The Oura ring
How well do you sleep at night? Is your sleep cycle consistent or is it all over the place? Do you get enough REM sleep and deep sleep, or do you toss and turn all night? (Yes, if you are a mom of an infant we know the answer, yet you can keep on reading). I am an early riser, getting up between 5-6am most days. Typically, I stay up until 11-11:30 getting stuff done, so I am tired the next day, which results in me going to bed early, only to be fully rested so I can’t go to bed early that next night, so I stay up late again, and the roller coaster sleep cycle continues. And I know that’s not a great pattern to be in.
I’ve never been able to consistently track my sleep cycle because I don’t like to wear watches. They get in the way when I adjust, and I just don’t want to wear a watch when I’m sleeping. I wear my Garmin while I am working out as it’s great to track workouts, but I don’t like sleeping in it or wearing it to work. So in June, I purchased the Oura ring and I have become slightly obsessed with it. It tracks so much, one of which is my sleep pattern. I am loving it. Because I want to get “good scores” (guess I’m a bit competitive!!) I am now going to bed between 9-10pm each night. I’m more consistent and I’m well rested during the day.
The ring tracks my activity, and it has set the bar low because I always go way over my activity levels, but then again, I am on my feet moving each day. My biggest challenge is finding more time to rest during the day. I’m on the go all the time, so am now consciously focusing on finding time to relax more during the day. That may be 5 min of sitting and meditating or breathing deeply. The ring tells me that I’m handling this stress and busy life well, yet I always want to improve in all areas.
Are you an Oura ring fan? Or do you track your sleep on an Apple watch or some other way? How much sleep do you get each night? Lack of sleep can contribute to illness, since sleep is when our bodies recover best.
Health comes from a properly functioning nervous system, quality sleep each night, exercise, whole food nutrition, and positive prayer filled attitude. Of course, I feel that the nervous system is the most important, since that’s what controls everything in the body. You can have the best diet and be in the best shape of your life, but if your body is subluxated and the nerves are not communicating with your organs properly, then optimal health may be disrupted. And that’s where chiropractic comes in.
Make regular chiropractic care part of your lifestyle. It’s so worth it.
Dr. Pam