Blog Elements - Ritualize

Why Rituals Work

Setting smaller, shorter terms goals is a great way to keep our momentum going. This is because our brains are wired to seek pleasure from short term success, rather than a goal that seems an eternity away.

October 26, 2017/0 Comments/by Ritualize

Sleep

Why Sleep is so Important

Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Getting enough quality sleep at the right times can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety. The way you feel while you’re awake depends in part on what happens while you’re sleeping. During sleep, your body is […]

October 12, 2017/0 Comments/by Ritualize

Health and Wellbeing, Stress

Why Rituals Work

October 26, 2017/0 Comments/by Ritualize

Sleep

Why Sleep is so Important

October 12, 2017/0 Comments/by Ritualize

Why Rituals Work

With a multi-million dollar weight loss and fitness industry, plus thousands of apps you’d think it’d be easy for us to stick with a diet and exercise program. It all starts with the best of intention, but then momentum starts slowing down and motivation dwindles until you’re left with another weight loss ‘’ notch on your belt.

Here’s the crux. Relying on motivation and willpower alone won’t work.

We are usually motivated by the pleasure of what we want, or by the pain of what we don’t want. Over time, however, motivation subsides and you are then relying on willpower. If you have little motivation, a Tim-Tam in front of you with your work colleague enjoying one next to you, willpower can be tough.

You see, willpower on its own is a bit like petrol in your car. The more you use up, the less you have. If you keep saying no to something when all you want to do it say yes, your willpower becomes depleted. This is why we often give in at night. All our willpower is used during the day, so at night we are more likely to reach for the Tim Tam we didn’t have earlier. It’s even harder when we are tired and stressed out.

Setting smaller, shorter terms goals is a great way to keep our momentum going. This is because our brains are wired to seek pleasure from short-term success, rather than a goal that seems an eternity away. Doing small, healthy rituals each day and ticking them off releases feel-good hormones in the brain, so we end up wanting to do more. Over time, these small rituals add to big changes. This applies to any area of our lives – the food we eat, our exercise and movement, sleep and how we think.

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Why Sleep is so Important

The way you feel while you’re awake depends in part on what happens while you’re sleeping. During sleep, your body is working to support a healthy brain function and maintain your physical health. In children and teens, sleep also helps support growth and development.

The damage from sleep deficiency can occur right away, or it can harm you gradually over time. For example, ongoing sleep deficiency can raise your risk for some chronic health problems. It also can affect how well you think, react, work, learn, and get along with others.

The amount of sleep you need each day will change over the course of your life. Although sleep needs vary from person to person, the chart below, from sleepfoundation.org shows general recommendations for different age groups. The recommendations are the result of multiple rounds of consensus voting after a comprehensive review of published scientific studies on sleep and health.

Age	Recommended Amount of Sleep
Infants & Newborns	16–18 hours a day
Preschool-aged children	11–14 hours a day
School-aged children	9 – 11 hours a day
Teens	8–10 hours a day
Adults (including the elderly)	7–8 hours a day

To improve your sleep habits, it may help to:

Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. For children, have a set bedtime and a bedtime routine. Don’t use the child’s bedroom for timeouts or punishment.
Try to keep the same sleep schedule on weeknights and weekends. Limit the difference to no more than about an hour. Staying up late and sleeping in late on weekends can disrupt your body clock’s sleep-wake rhythm.
Use the hour before bed for quiet time. Avoid strenuous exercise and bright artificial light, such as from a TV or computer screen. The light may signal the brain that it’s time to be awake.
Avoid heavy and/or large meals within a couple hours of bedtime. (Having a light snack is okay.) Also, avoid alcohol before bed.
Avoid nicotine and caffeine (including caffeinated drinks, coffee, tea, and chocolate). Nicotine and caffeine are stimulants, and both substances can interfere with sleep. The effects of caffeine can last as long as 8 hours. So, a cup of coffee in the late afternoon can make it hard for you to fall asleep at night.
Spend time outside every day (when possible) and be physically active.
Keep your bedroom quiet, cool, and dark (a dim night light is fine if needed).
Take a hot bath or use relaxation techniques before bed such as meditation.

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Why Rituals Work

Why Sleep is so Important

Why Rituals Work

Why Sleep is so Important

Why Rituals Work

Why Sleep is so Important

To improve your sleep habits, it may help to:

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