The Sleep Secret

The One Second Power Nap

I like to revisit the topic of night shift from time to time.

I’d never work any other shift, yet you either tolerate it or not.

You adapt to it or you don’t.

We night shifters have honest conversations and we solve all the problems of the nursing profession. Often we are busy but some down time is available at odd hours between three and five a.m.

This is when Truth In Nursing and In Life bubbles up from the deep unconscious mind.

I did a Byron Katie “The Work” session on one of my colleagues at 3 a.m. recently. We worked on her relationship with her mother.

We were naturally sleep deprived.

This made the session all the more powerful.

“My mother doesn’t love me.”

Is this true?

“My mother betrayed me.”

Is this true?

Can you absolutely know for sure that this is true?

“Doctors hate nurses.”

Is this true?

“Nurses hate doctors.”

Is this true?

Relationship issues plague the nursing profession. The term horizontal hostility has been referenced to describe the way nurses treat each other, new nurses coming in, nurses on other shifts, and the very important patient assistants, whom we must never take for granted.

Why all the hostility?

“Nurses eat their young.”

Is this true?

“Nurses are selfless care-givers.”

Is this true?

“Nurses are co-dependents.”

Is this true?

“No 16 year old should ever be pregnant.”

Is this true?

“This family should not be having children.”

Is this true?

Who needs God since you have your opinion?

At 3 a.m. the barriers drop, opinions run rampant.

My tolerance for just about everything falters.

Everyone is an idiot–except everyone in my little group, of course.

But there is a solution: The one second power nap does wonders to clear my consciousness.

Who needs 8 hours of sleep when the one second power nap sweeps my mind, offering a blank slate of renewal?

Nurses are not permitted to sleep on night shift (or any other shift, for that matter! Is this true? Yes!!)

But the one second power nap can be utilized for great benefit and relief.

It takes training and practice,

You must discipline yourself.

For instance, when I find myself drifting off during a conversation with a patient or anyone else, I immediately tell my subconscious mind: I am refreshed by my One Second Power Nap.

Suddenly I am awake, I am there, I am refreshed.

I also prop my left hand on my forehead, place a medical record on the desk, pen poised in my right hand, looking to any passerby as if I am studying a chart.

At these times, I take a 3-5 minute power nap.

Again, I tell my subconscious mind: I am refreshed by this 5 minute power nap.

The trick is never give in to doubt, the great enemy of the mind, by saying in essence to your subconscious mind: I’m tired, I’ll never make it, this shift will never end.

The subconscious mind responds to the commands you give it.

Your reactions or thoughts about any situation or event in your life is in your hands, no one else’s.

Train your mind, not like a cruel task master, but as a benevolent and peaceful warrior, as one whose only job is to conquer what is rightfully yours–your thoughts, emotions and moods.

The literature on these topics is readily available at Amazon, Border’s and Barnes and Noble.

Teachers and coaches are waiting to help you.

Unseen forces, the Angels and Ascended Masters are also waiting.

Ask the angels: Please help me!! Then you state your desired intention.

Often “Please help Me!!” is enough to produce miracles.

Your wish is their delight.

Use the angels and love them.

The world is yours once you learn that you control your destiny by controlling your thoughts.

The one second power nap is an example of how this works.

But it works with every single wish or intention that you have.

Be adventurous and love your thoughts. All of them.

Then seek to weed the garden of your mind, one thought at a time.

Plant beautiful flowers there, beckon the hummingbirds and butterflies.

Bask in the sunlight. Breathe in delicate floral essences.

Your mind is aligned with beauty and God/ess.

This is the mind who wants you to love it.

All you need is love.

Love conquers all.

————————

Kate Loving Shenk is a writer, healer, musician and the creator of the e-book called “Transform Your Nursing Career and Discover Your Calling and Destiny.” Click here to find out how to order the e-book: http://www.nursingcareertransformation.com
Check Out Kate’s Blog: http://www.nursehealers.typepad.com

Loss of sleep, even for a few short hours during the night, can prompt one’s
immune system to turn against healthy tissue and organs.

Loss of sleep insidiously affects sustained attention, cognitive speed and
accuracy, working memory, reaction time, and overall behavioral capability,
often without the sleep-deprived person being aware of the deficits.

Loss of sleep also reduces levels of leptin, a hormone that suppresses
appetite, and increases ghrelin (GRELL-in), an appetite-stimulating hormone
a combination that can encourage eating.

Loss of sleep can even be dangerous.

Insomnia was defined as having any one of the following symptoms:
difficulty falling asleep, waking often during the night, waking up to early in
the morning and being unable to go back to sleep, or even waking up in the
morning feeling unrested.

Over half (58percent) of the poll respondents reported at least one symptom
of insomnia on two or more nights of the week.

Sleep deprivation also results in the loss of sleep benefits for cognitive
processes such as memory and insight formation: the building blocks of
learning, creativity, and scientific discovery.

“It’s the worry that gets you, not the loss of sleep”- Dale Carnegie.

Current research shows that loss of sleep is related to weight gain.
Multiple studies show that chronic loss of sleep may increase the risk of
obesity.

“An estimated 40 percent of Americans promise to lose weight in the New Year;
however, almost 90 percent of those who responded to a nationwide survey
reported either occasional or no success losing weight.

