Exhaustion Part 2

So. Where were we? Oh ja, our natural response to exhaustion is to try to get more sleep. So what does our article have to say about this? It brings up the impotance of quality of sleep as opposed to just quantity. "Most of us do not pay enough attention to getting ourselves ready for bed . . . We come home from work feeling exhausted, yet completely wound up from too much stimulation." * (Insert from moi: I admit it's a stretch to talk about stimulation if you are a stay-at-home mom but, let's say 'wound up from too much frustration' then, kay?) "And what do we do next? We surf online, answer personal (or work) emails, watch TV . . . all activities that rev up our already over stimulated minds and bodies." "Just like plants, many of us are photosensitive. The bright light of a TV or a computer may stop our melatonin levels from rising to induce sleep, because our bodies still think its daytime." (Nuvver insert from moi: the ease with which DH and I fall asleep in front of the TV tells me that we are not among the photosensitive! It might also be telling me something about the quality of our TV programs, but thats another story!) Here's more: "It used to be that the world more or less shut down when night fell. But now a 24/7 communication and information system - whether through our Blackberries, laptops, cellphones or all of the above - means we are always connected, always available, always on high alert. 'There is no respite . . . We are all flow and no ebb." "I know I process too much in one day, " says Janet (47) . . . "Its a constant stream of emails and people tweeting and Facebooking me - and that doesn't take into account the people who actually want to talk to me in person, never mind on the phone." In an effort not to further over stimulate your already over loaded minds, I will end this here and pick it up again next time. Cos, ja, there is more. And the good news is they include suggestions to neutralise the problem. * Excerpts from an article in Fair Lady (Feb 2010).