Sleep Cycles

Brainpower Newsletter

This week I have a new technique to help you "wake up" your brain - and body.

Our minds function better (at least analytically) when we are not so tired. That much seems obvious. Here is something else I recently learned.

How tired we feel is partly a function of our body temperature, which goes up and down throughout the day. It rises slightly before we wake up, and drops when it is time to sleep. There is an afternoon slump that most people experience, and a drop in body temperature precedes this as well.

What is interesting is that although we can change our sleep cycles over time, we can apparently also "trick" our bodies into waking up by artificially raising our body temperature. How? You can try a cup of hot tea, or eating something that revs up the metabolism, like something with hot sauce.

I'm not sure about the scientific evidence yet, but hot tea seems to work for me. Even herbal tea without caffeine helps me wake up on slow mornings or during afternoon slumps. I'll look into this further and report on it in future newsletters, but I thought I would pass it on now so you could give it a try.

If you ever subscribed to my Self Help Weekly, you know it was short - one article each week. I just changed it to a format similar to this one. It is much better now, with more useful content each week. If you want a good self improvement newsletter (no charge) you can subscribe here:

I had a tough time deciding this week, so I chose two winners.

Nat submitted a collection of great little tips.

Vahid tells us a about a few traditional brain boosters from Iran.

Want to see their submissions? You can visit the winners page here:

- Sterling silver isn't 100% silver. For most things, pure silver is too soft, so Sterling Silver has 7.5% copper mixed in to make it harder.

- Smoke detectors are radioactive (most). They contain Americanium 241, a radioactive substance.

- Lightning is good for plants. It causes nitrogen to mix with oxygen in the air, forming nitrogen oxides, which fall to the ground in rain. Plants need the nitrates supplied to survive.

Mike Brescia's Think Right Now

When you become conditioned with the same thought and belief patterns as people who are successful and even the best in the world at something, you will feel and act like them and get the same results.

Go sign up for the free newsletter Mike offers on his site. Use the link here: Think Right Now.

It regulates our daily movements, but it feels no interest in our lives. It directs us when to come and go, but does not care if we pay attention. What is it?

(The answer is at the bottom of the page)

Saint Johnswort is a common weed that may be growing in your yard. Although it's brain enhancing qualities are less documented (studies do show it's usefulness for treating long-term depression), many people swear by it's temporary mood-elevating effect, and our brains tend to function better when we are happy. It is inexpensive, but I used to just collect it in the yard and make tea of it. (Hyperacum Perforatum, if you want to look it up by it's botanical name.)

Why not try it? Note: Animals that overgraze on this plant sometimes develop photo-phyto sensitivity (they get sunburned more easily), but I have not heard of any side effects when humans take small amounts.

(Many subscribers are not aware of all the pages of the site. This section is a reminder of useful pages you may have missed. You can just ignore this part if you have read the following page.)

Probably all of us have this bad habit to some extent, and I am nominating it for the worst habit one can have. What is it? It is our tendency to fight reality rather than accept and deal with things the way they are. I'll give some examples, and a few suggestions as to how to overcome it.

It is a subtle habit, expressing itself in everything from blaming others for our problems to getting angry at traffic. How do know when you are fighting reality? Here are some clues.

First, consider how rarely you complain, or are angry or annoyed because rocks are hard and water is wet. This easy acceptance of the facts of nature is due to your clearly seeing that this is simply the way it is. You don't have ideas that rocks should be soft or water dry. In the complexity of modern life, however, we do have ideas...

Continued here:
http://www.increasebrainpower.com/bad-habit.html

************************************

Until next time,

Steve

www.IncreaseBrainpower.com

Riddle Answer:

A clock.

Want the latest issues? Subscribe for free on the home page or here: Brainpower Newsletter.