5 Tips for Better Sleep
"The more fully recharged and connected you are, the more you can look ahead" –Ariana Huffington
We are all very aware of what our sleep-deprived selves are like. It’s impatient, agitated, likely to cause an accident, reactive, and hangry. It’s far from our BEST self.
Instead of catering to the side effects of sleeplessness with stimulants and naps, the long-term solution is getting to the root cause and changing habits that serve us.
Let's discuss Mindfulness Techniques for Better Sleep so you CAN function at your highest levels so you can leave the cranky sleepy YOU behind.
Your circadian rhythm, an internal clock that helps regulate the cycle of when you feel sleepy and when you feel alert. In a broad sense, circadian rhythms are similar from person to person, operating on roughly 24-hour cycles. But it turns out there are some notable differences in the sleep/wake patterns of women and men, which could explain why men tend to be night owls while women are more apt to be early risers.
TIP 1: Keep electronics out of the bedroom
Especially keep your phone more than 4 feet away.
According to the American Psychology Association, people who kept their phones 3 feet or closer to their bed, have reported the highest amount of stress. Also keep the TV, laptop, all electronics away from the bedroom. You want to associate your bedroom with just…well..that..a place for Rest and Rejuvenation. Bring in the salt lamps, crystals, plants, and essential oil diffusers. Anything that helps you to RELAX.
TIP 2: Practice DR. Andrew Weil’s 4-7-8 Breath
This same philosophy is used in his well-known “The 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise,” also called “The Relaxing Breath,” which promotes better sleep. This is based on pranayama, an ancient Indian practice that means “regulation of breath.” The exercise is described by Weil as “a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system” that eases the body into a state of calmness and relaxation.
Kevin Meehan, a holistic practitioner and founder of Meehan Formulations in Jackson, Wyo., believes this breathing technique could be effective because it encourages the fast removal of carbon dioxide. Appropriate respiration is effective in removing carbon dioxide from our systems. “Doing so equates to a better preservation of the bicarbonate pool; our reservoirs for helping maintain an appropriate pH balance,” Meehan told Medical Daily in an email.
TIP 3: Do a Body Scan
The REAL reason why most of us can’t sleep is that our minds are running, we didn’t fully digest certain situations throughout the day, so the processing keeps going on that is exactly what dreams are about- emotions not processed during the day- the subconscious plays out in dreams. That is why we have super symbolic dreams and a lot of them are similar-(tooth, flood, animals, etc.)
BODY scan is what Vipassana is about – a head to toe body
TIP 4: GRATITUDE Sheep Counting
When you drift off to sleep counting your gratitude instead of going through your shopping/to-do list/things to be angry at your partner…you will have a better time sleeping in general.
If you have a million to do’s the next day that you think you are going to forget- keep a notebook by the bedside and physically write down everything you need to do, so you can get it out of your head.
TIP 5: Guide your Subconscious
Be Your own DREAM Boss.
Before drifting off to sleep, recognize the power of your subconscious by stating: My highest being: what do I need to know that I am not aware of? Guide my sleep so that I discover how to be more OPEN to my life.
Which of these methods resonates most with you? Do you have a tip you’d like to share – a bedtime routine that was not mentioned?
