Natural Cycles of Sleep | by Madisyn Taylor The human body evolved to fall asleep soon after the descent of night's curtain and to wake with the appearance of the dawn. Sleep cycles were governed by patterns of light and darkness for thousands of years, meaning that for much of history, humanity has enjoyed nine of more hours of sleep each night. Our bodies are naturally encoded to respond to light and dark and sleeping with the rhythms of Mother Nature. In the present, artificial light has changed the way we schedule our day-to-day lives, and most of us slumber for less than seven hours at a stretch. It is possible, however, to come back to natural sleeping cycles by making a few small changes. When our bodies and minds are attuned to the world's natural rhythms, we feel calmer, more centered, and more energetic while awake. Sleep is more satisfying because we afford ourselves more than enough time for restoration and rejuvenation. Our reliance on indoor lighting further compounds our disassociation from the natural cycles of light and darkness that would otherwise preside over our sleep. You can mimic the passage of the day by changing the quality of the light. Sleeping without heavy drapery or shades is best so you can wake up with the sun. If sleeping by a window without a curtain is not an option, a dawn simulator lamp imitates the sun by growing steadily brighter with the coming of the height of morning. You will likely discover that changing your sleep patterns to be in sync with the daily cycle of light and darkness is easy and that you feel more alive when your sleeping and waking rhythms are in alignment to those of the earth. Nature's own phases will be your guide to wellness, granting you more waking hours in the summertime when you will benefit greatly from spending time outside and ensuring you get plenty of sleep in the winter when you likely need it most. | DailyOM Course Spotlight by Sara Wiseman Perhaps you have heard the myth that creativity is difficult, fickle, fleeting? That in order to answer the call in your heart, you must give over everything: family, friends, health, security? That in order to truly create, you must wander in the wilderness, oblivious to all but your book, your art, your vision? These myths have been swirling around us for a very long time. For centuries, we've heard tales of the writer in his garret, the starving artist in her studio, the musician who succumbs to addiction, the dancer, poet, director or inventor who is forced to endure the greatest hardships in order to produce good work...real work. And yet... there is another way to approach creativity. This new way stems from the understanding that as human beings, we have changed. We have evolved past survival and scarcity and fear to a new way. Certainly, we have not evolved completely. But this small shift, this subtle opening and expansion in our collective consciousness is enough to allow us to recognize something very different--that creativity no longer requires struggle. Top 10 DailyOM Courses 1. Fit and Fierce Over 40 2. Reinventing The Body, Resurrecting the Soul 3. A Year to Clear What is Holding You Back! 4. 21 Day Booty Core 5. Break the Grip of Past Lovers 6. 14 Days of Strength and Stretching 7. 21 Days to Phenomenal Abdominals 8. Be Free from Unhealthy Relationships 9. Break the Grip of Emotional Abuse 10. Find True Love in 27 Days
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