Did you know anxiety and stress are the #1 and #2 reasons for insomnia?

Did you know if you sleep less than 8 hours every day, you are more likely to get diabetes?  Remember, you weren’t born with type-2 diabetes. It is a condition that can be changed (click here to find out how).

So here are some tips to help you sleep (which will help you to reverse diabetes)

1. Relax
2. Avoid electronics before bed
3. Listen to music in the morning

You can also keep your bedroom cool 68-70 degrees F.  It also helps to “clear the decks”. Write down all the stuff on your mind, especially the “to-do’s”.  It doesn’t matter if you have a fancy leather bound notebook or left over paper from the junk mail.  Getting your concerns out of your head and onto paper will make sleep much easier.

And, as a byproduct, reduce your risk for all sorts of nasty conditions – like diabetes. As for the music, we have something special you can check out here: http://www.wholetones.com

You can also try an easy breathing  technique to relax, it’s called “Belly Breathing”

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Belly Breathing

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This is really useful if you find your mind going a million miles an hour What we’re looking to do is to activate something called the para-sympathetic nervous system. It’s the “calming” side of your nerves.

Here’s how you do it:

Put your hands on your lower belly, palms down.

Breathe slowly through your nose. (slow means count to three or four) Really feel your breathing with your hands… up… down… up… down…

Make sure to breathe out slowly too.

Many people find themselves drifting off with that simple technique alone.

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Relaxing 101

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Is this your first time trying a relaxing breathing technique? If it is, you might find yourself feeling frustrated or overwhelmed. That’s normal – you’re just learning something new.

In the beginning, you’ll find it tough to focus so you might start thinking about one of your “to-do” items or a worry instead of your breathing.

That’s OK!  Just remember you have it written down (or write it down) and re-focus. Remember how your brain works?  If you think “Shoot, I messed up again” your brain will start “trying to get it right”.

And that means you’ll be hyper-aware of each time you lose focus. As silly as it sounds, I say “thank you God”. Stick with it!  Relaxing can really help in a lot of different areas, especially sleep.

And sleep is a sure-fire way to reduce your odds for getting into all sorts of health trouble.