It Starts with Getting Enough Sleep!

One of the most important things we can do for our health is to get enough sleep. This directly relates to emotional intelligence, because often it is worries and thoughts or leftover emotions that keep us tossing and turning at night - even if we get to bed at a reasonable time.

This article has some typos, but it's still good advice:

You Don't Have Time To Sleep? Think Again!
by Enrique

You wake up early in the morning, rushing to get the day started. When you arrive at school or work, you immediately plow into a busy schedule of activities that take you right through your day. [Same and even moreso if you're at at-home parent!] When you're finished, you look forward to engaging in the activities that you enjoy the most, and squeeze as many of those into your days he possibly can. A little time for dinner, a little relaxation, and off to bed you go so that you can do it all again tomorrow.

Sound familiar? It's the life so many of us lead. Sleep. Eat. Work. And maybe find some time to play in the middle. Keeping a balance of these activities helps us make sure that were doing okay and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

What happens when we get out of balance? For many of us, the first thing to go when schedules get busy is sleep. Although it is so critically important, we tend to sacrifice sleep in place of doing things we enjoy or finishing things we must get done. The truth, however, is that most of us can't afford to lose much sleep. Many people don't get enough sleep as it is, and getting less sleep can have many negative facts on the other parts of our lives. The lack of sleep can have adverse effects on the physical, mental, and emotional parts of your life. The more obvious effects of sleep deprivation are the physical and mental problems that occur. Most people who are lacking sleep experience diminished alertness, reaction time, and memory.

What's not so obvious, though, are some of the long-term health problems that have been associated with sleep deprivation.Depression, heart problems and even obesity have been linked to the lack of sleep. The body does a lot of self – maintenance while sleeping. [Another thing that occurs during sleep is healing of any physical injuries, like strains and sprains.]

By releasing hormones like cortisol, it can combat circulatory diseases. The body also produces blood pressure and heart rate and the circulatory system is able to rest and recover in order to prepare for the next day. Lack of sleep can also affect the body's ability to produce white blood cells which are so important to fighting infections. Without sleep, the body also stops reacting properly to hunger. Leptin is a hormone that is created while sleeping and allows the body to properly sense when it has enough food. Without proper levels of leptin, people feel hungry and will eat more food than they need. This can lead to many other problems including obesity.

So how much that you really need? The number varies significantly for each and every person, but the national sleep foundation has come up with a basic set of guidelines to fit individuals in various stages of life. Most adults will find themselves needing between seven to nine hours of sleep per night. Teenagers, typically need 8 ½ to 9 ¼ hours of sleep per night, while school children will need 10 to 11 hours of sleep every night.

To read the rest of the article go here: http://www.isnare.com/html.php?aid=200165

About The Author: Enrique Padilla is an avid sleeper andcontributes a wide variety of articles to Foam Bed Advisor, http://www.foambedadvisor.com, which is full of informationabout memory foam beds, mattresses, pillows and mattresstoppers.

The bottom line on emotional intelligence is always WELLNESS. Keeping the balance in your life, and attending to your emotional, mental, physical and spiritual health. I begin coaching sessions with the EQ Checkin (tm): "How are you feeling emotionally, mentally, physically and mentally." I've found that people who are sleep-deprived start with "physical."

As the holidays approach, take care of your self - mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. I will be available for consultation all through the holidays, and one-time sessions are fine.

The Evening Bulletin - Lack Of Sleep Blurs Moral Judgment

The Evening Bulletin - Lack Of Sleep* Blurs Moral Judgment

First they were tested to determine their EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE. The people with lower emotional intelligence did worse when sleep-deprived.

This seems to me like another one of those "study of the obvious" research projects (which is EQ, i.e., common sense), but always good to get confirmed. Whenever I read of one of these, I think of doctors. It always seemed to me (married to one through all his training and afterwards), that one of the things bring tested for during internship and residency, was the ability to function intellectually and morally while sleep-deprived. After all, a doctor's emergency patients don't conform to having their crises during normal waking hours.

Lack of sleep blurs mental and emotional ability, just like alchohol does -- it affects the brain, the higher faculties of the brain.

When you are running low on sleep, BE AWARE of what this does to your brain and adjust.

Other people sorely tested in this area are parents of newborns. More than a few cases of child abuse are the result of severe sleep deprivation.

Some tricks to remember when you're seriously behind on sleep:

1. BE AWARE that it will effect your judgment -- as well as other capacities. (The first to go is motor ability.)
2. Refuse to make any decision you don't have to.
3. Ask yourself through the fog, "What would I do if at my best?"
4. Know that you must control your temper when exhausted ... and do so.
5. Realize that certain drugs mask exhaustion, such as cocaine and phentermine.
6. Don't put yourself in positions requiring "moral" behavior when exhausted, i.e., working long hours overtime with that lucious boss of yours when you're both married, and both attracted to one another. Try and make sure someone else is there.
7. WARN your trusted other that you are sleep-deprived. They can then cut you come slack, and also help you monitor your actions. (Listen to them!)
8. Words/speaking are "behaviors." Guard your tongue. Say you are too tired to "argue" about this now. Ask for a time out. TAKE a time out.
9. Realize what tasks require "moral judgment" or circumscribed behavior, You can do math while exhausted, but if it's your income tax, are you more likely to cut a few corners? Probably. You can change the baby's diaper and fix the bottle, but are you likely to react in a short-tempered way to their emotional outburst? You bet. You can clean house when exhausted, but notice that you are more likely to sweep dust under the rug... there are few tasks, really, that don't involve good judgment. That's why emotional intelligence is so important -- it applies to the most important things in life. Being sleep-deprived is like being drunk. You can put together a casserole, but if it drops on the floor, would you scoop it back into the casserole or throw it out, like you're supposed to?

FOREWARNED is FORE-ARMED.

People with high emotional intelligence are SELF-AWARE and this allows them to monitor their own behavior, as if watching someone else. This is called the "observing ego" and not everyone has it.

*These subjects were deprived of sleep for 53 hours.
There is always something known as "sleep deprivatio psychosis" (often referred to by medical students and new parents) where you lose it all.

As they say in the article, when you've got something important to decide (or do) -- SLEEP ON IT!