Systemic inflammation is when the whole body is on alert, inflamed in every muscle, bone, soft tissues, ligaments, and organs. It is a natural reaction to a trauma, injury, stress disorders, accidents, and poor nutritional absorption from the foods we eat. Inflammation is the body’s natural response to disease and injury. If you come down with a flu, cold, or infection after a cut or wound, and even after surgery, the body sends messages to the white blood cells. The white blood cells release molecules to attack invaders and protect the body’s tissues. This natural immune response is helpful when temporary. We can see redness and swelling at times on the surface of the body. If the inflammation is long term, we may not see it evident on the surface of the body. Long term inflammation keeps us in fight, flight, or freeze mode of the sympathetic nervous system, and this messes with our hormones and body systems all around. Chronic, long term inflammation may add to factors of other disease including heart disease, dementia, and diabetes.
Sleep is so important to the body allowing the inflammation to reduce. In many cases, the sleep deprivation many of us have in modern times is all too real. Stress, worry, anxiety, lack of exercise, obesity, and other factors cause us to sleep less. The cats playing in the bedroom in the middle of the night, the texts coming through on the phone, the baby waking up every 2 hours for feedings, the work from other time zones, etc., can contribute to less deep restful sleep. When we sleep well, the blood pressure drops at night, allowing the body to reduce inflammation. The whole body relaxes, inside and outside, from bones to the skin, from the head to the toes.
What can we do to help our sleep and inflammation issues? We can take all electronics out of the bedroom at bedtime. I have an old fashioned alarm clock to wake me up. Then I am less likely to look at a text or email message, and please take the tv out of the bedroom. It is a place for rest, reading, and human connection. The energy from the electrical devices can affect our deep sleep. Breathing slowly before bed helps as well. I inhale and exhale only through the nose, inhaling for 3 counts in my head and exhaling for 6 counts, allowing my control of the exhale in the speed and volume of air to help me feel in control of other areas of my life. Then after a few rounds of this, I increase the inhale to 4 and the exhale to 8. Candles, essential oils, and writing a few sentences down on paper about your day will help you to release and let go.
Sleep well, family.
Blessings,
KJ Landis
SuperiorSelf channel on YouTube
Sleep is so important to the body allowing the inflammation to reduce. In many cases, the sleep deprivation many of us have in modern times is all too real. Stress, worry, anxiety, lack of exercise, obesity, and other factors cause us to sleep less. The cats playing in the bedroom in the middle of the night, the texts coming through on the phone, the baby waking up every 2 hours for feedings, the work from other time zones, etc., can contribute to less deep restful sleep. When we sleep well, the blood pressure drops at night, allowing the body to reduce inflammation. The whole body relaxes, inside and outside, from bones to the skin, from the head to the toes.
What can we do to help our sleep and inflammation issues? We can take all electronics out of the bedroom at bedtime. I have an old fashioned alarm clock to wake me up. Then I am less likely to look at a text or email message, and please take the tv out of the bedroom. It is a place for rest, reading, and human connection. The energy from the electrical devices can affect our deep sleep. Breathing slowly before bed helps as well. I inhale and exhale only through the nose, inhaling for 3 counts in my head and exhaling for 6 counts, allowing my control of the exhale in the speed and volume of air to help me feel in control of other areas of my life. Then after a few rounds of this, I increase the inhale to 4 and the exhale to 8. Candles, essential oils, and writing a few sentences down on paper about your day will help you to release and let go.
Sleep well, family.
Blessings,
KJ Landis
SuperiorSelf channel on YouTube
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