Slow: Three Seconds

I thought this was a great animated gif to help you ponder the power of slooooow breathing: blue is breathe in... green is breathe out...

How Long to Nap

(How Long to Nap)

10-20 minutes. The power nap is ideal for a boost in alertness and energy, experts say. This length usually limits you to the lighter stages of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, making it easier to hit the ground running after waking up.

30 minutes. Some studies show that sleeping this long may cause sleep inertia, a hangover-like groggy feeling that lasts for up to 30 minutes after waking up, before the nap's restorative benefits become apparent.

60 minutes. This nape is best for improvements in remembering facts, faces, and names. It includes slow-wave sleep, the deepest time. The downside: some grogginess upon waking up.

90 minutes. This is a full cycle of sleep, meaning the lighter and deeper stages, including REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, typically likened to the dreaming stage. This leads to improved emotional and procedural memory (i.e. riding a bike, playing the piano) and creativity. A nap of this length typically avoids sleep inertia, making it easier to wake up.

When Your Brain Doesn't Sleep

I thought this was a fantastic infographic about sleep and sleep deprivation; I've transcribed the text below the graphic, and you can click here for a larger view of the graphic at BrainConnection.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR BRAIN DOESN'T SLEEP? 

LOST MEMORIES
The hippocampus, a rnoon-shaped structure in the ternporal lobe, exhibits a distinct pattern of neural activity when the waking mind encodes (learns) new information. Scientists believe our brain later "replays" the sarne activity pattern while we're sleeping to help the info stick. Lose sleep, lose long-term memories.

ANGER
Sleep loss primes us to focus on negative experiences, misinterpret facial expressions and pick fights. Emotional volatility may partly be a product of interrupted communication between brain regions. FMRI of the well-rested brain shows connectivity between the amygdala, a limbic system structure critical to emotional processing, and the medial prefrontal cortex, which helps regulate feelings (i.e., tells us to chill). Sleep deprivation cuts this connection, letting your revved-up arnygdala (and your mood) run wild.

IMPAIRED WIT
When you skimp on sleep, the clever commentary rnay not flow so easily. Sleep loss affects cognitive processes like divergent thinking, which helps us switch topics nimbly during conversation. Scientists found that activity in theinferior frontal gyus increases when sleep-deprived people tried to list uses for different objects, suggesting the brain draws on divergent thinking to compensate for strained cognitive functioning.

HALLUCINATIONS
The well-rested brain filters stimuli (noise, light, smell, etc.) to separate what matters from what doesn't and prevent sensory overload. When the brain can't filter the information corning in, chaos ensues. After pulling an all-nighter, people may begin to anticipate things that aren't there, including objects.

HEAD IN THE CLOUDS
We all lose focus now and then, but brain activity linked to attention lapses changes when people sacrifice sleep. After a good night's rest, these lapses correspond to altered thalamus function and less-active frontal and parietal networks, which basically means we tune out when we're bored. But when sleep-deprived people space out, they also exhibit impaired visual sensory processing, suggesting a whole other level of disengagement with the world. In short: Losing sleep turns you into Phoebe from Friends.

FALSE MEMORIES
The sleep-starved brain may fail to encode memories successfully in the first place, thanks to altered function in the as well as prefrontal cortex and regions. One study found that people are more likely to incorporate misinformation into memories of events observed after a night without sleep.

CEREBRAL SHRINKAGE
Healthy adults getting poor sleep lose volume in the and lobes, one study showed. Researchers don't yet understand if sleep loss causes shrinkage or vice versa.



SLURRED SPEECH
The temporal lobe, the brain region associated with language processing, is highly active in well-rested people but inactive in their exhausted and enunciation-challenged counterparts.

CRONUT BINGES
Sleep loss corresponds with decreased activity in the frontal lobe, which controls decision-making, and more activity in the amygdala, a key player in fear detection. Together, these neural changes create a brain mechanism that dulls judgment and ratchets up desire — the ideal mind-state for scarfing down fistfuls of bacon.

RISKY DECISIONS
When sleep-deprived people prepare to make economic decisions, the brain's reward center in the prefrontal cortex lights up, suggesting they expect to win (e.g., make money). But when risky choices don't pan out, people's brain activity decreases in the region related to punishment and aversion (the anterior insula), suggesting they don't care about losing money as much as they would on a good night's sleep.

