Correct Sleeping Habits

On this page you will find information on

How to sleep properly.

How to avoid the incorrect way of sleeping.

How to breathe properly.

How to relax mentally, as well as physically.

It is sad to say, but few people know how to breathe properly.  And yet it is essential for good health, personal well-being and growth.

Before teaching you how a person should breathe in physical culture let me point out the main advantages for proper breathing.

1. Why Breathe Properly

 Proper breathing is important:

          a)     to prevent illness (colds, coughing, bronchitis, tuberclosis, etc.)

b)    to feel well;

c)     to rid your lungs of impurities and waste (carbon monoxide, lactic acid etc.);

d)    to carry oxygen to millions of cells (it has been proven that deep breathing carries ten (10) times more oxygen to your organism than does fragmented or neglected breathing);

e)     to combat fatigue;

f)      to increase your energy, your vitality;

g)     to calm your nerves;

h)     to sleep better;

i)       to add colour to your complexion, since proper breathing increases blood circulation;

j)       to improve speaking in public.

In order to increase your height, it is imperative that your blood be completely oxygenated. Don’t forget – blood gives nourishment to your bones.  And regular deep breathing contributes to purify your blood.

All these reasons should encourage you to learn to breathe properly and deeply.

2. Principle

Your lungs could be compared to two balloons.  When pressure is exerted on them air must leave.  If your lungs act otherwise, you block your breathing and this could harm you.

3. How to Breathe Properly While Training

There are three phases to breathing;

a)     INHALING (think Interior);

Inhaling means to take in air into your body through the nasal passages.

b)    RETAINING;

Means to hold your breath inside your body.

            c) EXHALING (think Exterior);

               Means to blow out air from your body through the mouth.        

4. Advice

 Do your training in a well ventilated room so as to fill your lungs with pure, unpolluted or clean air.

For each exercise breathe deeply.  Give priority to breathing.  Read carefully and put into practice any material you can find that deals with proper breathing.  Don’t be content with shallow or intermittent breathing.  Breathe rhythmically and deeply to benefit from all its rewards.

5. Timing

This is a chart that illustrates the time you could apply to each stage of breathing.

You can see that exhaling must last longer than inhaling.  It is essential to empty all the air from your lungs.  Try the following experiment.  Push out all the air from your lungs.  Pinch your nasal passages closed, keeping your mouth shut.  Now, open your mouth.  You can see that you still have air in your lungs to exhale.

Get into the habit of making that extra effort to empty your lungs of air.

6. Respiratory Exercises

I will only get into the abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing exercises.  It is considered to be the best one.

a) First Exercise:          Lying Down

Lie down on your back.  Stretch out completely.  Place one hand on your stomach.  Close your eyes for better concentration.

-                     Inhale deeply through the nose; at this point you can feel your stomach rise.

-                     Hold your breath.

-                     Exhale slowly through the mouth; your stomach will fall.  Contract your stomach muscles tightly to force out all the remaining air.

This is a very good exercise to help you sleep and it is very relaxing.

c)     Second Exercise: Standing Position

-                     Raise your arms from your side to an upward position, INHALING through the nose (4 seconds)

-                     Stretch your arms straight up while HOLDING your breath (3 seconds)

-                     EXHALE slowly through the mouth while lowering your arms and go on to touch hands behind your back, pushing your torso forwards (12 seconds).

To push out all the air from your lungs, contract your stomach muscles.

d)    Third Exercise: Sitting Position

Sit on a straight chair.  Draw your shoulder blades close.

-                     Inhale through the nose

-                     Hold your breath

-                     Exhale through the mouth slowly, contracting your stomach muscles.

Whether you are taking a walk or climbing stairs, use this time to do some breathing exercises.  When you take a walk, INHALE through the nose for six (6) steps, HOLD your breath for three (3) steps and EXHALE slowly through the mouth for eighteen (18) steps, and repeat.

If you experience fatigue or if you feel listless at work, take a break and do one of the suggested exercises.  By doing so, you are recharging your batteries.  You will feel invigorated.  I hope for your own sake you try these exercises to see how effective they are.

According to experts, if you do ten (10) deep and conscientious abdominal breathing exercises in fresh air, you improve your health considerably.  Why not adopt this excellent habit. 

In conclusion, remember this statement and live by it;

“BREATHING POORLY IS LIVING POORLY!”.

Sleep

Rise at six, lunch at 10, sup at six, sleep at 10, makes man live ten times ten

The need for sleep is inherent in all humans.  We cant live without it.  A lack of sleep for either children or adults can bring on serious consequences.

