Sleep - Discover how leaving medicine for Hästens transformed my intellectual, emotional, and spiritual journey.

Working in Hastens is one of the best things that happened for my intellectual, emotional and spiritual development. And many of my colleagues, when I decided to make this move, didn’t understand: “Are you leaving medicine to go and sell beds?”
While this question was asked with both bewilderment and slight scorn, it generated an in-depth consideration of my actual purpose in making this move. But, before going there, I had to define what “this” was.
As it usually happens with me, the curtains of the past are pulled open, the laterns illuminating the center stage where a piece of my past plays before my eyes. I was asked by a fellow psychiatrist to fill-in for him in his geriatric psychiatry ward, as he was attending a family crisis.
Even though my specialty was not in the mental health for older adults, I accepted to help my colleague. When I arrived in the ward I was welcomed by a 87-year-old patient and the first thing she asked me was: “Are you my son?”
A very clear and strong mindset that has been instilled in me, a belief that runs its rooths deep within my being is that: “I AM CAPABLE OF REACHING AND HELPING ANY PERSON THAT NEEDS MY HELP.” There is a script when you are doing hypnotic interventions for accelerating the healing process where you say: “Allow all the cells in your body to vibrate in unison to create your healing faster and more efficiently.” This is how I approach my patients, allowing every cell in my body to help them in the best way I can. Even when I am facing such worthy opponents like Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder or, in the case of this patient Moderately Severe Alzheimer’s disease, I believed that I can do something to help her. 

STRONG BELIEF IN A WORTHY CAUSE LEADS ONE TO CREATE NEW POSSIBILITES WHEN OTHERS WOULD NOT EVEN TRY.

She asked me the question and my reply was to offer her my hand and invite her to walk with her. Driven by my belief and desire to help her, I started asking questions, calibrating, building rapport… gathering information and assessing what needed to be done. My purpose was: casting away the confusion and bring some clarity in her mind.
A couple of minutes in… she stopped, looked at me and asked again: “Are you my son?”
This loop continued a couple of times – her asking me if I was her son, me adjusting my approach and trying even harder to bring that clarity to her… but everytime she would go back to her question: “Are you my son?”
I was running out of things to say and questions to ask… and eventually, the reality of the situation pierced the veil of over-confidence and brought me to a more humble consideration… “I am yet to learn how I can help these patients past the limitations of the treatment she was under.”

When she once again asked: “Are you my son?”  I said: “Yes… Yes I am…” to which she replied: “What took you so long?”
She was confused and disoriented. She was talking about things that have happened in the dim and distand past as if they were actually there. But the joy and love coming out of her eyes, prevented me from doing anything that might have interrupted it.

When I think of what is it that I am doing… Am I really selling a bed? NO! I am helping the customer maintain a pure, uncontaminated and mindful experience into their most mature years. Giving them moments of clarity to share with their loved ones.
My decision to work with Hästens and advocate for their high-quality beds is rooted in a profound understanding of the holistic benefits of good sleep. It’s not merely about selling a product but about promoting a lifestyle that supports intellectual growth, emotional balance, spiritual fulfillment, and overall well-being. By educating customers about sleep and how to choose the right bed, I contribute to their long-term health and happiness, enabling them to experience and share moments of clarity and joy with their loved ones, just as I strive to do in my own life and career.

Supporting Intellectual, Emotional, and Spiritual Well-being

1. Intellectual Development:
   Ensuring high-quality sleep is crucial for cognitive function. Deep, restorative sleep promotes memory consolidation, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities. Essential for continuous intellectual development are mental clarity and cognitive sharpness, both having as source the benefits of sleep.
2. Emotional Stability:
   Good sleep hygiene is directly linked to emotional regulation:
   • Continuous, uninterrupted sleep, leading to a better quality restoration of body and mind.
   • This leads to lowering stress levels, enhancing mood, and improving overall emotional stability. 
   When individuals wake up well-rested, they are better equipped to manage their emotions and maintain positive relationships, contributing to emotional well-being.
3. Spiritual Growth:
   Spiritual growth often requires a state of calm and mindfulness, which can be disrupted by poor sleep. A perfect environment designed for optimal comfort and support, fosters a sleep environment that promotes relaxation and tranquility. This serene state can enhance meditation practices, reflective thinking, and a deeper connection to one’s inner self and the world around them.
4. Longevity and Quality of Life:
   Adequate and quality sleep is a cornerstone of long-term health. Hästens beds support the body’s natural sleep processes, aiding in glymphatic clearance, which removes brain toxins accumulated during the day. This process is crucial for maintaining brain health, reducing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, and promoting longevity. By ensuring a restful night’s sleep, these beds contribute to a higher quality of life and well-being into older age.
5. Social Relationships:
   A good night’s sleep improves mood and cognitive function, which are essential for maintaining healthy social relationships. When individuals are well-rested, they are more likely to engage positively with others, exhibit empathy, and effectively communicate. 

Intellectual Development

1. Sleep and Cognitive Function:
   • Diekelmann, S., & Born, J. (2010). "The memory function of sleep." Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 11(2), 114-126. Nature
   • Walker, M. P., & Stickgold, R. (2006). "Sleep, memory, and plasticity." Annual Review of Psychology, 57, 139-166. Annual Reviews
   Emotional Stability
2. Sleep and Emotional Regulation:
   • Walker, M. P. (2009). "The role of sleep in cognition and emotion." Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1156(1), 168-197. NYAS
   • Zohar, D., Tzischinsky, O., Epstein, R., & Lavie, P. (2005). "The effects of sleep loss on medical residents' emotional reactions to work events: a cognitive-energy model." Sleep, 28(1), 47-54. PubMed
3. Spiritual Growth
   Sleep and Mindfulness:
   • Hülsheger, U. R., Feinholdt, A., & Nübold, A. (2015). "A low-dose mindfulness intervention and recovery from work: effects on psychological detachment, sleep quality, and sleep duration." Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 88(3), 464-489. Wiley Online Library
   • Ong, J. C., Shapiro, S. L., & Manber, R. (2008). "Mindfulness meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia: a naturalistic 12-month follow-up." Explore, 4(1), 30-36. Elsevier
4. Longevity and Quality of Life
   Sleep and Longevity:
   • Cappuccio, F. P., D'Elia, L., Strazzullo, P., & Miller, M. A. (2010). "Sleep duration and all-cause mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies." Sleep, 33(5), 585-592. PubMed
   • Yaffe, K., Falvey, C. M., & Hoang, T. (2014). "Connections between sleep and cognition in older adults." The Lancet Neurology, 13(10), 1017-1028. The Lancet
5. Social Relationships
   Sleep and Social Interaction:
   • Gordon, A. M., Mendes, W. B., & Prather, A. A. (2017). "The social side of sleep: elucidating the links between sleep and social processes." Current Directions in Psychological Science, 26(5), 470-475. Sage Journals
   • Ben Simon, E., & Walker, M. P. (2018). "Sleep loss causes social withdrawal and loneliness." Nature Communications, 9(1), 3146. Nature