Sleep is a big deal for most of my clients.  For some, it’s because their stress levels and brain activation patterns disrupt their sleep. For others, it’s because family obligations or family members prevent them from getting a full night’s sleep. And, for a third group, it’s because what is called their sleep hygiene is bad (read: staying up too late and other unhelpful habits).

No matter which category or categories these folks might fall into, ALL would be better off with a good night’s sleep.

Neurofeedback often relaxes the body enough that more and better sleep becomes possible. Surprisingly, the improved ability to get a good night’s sleep doesn’t please some in our go-go-go society. I once had a client who consistently only slept from 2 am to 5 am every weekday. After between 5 and 10 sessions of neurofeedback, she complained to me that she couldn’t get anything done the night before our appointment because she’d fallen asleep at 11 pm and didn’t get up until her alarm went off at 5 am. Doubling her sleep from three to six hours was, until we spoke about sleep as a priority, a problem.  Eventually, this person recognized the benefits of improved sleep, but I wonder whether the pressure of a must-do lifestyle eventually caused her to force herself to stay awake more.

Please don’t let sleep become a low priority in your life.  This article from Fast Company examines a study published in the journal Sleep which shows that even six hours of sleep wasn’t enough to function well, although study participants thought it was. The study found significant decreases in cognitive abilities of those who went for an extended period sleeping six hours a night, and these decreases were just as bad as the segment of participants who got almost no sleep at all.   You can read the study itself here.