BRAIN DAMAGE
Add all-nighters to the list of things that kill brain cells — in this case, in the brain stem. The damage may be irreparable, making "catching up on lost sleep" a poor excuse for snoozing till noon on the weekends.

Unplug for a few minutes

Good advice from the writer Anne Lamott; more quotes here: Wikiquote.

Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes... including you.

If you look online, you will find that many people have made graphics for this one. Here are just a few:

Improve Your Sleep

This is a fantastic article about sleep... not just for teachers! See the infographic below for a summary, and read the article for details about each item: 10 proven ways teachers can improve their sleep.

find your optimal bedtime

get into a routine

beware of cold feet

embrace the darkness

lose the laptop

use the 90-minute rule

avoid caffeine before bedtim

exercise in the morning

de-clutter your bedroom

try a bit of meditation

Cat Lessons

I really like this cartoon from IntrovertDoodles. Napping and soaking up the sun are both very good for your health, for example!

Too tired to exercise

This great cartoon from PhDcomics.com captures the vicious cycle perfectly:

Caffeine Causality Loop

As the semester gets busier and busier, beware the Caffeine Causality Loop! (The cartoon is by John Atkinson who blogs at WrongHands.)

A Therapist's Prescription for Better Mental Health

I liked this graphic from SharonMartinCounseling.com. There is lots of good advice here. Maybe something here will suit whatever situation you are in!

Treat yourself with kindness. • Say "no" when you need to. • Step out of your comfort zone. • Don't compare yourself to others. • Embrace your mistakes; they don't define you. • Be truly present. • Get outside. • Cut yourself some slack. • Make rest a priority. • Make fun a priority, too. • Savor good memories. • Make new friends. • Laugh often. • Create something. • Anticipate joy. • Appreciate what you have. • Learn from your mistakes. • Write down your successes. • Clear out physical and emotional clutter. • Move your body more. • Pursue a hobby. • Put your phone down and connect with the people you're with. • Confide in trustworthy people. • Treat your mental health with the same importance as your physical health. • Slow down. • Ask for help when you need it. • You don't have to do it all; prioritize what matters most.

Deskercise!

Just Google "deskercise" and you can find lots more articles, images, and videos! I picked out three items to include her:


A workout at work? This report in the Washington Post features 12 exercises, with ratings based on which were the most popular and effective, along with simple video animations:

Deskercise! 33 Smart Ways to Exercise at Work
This article contains a whole long list of exercises you can do at work, and many of them you can do at your desk:
1. The Twinkle Toe
2. The Stair Master
3. The Slog, Then Jog
4. The Celebratory Split Squat Jumps
5. The Cubicle Wanderer
6. The Mover and Shaker
7. The Wall (Street) Sit
8. The Last Man Standing
9. The Patient Printer
10. The Silent Seat Squeeze
11. The Seated Leg Raiser
12. The Desk Squat
13. The Lunch Break Hammy
14. The Grim Reamer
15. The Cubicle Dip
16. The Stapler Curl
17. The Namaste
18. The Secret Handshake
19. The Fist Pump
20. The Knuckle Sandwich
21. The Flapper
22. The Casual Lean
23. The Lumberjack
24. The Office Genie
25. The Pencil Pinch
26. The Shoulder Shrug
27. The Pinstripe Push-Up
28. The Nape Shaper
29. The Desk Chair Swivel
30. The “Weeee” Desk Chair Wheel
31. The Posture Perfecter
32. The Fab Abs Squeeze
33. The “Crunch Time” Crunch

Deskercise: 17 Exercises You Can Do At or Near Your Desk
1. Fidget
2. TMJ Exercise
3. Bruxism Exercise
4. Active Arm Stretches
5. Shoulder and Neck Stretches
6. Back Workout
7. Wall Sits
8. Seated Bicycle Pedal
9. Spider Push-ups
10. Shake it Up
11. Wrist Stretches
12. Butt Crunches
13. Calf Stretches
14. Deep Knee Bends
15. Jumping Jacks
16. Shadow Boxing
17. Windmills