercise, poor thyroid function, undiagnosed food allergy, sleep apnea, frequent alcohol consumption, anemia, restless leg syndrome, depression, medication related sleep issues, low testosterone, night terrors and of course being stressed out … well, they’re also the result of a stressed existence. Just to be clear, sometimes when our livelihood is threatened, we don’t feel like we even have the time for exercise….
Let’s be clear … when I speak of stress, I’m not just referring to the mental and emotional distress of our everyday life! Stress according to the research and my practice is an instinctual mechanism that affects all of nature, not just human beings. Which means, for as easy as it is to blame something or someone for stressing you ‘out’, it’s an inaccurate belief. Even though there may be an external catalyst, stress is a systemic reaction that cause a number of physiological changes that when left unsupported, lead to both chronic survival mode and inflammation.
What sort of changes? Well, the two most significant ones are
stagnated lymph
slowed digestion, metabolism and assimilation
At the same time, these aren’t bad; they’re meant to be temporary, meaning as soon as the threat is over, it’s all systems go. However, this isn’t what’s happening which has a lot to do with the environment and why we have high levels of oxidative stress and inflammation. What’s more, these changes eventually affect the way we process thoughts and emotions; hence, inflamed reactions from the way we talk to ourselves to our interactions with or about others
This is significant because as long as the concept of stress remains purely circumstantial, our issues will persist. Hmmm.. isn’t there a saying, ‘what we resist persists?’ I’m pretty sure that one comes from Eckhart Tolle.
This of course brings me to the question: what are you resisting?
The way I see it, we resist many things from ideas to change. Therefore I ask again, what are you resisting?
This isn’t the easiest ‘thing’ to consider because we’re experiencing many changes as it is; yet, even if you think you’re adapting as expected, my suspicion is you’re still resisting on a much deeper level. Trust me, I’m not saying every change is easy or necessary; however, what would life be like if you felt composed enough to express your thoughts and emotions with reason and possibly enhancing the progress of ‘said change’?
Believe it or not, this level of inner resistance adds to the stress .. not that I’m blaming you .. I’m just pointing out that this inner struggle prolongs the lack of ease … dis-ease which affects everything from sleep to how well we get along with others.
So, here are
3 Reasons for Why You Are Tired, What to Do About It & Sleep Soundly
slowed digestion, metabolism and assimilation
take a HCL supplement like Betaine plus HP - improves macronutrient breakdown and gut flora
take spirulina - contains digestive enzymes, making it highly bioavailable; also anti-inflammatory and supports cell health
stagnant lymph
take the time to move your body
get a massage … the lymph requires muscular movement to move it which makes both of these a great support structure … plus both will improve sleep
drink lemon water
inner struggle
journal daily not just to clarify the inner conflict but with the intention finding your voice and enhancing contribution
use essential oils that soothe and ground your being; the beautiful thing here is you can combine 3 or 4 of them to also help with moving the lymph as well as improving digestion, hormonal balance and sleep. Suggestions include: lemongrass, goldenrod, myrrh, marjoram sweet although, if you take medications, are pregnant or nursing, then it’s best to alter your selections.
Not to mention, every body is different. The way stress manifests in your body is going to vary from how it affects someone else, even if they are a family member. No two epigenomes are the same which makes the listed oils possibly ineffective from the beginning or over time. Why not the supplement recommendations? Because they are nutrients where the oils are signaling molecules making their influence on the body quite different.
Would you like the full scoop on stress and how to work with it? Are you interested in essential oils and learning how to use them in ways that not only support your immediate concerns but improve your overall health in the future? I’d love to have you in the course: The Wellness Breakthrough Sign up today!