For years I believed if I slept too long, life would grind to a halt. Sleeping felt like a waste of time, I was inspired by so many opportunities. I was more alive than ever during my psychology training. Waking early before my four daughters woke up was a bonus that I enjoyed. My time for quiet study was a gift for me so it continued for years
After completing my psychology course and building my private therapy practise I was less driven. However this made little or no difference. I convinced myself that I required less sleep than most other people. My husband was concerned and very patient with my late nights as well as finding me missing in the morning.
Now, with hindsight, I believe my lack of sleep contributed to higher stress levels and was possibly a factor in my developing breast cancer. Even after this wake up call I still wasn't treating myself with the love and care essential to health. When I was blessed with a 5 year all clear after treatment, I still carried on. I was ignoring this beautiful gift of the life I had been given.
Then, completely out of the blue, Brendon Burchard sent an invitation for me to join Arianna Huffington on her Oprah course called "Thrive." This word, struck home forcefully inside me. I knew deep inside, I was not thriving, despite helping clients to improve their quality of life. This course was my real wake up call. Within a short time Arianna's course made a phenomenal difference to my life. The mind body science wisdom underpinning the course convinced me without a shadow of doubt of how essential sleep was for my health.
I immediately bought Arianna's book and devoured it hungrily. My enthusiasm about this book meant clients wanted copies too. They found that it was packed with smart and simple suggestions, which we all took to heart. Many were practical such as ensuring our alarm clock lights were off. Choosing to remove all electronic equipment out of our bedroom. These decisions made a remarkable difference. Now we keep our bedroom cool and the curtains darken our room. All these simple steps brought increasing peace into our lives.
Since then, I have continued my before bedtime routines. They included no computer checks or late TV programmes. This gives me time for my yoga and self-hypnosis practice. Choosing to be more present and at one with my breathing naturally allows me to drift off into peaceful sleep. Now, I consistently go to bed before my husband and wake after eight or more hours of sleep. Thankfully this has given me more energy as well as increasing clarity in my thoughts and throughout my life.