How gratitude can improve the quality of your sleep.
Having a practice of gratitude promotes longer, more sound sleep. This is because being grateful it makes you more aware of the good things in life which helps keep worry at bay. This mindset allows less intrusive thoughts at bedtime and more calm ones.
In a study conducted by psychologist Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough people who practice gratitude at night recorded longer and more restful sleep after only three weeks! They conducted the largest study on the impact of gratitude and sleep.
Another study was conducted at the University of Manchester. This study included over 400 participants and 40% of the participants had diagnosed sleep disorders. Their study found that practicing gratitude produced more positive thoughts. This in turn allows people to fall asleep faster and sleep longer. The participants slept an average of 30 minutes longer each night after practicing gratitude.
Gratitude slows down the neuro pathway that leads to the ruminating we all do over every day things such as obsessing over bills or someone not calling us back or a new client whatever it is gratitude produces a calm that carries over into our sleep.
When way to practice gratitude is with a journal. I have created a journal for you. It is titled Gratitude. Being Grateful a Little Journey. It can be found here: https://eclypseperformance.com . You can use this book for ideas on gratitude and as a little guide to help get you started.
Once you start to notice that you are sleeping longer that’s just one more thing to be grateful for!
Join me again tomorrow for day three of our 12 days of gratitude. I’m grateful you read this. My hope is it helps you along your journey.
