Having Too Much Energy Can Be A Bad Thing

 Among things like Restless Leg Syndrome and other hyper-active formats, the energy we expand or don't use enough of can bite us in the ass and could lead to other issues. I've been known to be hyper-active and need to move around and be stimulated in some way. Often, it's one of those things where when I do try to sleep, my head is telling my body to go to sleep but my legs fight against it and will at times might as well say "fuck you" and want to keep moving around. 

I've been a night owl as long as I can remember at least since I was about 10-11 years old and unless I'm so fried that day, I don't sleep a ton of hours. At one point in my life the longest I slept was 15 hours but most of the time, 5 would be the most on an average basis. Sometimes I would work out just so I can exhaust myself in order to sleep but it doesn't always work out in my favor (see what I did there?). 

It's not easy when you're both hyper-active and have a brain that won't shut up. You try to read, watch a movie, listen to a podcast, listen to meditative sounds or in cases like mine, you train until you're ready to fall asleep. Yeah it sounds contradictory working out in order to sleep because after some workouts, you're at times more energized than ever. Believe me, I've been on both sides of the coin to where some workouts had me sleeping like a baby within about 20 minutes after but some others took longer to kick in in order to pass the hell out. 

I have at times took doses of melatonin which rarely ever did anything, I've taken muscle relaxers but didn't want to become addicted or rely on them, never once took sleeping pills which quite frankly is tempting but I've heard enough horror stories in my lifetime and knew people who were on them. If you've read enough of this blog, you know I despise and hate with a passion for medication. I'd rather be an insomniac than rely on chemical bullshit that has a risk of being highly addicted to. 

When I do sleep, I'm pretty good and maybe not completely alert in the first couple minutes after waking up but once the energy kicks in, I'm off to the races. It's a struggle but you do what you can and not everything is a 100% guarantee. Sometimes your body will do what it wants to do and your brain will have battles. I understand what it's like to worry too much, overthink, anxious about whatever, songs stuck in your head, needing to keep an eye out for anything that could go wrong in the house or having to be there for someone when they have a nightmare. It's at times overwhelming but alas we do need to sleep. 

It's hard for many and it's important for you to know you're not alone. Some people can fall asleep at the drop of a hat, others not so much. I have fallen asleep watching a movie but that tends to screw up my sleep later that night, I'd be totally relaxed for a period but the next thing you know, I'm wide awake needing to do something. Being bored or forcing boredom in order to sleep doesn't work for me, never really has. Do I take naps from time to time, yes and maybe I need to do less of them in order to get proper sleep. It is what it is and you learn by trial and error. 

We do need to find that balance where we use the energy we have productively in order to have optimal rest. On the other hand, some people need more energy cause they're tired constantly and don't have energy to be productive. There's got to be middle ground somewhere. Do what you can for you and make the most of the energy you have. Keep being amazingly awesome and get the best sleep you can. 

Lost Empire Herb Of The Day: Ziziphus 

It Is Good To Get All That Energy Out

    One of the most common things that you see in children (you parents know this very well) is when they get all hopped up and start running around like the house is on fire and you need them to blow off steam. This happens with adults too at times when we can't sit still and get hyper at times we can't fall asleep because your mind is on something and you just get so worked up over certain things. Blowing off steam doesn't always mean grabbing a beer or two to get away from something and it certainly doesn't mean getting high (although I see certain reasons needed to for some people) off of weed or whatever makes you see something that isn't there. One of the very facets about fitness is its ability to teach you to get all that energy out of your system and have a more calming demeanor. Go to the gym, go for a run, do animal movements (perfect for taken down a kid if you need him or her to chill out) or go lift some heavy stuff and just do what you need to do to get those endorphins kicking in and letting your nerves wind down.

  Being hyper is a common thing especially among kids and hormonal teens, all those little tweaks that happen in your body, adrenaline is running and you're doing your best to calm down and nothing is working. Take care of it by working your body for as long as you need to. Taking a walk and deep breathing is a start but for the most part, it's really telling your body to move and utilize your body's abilities to do various things. When I'm in hyper mode after being at a concert or coming home full of adrenaline, I do different things like Bridging, moving like a wild animal or push-ups. Even one time I was so hyper I was bending this steel bar I had and used every ounce of energy I had to twist and pull from every direction I can think of. By the end I was ready to pass out because it takes a lot out of you. Have a little fun with it while it won't scare the living hell out of your spouse/sibling/parent or whatever.
   
   What seems like a polar opposite of what you think happens, getting all that energy out productively actually calms the nerves in your body and bring flow back into your body on a much different scale. I don't believe I ever met anybody that got a ton of energy out of their body from working out and saying "man I'm pissed off." Your body is brushing with endorphins and adding a cold shower into the mix helps regenerate everything and lets the body use its cooling system. Funny on how the body works. Go outside if you have to; I wouldn't be howling at the moon like a retarted werewolf scaring your neighbors but moving your body in a fast pace manner for even a few seconds can elevate your emotions and clear out the cobwebs. Every time I hold the bridge for three minutes, my body just begins to float and when I'm done I feel like I'm in heaven, floating with calmness and awareness and feeling refreshed and happy. Animal Movements are great to get everything out of your system because they don't take that long for you to be huffing and puffing when you do it right.

  Want to pass out without the need to be drunk? Go do some Animal Movements or create moves from Gold Medal Bodies and see how long you last. Movement is life but so is sleep, so in order to balance things out, you have to take care of your need to chill out. Don't take those crappy sleeping pills full of chemicals and crap that can harm your insides and I can understand the need to drink a little something but it's not the only way. For me, my drug is exercise, when I need a fix, I take care of it and I feel like a new man afterwards without the side effects of withdrawals and feeling the need to do it every 5 minutes just to feel good, at times one time is all it takes and my ass is knocked out like a rock. You know how they give names for these "diseases" kids have like ADHD or whatever they came up with, they just want to feed these kids drugs so they can sit down long enough so they focus on a board they'll be staring at for an hour and having them feel like they're nearly comatose. I 'am very much in tuned with a kid needing an education and finding a way to focus so they can get their school work done but feeding them drugs is not going to help your cause. Remember back in the day when we were told drugs were bad and whoever took them were losers and now drugs are great for "helping" in school; what a crock and very contradictory. Be productive by giving them something they could enjoy doing, something fun and letting their imaginations run. 

  Moving like a Wild Animal creates structure, helps out self-esteem and takes lazy kids out of the house, hyper kids become calmer and kids with attitude issues lighten up because of the endorphins. Don't force it on them or be so damn strict they'll hate you for it, make a game out of it and help them find a way that works for both sides. It's not easy but it's far better health wise than taking some crazy drug that can screw up their bodies later in life just so they sit still for an hour every class. Be smart about it and make it fun for them.