Are You Having Trouble Sleeping?

Melatonin… And so much more!

In my last post, quite some time ago, I said I was going to check out melatonin as a sleeping aide. I did and what I discovered made me decide it wasn’t for me. What I did decide was to take the steps that help my body produce more of the substance itself.

The production of melatonin is effected by light. Even a little light, clock radio, an LCD night light, your neighbors porch light, all of these and any other light source can block your body from producing melatonin.

Melatonin is the body’s natural sleep aide we just need to give it darkness so it can produce.

That basically covers what I felt about what my investigation into melatonin brought to light.

So the question you may ask is, “Are you still having trouble sleeping?”
The answer would be no. I have been sleeping quite well. A dark room helps immensely.

Now on to the “And so much more!”

Since my last post here, my husband, Bob and I have been creating, writing and coaching.

To see our latest creations, check out: www.intentionalprosperity.com and www.romancetrap.com

To read over 200 blog posting on everything from “The Speed of Light” to “Fear of Happiness” go to our blog: The Best Years of Your Life… Now! You can use the search feature on top to find the post that most interests you.

I don’t know when I’ll get a chance to get back here, so if you want to keep up with me, join me at either of the sites above.

Take care and darken up your room for a good nights sleep,

Gwen Baran

Not Sleeping Could be Stealing Your Life

I mentioned to my sister that I hadn’t been sleeping much lately and her reaction seemed extreme, “Do you know how bad not sleeping is for you? Not sleeping could steal away your life.”

I thought, yeah, I know it’s not good for me to not be getting enough sleep, but her real concern was that my sleep pattern was “whacked”. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I don’t get enough sleep then I get too much. It is strange, I often feel like I have so much more energy to accomplish things when I sleep less than when I sleep more. When I get too much sleep I am groggy and can’t seem to wake up at all.

But her concern made me check out “whacked” sleep patterns and she was right!

In a Washington Post article from 2005, staff writer Rob Stein writes about what scientists have been finding out about what losing sleep does to our bodies. It wasn’t pretty. “…failing to get enough sleep or sleeping at odd hours heightens the risk for a variety of major illnesses, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity…”

He goes on with quotes from scientists and researchers that indicate that not sleeping could be stealing our lives. Certainly it is aging us and this lack of sleep for many is the result of the 24-7 lifestyle that the Internet, cable television and other elements of modern life make possible.

Not all the results are in even 2 years later. Some scientists disagreed with the findings, saying we are living longer and are healthier than ever before. They also point out that there could be other factors causing the increase in the biggest diseases in people that don’t sleep much or sleep irregularly.

Still it seems that if you want to live a healthier life, staying up all night in front of the computer or TV screen may not be a good idea.

So I will have to get back to the original mission of this blog… Finding the things that work to help us get to sleep and sleep deeply and regularly.

I will start with more research on melatonin. My doctor mentioned that I might try it again as a sleep aid. She knows I prefer alternative remedies to prescription drugs and respects that.

The article I was referencing from the Post also mentioned that, “Melatonin is believed to protect against cancer by affecting levels of other hormones, such as estrogen.”

So look for another post with the results of more melatonin research.

Let’s not let our brains and whatever else is not letting us sleep, steal away our lives. I don’t know about you, but there are a lot more things I want to do and experience in this life and not a one of them is some life threatening disease.

Until next time… Take care and BE WELL!

P.S. Quick plug… The Intentional Prosperity™ System going live soon.

What is keeping you awake?

What is keeping you awake? It is funny, I started out this blog to be a resource of things that would help us sleep, but it has ended up focusing more on what keeps us awake. Or, yes, what keeps me awake.

I believe it is part of the process. If you recognize what keeps you awake, then you are on the way to figuring out how to let those things go and allow yourself to sleep. It is all about choices.

We can choose to stay up and work, surf or blog all night or we can choose to disconnect and let our brains wind down and allow ourselves the respite of a good night’s sleep. But it is true, making those choices isn’t always easy. Especially if you aren’t aware you actually have that choice. Many people would say they have no choice. Those individuals have chosen, consciously or more likely unconsciously, to be victims of circumstance.

Perhaps what is keeping you awake is something so frightening that you don’t even look at it. Maybe it is only frightening because you haven’t looked at it. I don’t know what is in your head. It could be it is just easier to choose to take some form of sleep aid, drug, alcohol, or some other alternative like melatonin or valerian to help you get some sleep. Maybe some introspection would be the best sleep aid you can find.

Why can’t you sleep? Are you worried about the bills? Are you concerned that you made a mistake and you are beating yourself up for your action or words? Do you have an issue with your health that is keeping you awake? Are you thinking about something that is long done and there is nothing you can do about it? Recriminations keep many people awake at night.

Dealing with whatever is keeping you awake is the best medicine you can take. If you truly are seeking a healthier life and more restful sleep, then look inside yourself. Accept yourself exactly where and how you are right now. No matter what judgments you may have. Begin to give yourself love and acceptance and you will be surprised at how the conditions you live in will begin to change. Even your sleep patterns.

So here’s my recommendation tonight: spend some time in introspection. If you can come to terms with what is inside of you and accept it and yourself or let it go, you will sleep better. If you are going to beat yourself up because of what you find inside, then you will probably sleep less.

Introspection, acceptance and letting go. Can you do it?

If you need help go to Intentional Prosperity. There are a number of articles that are located along the right side of the page. They are about finding and following your passion. To live your dreams, you need to be able to look inside yourself, accept what you see and let go of what is no longer serving you.