According to recent studies published in the Journal of the American Medical
Association and the Lancet, sleep loss tends to increase hunger and affects
the body’s metabolism making it difficult to maintain weight loss or lose
weight.

Restful sleep could be the missing ingredient in your weight loss program and
the answer to losing the weight you want.

A good night’s sleep, each and every night, can help you lose weight.

Health officials say that people should get around eight hours sleep per night
for maximum effect.

In other words, sleep is vitally important to maintaining a healthy body.

America’s sleep habits are simply not healthy.

After all, if you’re experiencing sleepless nights, you can’t afford to spend
hours crawling the Web and searching the health sections of bookshops for
information on sleep treatments.

If you would like to sleep better, sleep without the aid of pills or drugs and
wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, then please visit:

http://www.thesleepsecretebook.com Here you can download for FREE your
own copy of the much sought after book, “The Sleep Secret” by Dr. David Tracy

To your health & a better night’s sleep,

Thomas Sherwood

It is not normal for a person to be sleepy at times when he or she expects to be awake.

Problem sleepiness may be associated with difficulty concentrating, memory lapses, and loss of energy, fatigue, lethargy, and emotional instability.

The prevalence of problem sleepiness is high and has serious consequences, such as drowsy driving or workplace accidents and errors.

Lifestyle factors and undiagnosed or untreated sleep disorders can cause problem sleepiness. Lifestyle factors include not getting enough sleep, having an irregular sleep schedule, and using alcohol or certain medications.

Of the more than 70 known sleep disorders, the most common are obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy, and restless legs syndrome.

Large numbers of individuals suffering from these sleep disorders are unaware of—and have not been diagnosed or treated for—their disorder.

Issues affecting sleep

Many people have trouble sleeping, which may stem from a number of issues, including:

• uncomfortable sleep furnishings
• stress from family, job and/or personal issues
• environmental conditions (excessive heat, cold, pollution, noise, bright light, loud noises)
• environmental surroundings (tidyness of room, abnormal surroundings, cleanliness of room)
• poor body positioning
• illness
• sleeping pattern
• sleep timing, as sleep is easier to achieve if one takes ones chronotype into consideration.

A study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania has confirmed that the more one works, the less one sleeps – and that work is the single biggest factor troubling sleep.

Everyone needs sleep. Please trust me on this one.

Here’s my story. As I stood over my coffee maker one morning,I realized

I didn’t know how long I had been there.

Was it one minute, or one hour?

I wondered if I had measured any scoops of coffee yet, and if so, how many? I just could not concentrate!

I did realize that one fact was staring me in the face like the lights of an on coming truck; this lack of sleep was wearing me out!

I started thinking back to the previous night, I remember laying down. Very tired from a full day of work, checking my child’s homework, making dinner and then getting her to bed so I can concentrate on some paperwork from my business that day.

After all was said I done, I go crawl into my bed, ready
for a good night’s sleep.

Trying to close my eyes, they seem to keep popping open on their own. “Oh no,I’ve been tossing and turning for twenty minutes already, I’ll never get to sleep”

This happenned to me more than once, and I am sure you will agree it has happenned to you also. I’ll lay on my side, I’ll flip over. I’ll try laying on my other side.

I’ll look at the clock. Ahhhhhhhhh, only ten minutes has past since I last looked at the clock. Maybe I need to be laying on my back. Over and over and over I would do this throughout the night.

Oh my gosh, am I ever going to get to sleep??

Does all this sound familar to you?

Eventually I would fall asleep, and I know you would too, we can’t not sleep. All the torture in the world can’t make us not sleep.

But what is the quality of sleep that you are getting?

How much would a good night’s sleep be worth to you?

For me I knew it would be priceless.

Through my research, I came across a natural way to get a better night’s sleep without using any pills or drugs.

Hello, my name is Thomas Sherwood. I am a divorced, 47 year old businessman and single Dad. Going through a divorce, running a business and raising a child were pretty rough for me.

I did lose sleep, as I mentioned before, lots of it.

Now that I found the “Sleep Secret” by Dr. David F. Tracy, I want to share my discovery with you.

I wish you the utmost success in overcoming any sleep disorders you may have, and I hope this eBook maybe of very good use to you.

Because, “You are ready for a good night’s sleep, aren’t you?”

You may Download your copy of “The Sleep Secret” the same methods I used for FREE.

Please visit http://www.thesleepsecretebook.com

I would love to hear your comments on how this book helps you.

Please use the comment section on this blog, reply & reply often

10 Tips for a Good Nights Sleep

1 Make sure you are in good physical condition.

2 Go to your Dr for a general check-up.

3 Have your eyes examined.

4 Visit your dentist, ensure that your teeth are in good condition.

5 Make sure your surroundings in your bedroom are restful.

6 The walls and ceiling of your bedroom should NOT be brightly colored.
Pastel shades, especially of blue & green are best.

7 Sleep in a well-ventilated room.

8 Your sleeping space should be at least 36 inches wide. If you have a sleeping
partner, your bed should be at least 72 inches wide.

9 Ensure your bed is comfortable. Make sure that you have a comfortable
pillow & mattress—-not to hard, and perhaps even most important not to soft.

10 Keep in mind that overindulgence in alcohol, tobacco or coffee can cause sleeplessness.