Sleep – Sustainable Balance Sustainable, high-quality human lifestyles. Mon, 27 Mar 2017 04:13:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 /?v=4.4.8 Sleep Series – Part 8: The Power Nap /power-nap/ /power-nap/#respond Wed, 07 Sep 2016 15:00:38 +0000 /?p=2017 Introduction to the Power Nap As I write this, I am brimming with mental energy. I don’t have this sort of mental energy all day long, so I have to take advantage of it when I do. As long as I got a good sleep and am healthy, I have this kind of energy about an … Continue reading Sleep Series – Part 8: The Power Nap →

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]]> /power-nap/feed/ 0 Sleep Series – Part 7: 7 Nutritional Strategies for Better Sleep /7-nutritional-strategies-better-sleep/ /7-nutritional-strategies-better-sleep/#respond Thu, 21 Aug 2014 14:00:36 +0000 /?p=1364 Our focus on cortisol started with Sleep Series Part 4 which laid out the science of what cortisol is, its cycle, and how it affects sleep. In the following post, we looked at a few reasons why evening cortisol might be high. The last post presented methods for lowering evening cortisol levels such as finding ways to laugh, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, listening … Continue reading Sleep Series – Part 7: 7 Nutritional Strategies for Better Sleep →

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]]> /7-nutritional-strategies-better-sleep/feed/ 0 Sleep Series – Part 6: 6 Ways to Relax and Reduce Evening Cortisol /6-ways-to-reduce-evening-cortisol/ /6-ways-to-reduce-evening-cortisol/#respond Thu, 14 Aug 2014 14:00:11 +0000 /?p=1220 The last post in the Sleep Series focused on several common reasons why cortisol, which should be low in the evening before sleep, can be high and decrease the quality of your sleep. Well, now we know that a sleep deficit, ruminating negative thoughts, a noisy environment, prolonged intense exercise in the evening, caffeine, and … Continue reading Sleep Series – Part 6: 6 Ways to Relax and Reduce Evening Cortisol →

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]]> /6-ways-to-reduce-evening-cortisol/feed/ 0 Sleep Series – Part 5: 6 Factors that Increase Evening Cortisol Levels /6-factors-that-increase-evening-cortisol-levels/ /6-factors-that-increase-evening-cortisol-levels/#comments Thu, 31 Jul 2014 14:00:11 +0000 /?p=1202 Time for another installment in the Sleep Series! We already learned about high-quality sleep and why days are supposed to be bright, while nights should be dark. The last post introduced the stress hormone cortisol, and its effect on sleep. In an ideal situation, cortisol is naturally high in the morning and tapers off throughout the … Continue reading Sleep Series – Part 5: 6 Factors that Increase Evening Cortisol Levels →

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]]> /6-factors-that-increase-evening-cortisol-levels/feed/ 6 Sleep Series – Part 4: Cortisol and Sleep /cortisol-and-sleep/ /cortisol-and-sleep/#comments Wed, 09 Jul 2014 14:00:51 +0000 /?p=1156 Introduction: The last post in this series discussed how light influences your circadian rhythm, and the health effects of blue-light exposure during the day and its negative effects at night (which was discussed in Sleep Series Part 2). This post will look at the effect of the hormone cortisol and how it gives us energy and focus through … Continue reading Sleep Series – Part 4: Cortisol and Sleep →

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]]> /cortisol-and-sleep/feed/ 2 Sleep Series – Part 3: Serotonin, Melatonin, and your Circadian Rhythm /serotonin-melatonin-and-your-circadian-rhythm/ /serotonin-melatonin-and-your-circadian-rhythm/#comments Tue, 13 May 2014 14:00:03 +0000 /?p=760 Introduction – Your Circadian Rhythm: My previous post explained what sleep scientists have measured during sleep using EEG, and scientists’ current state of interpretations. Included in that post was my definition of objective sleep quality: going through the  proper sequence of sleep cycles during the night with sufficient amounts of both stage 3 sleep (slow-wave … Continue reading Sleep Series – Part 3: Serotonin, Melatonin, and your Circadian Rhythm →

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]]> /serotonin-melatonin-and-your-circadian-rhythm/feed/ 30 Sleep Series – Part 2: Defining Sleep Quality with Sleep Architecture /defining-sleep-quality-with-sleep-architecture/ /defining-sleep-quality-with-sleep-architecture/#respond Wed, 09 Apr 2014 15:30:22 +0000 /?p=135 Featured image courtesy of Regine Debatty. Introduction: What is sleep? As human beings, we all obviously have some intuitive understanding that we get tired and get the urge to sleep with some regularity, and after sleeping we (generally) feel recharged. As I mentioned in the first part of this series, however, not all sleep is … Continue reading Sleep Series – Part 2: Defining Sleep Quality with Sleep Architecture →

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]]> /defining-sleep-quality-with-sleep-architecture/feed/ 0 Sleep Series: Part 1 – Introduction /sleep-series-part-1/ /sleep-series-part-1/#respond Fri, 24 Jan 2014 09:47:58 +0000 /?p=126 Featured image courtesy of Sean MacEntee. Introduction There are two versions of Graham Ballachey.  It’s something of a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde dichotomy.  I can be either of the following: 1. A positive, energetic, intelligent, friendly, patient, and adaptable man who handles (most) stress with ease; or 2. A grumpy, irritable, anxious, slow-witted, anti-social … Continue reading Sleep Series: Part 1 – Introduction →

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