Sleep Tight

“Sleep tight” is an affectionate phrase that means sleep well, soundly, properly, and effectively. In fact, the hope is for you to receive restoration and tightening your mind, body and spirit. Every night should be a night of this order, however, many people don’t even consider it vital at all. Although it is connected to every aspect of our physical and mental health many people don’t believe that it is important at all. They think that they can forgo sleep and get more things done.

I have heard people say “Sleep is for the weak,” or that “People that sleep are lazy.” Really? How has this become so? Could it be that drifting off hinders your ability to work overtime? Getting eight hours of sleep is a waste of time for the person who has to reach success in record time. The to-do list is ever growing and our busyness never ends, never thinking that deprivation is unhealthy and unwise. Tight sleep needs to be a priority and for those who think not to make it a priority will pay the consequences. You don’t want that type of “Wake-up call.”

What Happens when you Fall Asleep?

A lot happens when you fall into good tight sleep. The brain begins to actively take care of business. This is a time of intense neurological activity, involving a range of complex functions associated with memory, learning, development, cleansing and categorizing our daytime thoughts and emotions.

The Stages

There are four stages and each one is characterized by different types of brain waves. The brain waves reflect the level of the brain’s activity.

The first stage is light sleep, a transitional stage between wakefulness and sleep. People that say they are a light sleeper know that they wake up very easily.
The second stage is slightly deeper and there is a slowing down of eye movement with a decrease of body temperature.
In the third stage of sleep the brain creates slow-wave deep sleep. It is difficult to wake a person up in this stage and if you do, the person will be disoriented and groggy. After about an hour and a half of falling asleep, the final
fourth stage of sleep begins. This is called REM sleep. Our brain waves become faster our heart rate and blood pressure go up and dreams come. Pretty tight huh?

Benefits of Sleep

My favorite benefits to date which allows me to respect the activity and the realm of sleep.

Creativity is one of my favorite benefits to be gained with adequate restorative sleep. Sleep gives you a better memory, and clearer ideas.
Physical benefits include a healthy weight. As Dr. Rapport says, “Sleep and metabolism are controlled by the same sectors of the brain.” Another favorite of mine is how sleep will
reduce levels of stress giving you better control over your blood pressure.
Improved memory is another favorite along with longevity. The list of favorite benefits can go on and on. I encourage you to get motivated by your own favorites.

Sleep and dreams play a vital role in our decision making, emotional intelligence, cognitive function and creativity.

My version of the word “Tight” means holding the body and mind together firmly and taut. To enable the sleep to do its job without the movement of being awake. There is a time for sleep and it is signaled by the setting of the sun. When it begins to get dark outside, make sure it begins to get dark inside of your bedroom, reminding your body and mind to wind down for a good night’s sleep.

You must surrender to God’s purpose of sleep for man, and as you should know according to Psalm 121:3-4 God never sleeps or slumbers and is actively taking care of us while we sleep. He speaks to us in our dreams and as we slumber upon our beds. Every morning He gives us new mercies. Proverbs 3:24: “When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.”

Respect the fundamental need. No matter who we are in the world and in our lives, we share a common need for sleep. With all the busyness and distractions we face daily, getting enough sleep is harder and harder to accomplish. https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/your-sleep-checklist Overwork and burnout should not be the price we must pay in order to succeed or please other people.

Sacrificing sleep to please or succeed is not a good and profitable method. As a result, sleep is a key element of our well-being and interacts profoundly with each of the other parts. Exhaustion, fatigue, and tiredness are a signal to pay attention! Protect your dreams with a good routine of going to sleep. Make the decision today to get adequate sleep. Sleep tight!