Let us pause for a moment to reflect on the importance of sleep, on the conditions that make for sound sleep and on the influence proper sleep has on growth.

1. Why There Is Need For Sleep

-                     Sleep is considered to be the cheapest medicine.  People who are overworked or who are really sick need sound sleep above all else.  Very often, there is nothing better to combat sickness than sleep.

-                     Sleep builds up your strength, it recharges the energy level of the central nervous system.

-                     Sleep relaxes the bones, the cartilage and the muscular tissues.

-                     Fatigue leaves your body during sleep.  Toxins (garbage)  are eliminated through the pores of the skin.  Hence the necessity for a refreshing morning shower.

-                     A well rested person can work at full potential and work longer.

-                     A rested person feels the joy of life and his own well being.

-                     A rested person looks better and brighter.         

2. Conditions For Proper Sleep (advice)

-                     Sleep in a room that is dark, quiet and fresh smelling.

-                     It is important to sleep in a well ventilated room.  Don’t be afraid to open a window, even in winter.  It is better to put on an extra woollen blanket than to breathe in stale air.

-                     A hard bed will assure the well-being of your spine.  If your bed is too soft, you can put a ¾” (2cm) sheet of plywood under your mattress.

-                     A big pillow hinders your breathing and tires out your neck.  Personally I don’t use a pillow.  As a teenager I read that it was better to sleep without a pillow.  One night, I tried to do without but that night I felt the need for a pillow by early morning.  I tried again the next night and the habit was broken.  It would be better for your spinal column to place a pillow under your knees.

-                     To really get the taste of a good night sleep, your sheets and nightwear should be nice and clean.  Your room should be clean.  It is unhealthy to inhale dust.

-                     Sleeping in a curled up position should be avoided.  You must stretch out.

-                     As a rule, eight hours of sleep is sufficient.  However, certain organisms only need five hours of sleep per night, while others need ten hours of sleep.  During the growth period or adolescence, the body needs more sleep than less.  To fully benefit from my course, you should get a sufficient amount of sleep.  I recommend you establish a regular routine throughout the day as well as a fixed hour for going to bed.

-                     Drink a big glass of water before going to bed and when you wake up; this will help clean out your system.  Milk can also help you sleep.  It contains an amino acid called tryptophane.  Which produces the effect of a sedative.  To sleep well try to avoid huge meals in the evening as well as stimulants like coffee, tea, cola or chocolate.

-                     Practice total relaxation and breathing fully.  Relax from head to toe.  Close your eyes and relax every part of your body by going through each part in your mind.  Do complete breathing exercises by following the three phases; (1) Inhale slowly and deeply through the nose; (2) Hold your breath and stretch; (3) Exhale slowly and fully through the mouth while tightening the abdominal muscles.

-                     In conclusion, I would advise: “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise”.  Be in harmony with nature.  The more we distance ourselves from nature the more we become unhappy and out of touch with ourselves.

3. Self-Hypnosis

You may have experienced the following or know someone who has.  One night, you realize that your alarm doesn’t work and you absolutely have to wake up early.  So with conviction you say to yourself, “I have to get up at six, I have to get up at six…”.  The next morning you wake up and its six o’clock.

Your Subconscious is capable of great potential.  Use it.  Every night before you fall asleep send positive messages to your brain.  For the purposes of this course on “Gaining Height”, you could repeat the message mentioned before, “Everyday I am gaining Height through exercise.  I am Growing. I am Growing….”.

4. Surprising Fact

you may be surprised to know that we are taller in the morning than we are at night.  By virtue of the law of gravity, our bodies in the standing position, are attracted toward the ground.  By the end of the day, the disks in the spine are compressed by the weight of the body, by the days tension and by things we have lifted.  During the night, the spinal column is in a relaxed and spread out position.

Be aware of this fact and use this time to stretch out properly.

5. Stretching Exercises In Bed

Do stretching exercises in bed at night and in the morning.  I recommend these two exercises:

(1) Leg Stretch.  Lying on your back, stretch out your right leg (and then left once completed), counting to five (5).  Imagine you are pushing a box with the flat of your foot.  Now repeat the same exercise but on your stomach.

(2) Lying on your back, bring your knees to your chest, pulling them with your hands.  At the same time, exhale through the mouth and tighten your stomach muscles.  Inhale through the nose as you return your feet to the mattress.

VARIATION: (the rocker).  Bring your knees to your chest with your hands and rock yourself.

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Sleeping provides the perfect opportunity to stretch your spinal column.  Don’t blow it.

Improve your quality, and if need be, your quantity of sleep to live a longer and fuller life.