Here’s to growing to a place where we are all living our dreams and where we can all sleep better.

Take care and good night.

Sleep Sweet Sleep

Oh, yes, sleep, sweet sleep! For 4 whole nights in a row. I have got a good nights sleep. In part from the advise I got from the blog I turned you on to in my last post. But mostly just allowed myself to chill out.

I have been working on a big project and it is getting very close to going live.

You’ve heard of The Secret and all the buzz around that? Of course you have! It was a wonderful way to introduce the general public to the Law of Attraction. But it left out so much of what it really takes to live a life of prosperity and abundance.

Very soon you will be able to immerse yourself in all the steps it takes to live a life where you never have to deny yourself anything that is good for you… And that includes getting the sleep, sweet sleep you need to feel your best and be productive.

One of the traps it is easy to get into when the Internet is your primary contact with the world is to work late at night. It doesn’t matter when you do your work, because the Internet is always open. If you want a good night’s sleep, do that work before midnight… And don’t get up when you wake up at 3 am with an idea burning through your brain.

Okay, if 3 am is when your best ideas come have a notepad next to your bed so you can write out the idea and then let yourself go back to sleep. If it is truly a great idea, it will still look so in the light of the day… And chances are you will do a better job at bringing that idea to fruition if you are well rested.

There are exceptions to this obviously. There is what I call the “Einstein mode”. When all your ideas are coming so fast and you are vibrating with the desire to complete them or at least get them down. At those times, I think you just have to go with it and get some sleep when you finally wind down.

That has been the way things have been with the project I mentioned earlier. The only reason I have been sleeping is I believe it will help me provide a better product in the long run. But I have the feeling there will be more late nights before everything is all done.

For now you can check out our new personal growth site. If you feel inclined, fill out your name and email address and you’ll get immediate assess to an updated version of the “original” self-help book, “As a Man Thinketh” by James Allen.

So if you’re up and surfing, why not surf over to Intentional Prosperity.com and get a free ebook and bookmark the site. You never know when you might need the information that will be provided there.

Take care and get some sleep!

Still awake? Have you tried valerian?

Well, it’s almost 4 am in my time zone and here I am awake again after only a few hours of sweaty sleep.

These hormonal changes are not what I’d call fun! Night sweats being only one of the lovely effects. Of course being awake at this time of the day when there is so much to do later in the day is also a challenge.

What to do? I’ve already shamelessly promoted my husband, Bob Baran and his solo piano music. I guess I could go listen to “Martian Wonders”. Its combination of ambient sounds and piano usually helps put me back to sleep. But then again, sitting here blogging is pretty entertaining… And yes, oh yes, addictive.

Maybe I want to stay up a little longer.

I could take some valerian root. It is kinda tasty in a cup of tea. Herbal tea of course. If I drink any caffeine at this time, it’ll be 4 pm before I get back to sleep. It is Saturday. It might be an interesting way to spend the day. Buzzy from lack of sleep. Stumbling around blurry eyed. Umm, maybe not.

If I drink some valerian now, I might get to sleep in an hour or so. It isn’t the greatest of sleep aids, but it does mellow me out a bit.

Are you familiar with valerian root? It has a strong, rather sweetish odor that is unmistakable once you are familiar with it. I discovered it back in the 80’s when I was doing massage for a living. I have always kept some in tincture form around just for nights like this. Though sometimes it doesn’t do more than chill me out a bit. Other times, I’ll hit the hay in short order. I guess it just depends on how tired I really am.

Interested in knowing more about valerian, here are a number of factoids:

According to Wikipedia: the main current use of valerian is as a remedy for insomnia. It has been used as a medicinal herb since at least the time of ancient Greece and Rome. Most of the page on valerian has a bunch of technical jargon. But there were some other interesting facts listed there.

For example:

How valerian works as a mild sedative remains unknown.

It has been used as a sedative, anti-convulsant, migraine treatment and pain reliever…

And it has an unusual affect on cats and rats.

Some cats will act like they have found the catnip of their dreams. Rolling on the dried root, salivating all over it and eating it, if you leave it out where they can get at it. Burmese cats go as far as deliberately destroying containers to obtain it. Then again, some cats will not go near valerian root.

“Valerian is also very attractive to rats, so much so that it has been used to bait traps. Some versions of the legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin have him using valerian, as well as his pipes, to attract the rats.

Valerian’s effect on cats is featured as a clue in two works by Agatha Christie.”

All of the above is either directly from Wikipedia (shameless copy/paste placed in quotes) or paraphrased.

What are the side effects of valerian root you might ask? Again according to Wikipedia:
“Valerian root is non-toxic but may cause side effects in excessive doses.” Few adverse effects have been reported. “Large doses or chronic use may result in stomach ache, apathy, and a feeling of mental dullness or mild depression. In some individuals, valerian can cause stomach ache, anxiety, and night terrors.” So don’t take too much and don’t make it an every night treatment for your insomnia.

I’m actually feeling the effects of the valerian I took awhile back. I guess it’s time to go curl up against my man, under my heavy blanket and get some sleep before dawn.

Hope you get some sleep soon too. Maybe give valerian a try. It might help you and as you saw above there really are no side effects unless you take too much or take it for too long. (Legal stuff… Check with your doctor first before taking any kind of medication, herbal or otherwise.) Of course we all follow that advise when we grab that 2nd or 3rd glass of wine. Don’t we?!

Good night and thanks for being here,

Gwen