Self-help for improved sleep + dream journaling = a better life.
Every now and then every dream journaler is going to encounter a symbol or two he or she doesn’t understand. When they do, some will dismiss the symbols. They give up trying to understand them, perhaps assuming they were experiencing a bit of temporary craziness or jumbled thoughts. Don’t be too quick to do this. Consider it…
When they’re out in the field, soldiers don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the “vibe” of the area where they sleep. Male or female, they have a cot and maybe a footlocker. Maybe they live out of a rucksack. It’s a simple, spartan existence. Of greater concern than the vibe projected by where they sleep are the…
Sometimes doing an action can take the place of taking a certain medication. It’s generally better to do something rather than take something. You can save money, avoid drug interactions, side effects, and often enjoy other wide-ranging benefits. These actions can often be fun. Exercise can prevent and treat depression; gardening can too. Meeting with friends can fight depression too. Coughing and deep breathing has…
The Dream Recovery System Dream Journal calls for wearing a wrist bracelet when you go to sleep. We say it’s a kind of totem to help you distinguish between sleep and wakefulness. Wearing the bracelet leads to a greater number of dreams recalled. More dreams recalled means more success at dream journaling. It’s extra, however. It’s…
Fifty-one years ago the nightly news was full of gory, gut-wrenching images from Vietnam. Nevertheless, the prospect of fighting that war or fleeing didn’t keep people up at night the way smartphones do today. The smartphone is apparently worse for sleep than a war. How do pleasant thoughts or fear affect sleep? Adults often read…
The three pillars of good health are diet, exercise, and sleep. Just about everyone knows if you don’t exercise, you affect your cardiovascular system. They also know exercise is also good for your respiratory system. Many people also know a poor diet affects your gastrointestinal system. For example, if you don’t get enough fiber in…
In honor of Valentine’s Day tomorrow, let’s think about staying together. Divorce and breaking up isn’t always the best answer. In your dream your boyfriend was awful. He yelled at you about nothing. You noted how veins were popping out on his forehead, spittle flying out of his mouth. Then, in the dream, he threw…
How to get enough sleep? It’s a skill. Really. It doesn’t just happen. There are two kinds of skills. One kind is hard to teach in simple terms. It can’t be easily simplified down into point-by-point instructions. If you can simplify it, you’re what they call a “superstar teacher.” Writing essays is one of those complex skills. If you…
When someone thinks of the health effects of missing sleep, they don’t always think of hormone problems. Perhaps they should. I once knew a man who impressed me. He was stronger, tougher and smarter (in some ways) than me. We’ll call him Alvin. Alvin managed to hold two demanding full-time jobs for several months. For…
The “messenger” sat in the chair slumped over, breathing heavily, exhausted. Though his face was obscured, the way he was dressed reminded one of the Roman god Mercury, the deity of messengers. “Do you know how hard it was to get through to you?” the man said between heaving gasps of air. I shrugged. I didn’t. I had no idea…