Carol McClain

Gratitude Improves Your Sleep

By Carol McClain

Grateful people sleep better. Writing in a gratitude journal improves sleep, according to a 2011 study published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being. Spend just 15 minutes jotting down a few grateful sentiments before bed, and you may sleep better and longer.(Pyschology Today,   http://bit.ly/2sRBIR0)

 

Fitbit, my taskmaster, added a new feature. It rates my sleep.

I know I’ve been tired. And according to Ms. Give-Me-A Fit Bit, my sleep rating is simply fair. As I experiment with this concept of gratitude journaling, I will be interested to see if my “scientifically inaccurate” Fitbit notes an improvement.

Even if I don’t sleep better, I’ve noticed a distinct improvement in my mood since I’ve begun. Things are sunnier.

What we’ve explored so far on this blog is that gratitude:

1. Improves relationships. Who likes a grump? Do you read all their Facebook posts?
2. Improves your health. I just read that grateful people exercise more, lose. body fat and lower their blood pressure. (To name three).
3. Improves psychological health. Anxiety is going to flee if you’re not looking at the bad but noticing the good.
4. Improves empathy and lowers aggression. Maybe even I can become a merciful lady?
5. Improves sleep. Forget melatonin. Being thankful feels better.

Today, I’m grateful for:

1. Pixabay and Canva. They give me pictures far prettier than I can take myself.
2. My sister’s photography skills. You should see her pictures of motocross. It makes you want to be a fan.
3. My other sister’s giving spirit. Her love language is gifting people. (Mine is imitating Scrooge).
4. That I married a good man. Rarely do we have hard times. Life with him outshines any of the years without him. It makes me happy I waited on marriage because Jesus brought the right person into my life at the right time.
5. A good pastor who will sit with me in long hours waiting on my husband’s surgery. This man of God regularly sends me notes of encouragement. He makes me want to pick up the old habit of writing (on real paper with ink) notes of encouragement.

Be grateful. You’ll get a good night’s sleep.