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Sleep Better, Feel Better with Sleep Tracking

21/3/2016

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Sleeping person's feet viewed from the bottom of a bed
It's commonly known that good-quality sleep is extremely important, since it supports our mental and physical wellbeing, stress levels, alertness, ability to think clearly and safety (for example, driving a car whilst tired is dangerous*)

During our sleep, our brain goes through sleep 'cycles', periods of alternating deep sleep then light sleep. When we wake up during a period of light sleep, we generally feel well-rested and energised. If we are woken during a period of deep sleep, we generally feel badly-rested, tired, possibly grumpy, exhausted and irritable.

If you have a smart mobile phone, there is a cheap and easy way you can improve your chances of having good-quality sleep using technology: there are various mobile apps which can monitor your movements, sounds, or both whilst you sleep and determine which sleep cycle you are in at any time whilst you are asleep. The app then gently wakes you up when you are in a 'light' sleep, at a time approaching the latest time you want to wake up by. In case you remain in a deep sleep or the app cannot detect it correctly, it will act like a standard alarm clock and play a sound to wake you at the time you chose before going to sleep.

The other advantage of these apps are to get a better idea of your quality of sleep over time: they typically show graphs and statistics about your sleep (longest sleep, shortest sleep, average sleep time, etc.), which may help you identify any issues which cause you to sleep poorly.

The app I personally have used for this and highly recommend (it has worked great for me) is called 'Sleep Cycle'. It is available on iOS (iPhone, iPad, etc.) and Android devices – I have used it and it worked consistently well.

Note: if you are concerned about the radio-waves emitted by your smart phone and having these near your head at night, switch your phone to 'airplane' mode (which disables transmitting/receiving of radio-waves) before you sleep, and switch 'airplane' mode back off when you wake.

Thank you for reading.
I wish you a life of fulfillment, and good sleep.
–John

* Article “Prolonged nocturnal driving can be as dangerous as severe alcohol-impaired driving” by Joris C. Verster, Jacques Taillard, Patricia Sagaspe, Berend Olivier and Pierre Philip
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Simple, Powerful Relaxation in 5-10 Minutes

10/1/2016

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It is possible to replenish your energy, clear your mind, feel more alert and at peace in only 5-10 minutes using a simple yet powerful relaxation technique that you can use in most situations.

This technique brings you peace and calm by bringing your nervous system back into balance. It is particularly effective at reducing anxiety, stress, worry and tension and improving your wellbeing. When practiced often, it has very positive long-term effects.

The technique is so simple, it would be easy to dismiss it without trying it, yet it is highly effective. It works by bringing your mind into a different state of consciousness where it rests and heals, yet you remain awake throughout the whole process.
Relaxing Buddha statue
​Find a space where are unlikely to be interrupted (though it is perfectly safe if you do get interrupted) and where you can may sit comfortably (or lie down if you prefer), and:
  1. Close your eyes
  2. Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose, and out through your mouth.
  3. Repeat this twice more.
  4. In your mind, say each of these lines to yourself–it helps if you use a sleepy, slow, deep inner voice. Continue to breathe deeply, saying each line to yourself as you breathe out.
    breathe in
  • “I let go and relax my forehead”
    breathe in
  • “I relax my eyes”
    breathe in
  • “I relax my cheeks”
    breathe in
  • “I relax my jaw”
    breathe in
  • “I relax my tongue”
    breathe in
  • “I relax my neck”
    breathe in
  • “I relax my shoulders”
    breathe in
  • “I relax my arms”
    breathe in
  • “I relax my hands”
    breathe in
  • “I relax my chest”
    breathe in
  • “I relax my upper back”
    breathe in
  • “I relax my stomach”
    breathe in
  • “I let go of any worry”
    breathe in
  • “I relax my lower back”
    breathe in
  • “I relax my pelvis”
    breathe in
  • “I relax my bottom”
    breathe in
  • “I relax my thighs”
    breathe in
  • “I relax my calves”
    breathe in
  • “I relax my feet”
    breathe in
  • “I put down any weight I am carrying”
    breathe in
  • “And now I relax my soul”
Take three more long, deep breaths in through your nose, and out through your mouth.

If you still feel tense, anxious or stressed, go through the exercise again until you feel more at peace.

Once you feel your mind is calm, bask in this feeling for as long as you like.

When you are ready, gently move your arms and legs, move your head from side to side, slowly open your eyes and you will return to a normal state of consciousness.

Enjoy using this technique often – I recommend using it a few times a day to boost your energy, keep your mind focused and instil a sense of peace, calm and tranquility into your life.

​Thank you for reading.
​
I wish you a life of fulfillment.
–John
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    Author

    John Gillanders
    Sharing ways to have a better life through technology & personal growth.
    Director
    Technaturally
    ​Dunedin/Ōtepoti
    ​Aotearoa New Zealand
     ​

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