Ticket to Rest

While I have enjoyed sound sleep for most of my life, when I have been in the midst of major life transitions, big moves, loss of a loved one, etc, I have experienced sleep deprivation, a complaint I frequently hear from clients which is what inspired me to create a list of tips for cultivating deeper sleep in the absence of any help from prescription drugs or recreational substances.

As the summer nights become warmer, many people sleep lighter or not as deeply as they might in the cooler winter months.  Add to that, that life can present challenges.  When stressed, it is not uncommon for sleep to be compromised.  Not all stress is acute, some is more subtle over the long term.  Sleep is when the body rejuvenates and heals; a lack of sleep may weaken immunity.   For that reason, good sleep is imperative to maintain good health in the short and the long term.  If restful sleep eludes you, here are some tips you might find helpful in improving your quality of sleep:

-Hydrate well throughout the day. Start your day with a glass of water upon rising and enjoy another a few hours before retiring.

-Eat a clean simple diet of lots of whole fresh foods. Eliminate ALL caffeine (including green and black tea), alcohol, chocolate and refined sugar.  Reduce salt.  The simpler we eat, the less our body has to digest.  The less it has to work, the easier it is to rest.

-Eliminate oil and reduce fat especially at dinner. While fats are important, the body works to break them down.  Save them for lunch instead of at your last meal, especially if you eat late in the day.

-Help the body to enhance its melatonin production naturally: augment your diet with foods such as red cherries, asparagus, sweet corn, ginger, bananas, tomatoes, oats, and others;  turn off or dim your lights earlier in the evening, use an eye pillow.

-Clear you mind. Begin and/or end your day with a quiet or guided meditation.  Choose from guided meditations on you tube or you might visit my website for one that resonates with you.  As you prepare to call it a night, you might simply put your attention to a peaceful image and allow yourself to ‘feel the feeling’ of being in that peaceful setting.

-Exercise during the day.   Partake in something you enjoy—walk, jog, run, ski, swim, dance, yoga, pilates, weights or strength training, etc.

-Get outdoors.  Enjoy in the elements of nature whether its walking barefoot in the grass or in the sand, basking in the sunshine, being caressed by a gentle breeze, breathing in the fresh morning air or star gazing at night.

-Practice restorative yoga in the afternoon. Pull out your props and your eye pillow.  An especially helpful position is legs up the wall (Viparita Karani).  Restorative yoga helps the body return to the parasympathetic nervous system, rest and digest mode in lieu of the sympathetic nervous system, flight or flight mode.

-Treat yourself to a massage or energy balancing (Reiki, Healing Touch, etc) in the afternoon or the evening.  A self hand, foot and arm massage can also be relaxing to the body and mind.  You might familiarize yourself with the pressure points to address insomnia.

-Eat earlier.  Enjoy your last meal three to four hours before your bed time to give your food time to digest so the body does not awaken in the night.

-After your last meal, you might experiment with some relaxing herbal teas such as chamomile, lavender or rooibos. Traditional Medicinals offers organic fair trade teas.

-After dinner, enjoy a relaxing hot bath. You might add essential oils to the bath water or even add lavender to your hair before bed. 

-You might engage in deep breathing before bedtime. I like the Wim Hof Method.  Take at least 5—20 minutes of deep breathing.   There are many different types of breath work (pranayama).  Any type of breath work is fine.

-Limit stimulus (drama or information) at least an hour before bed.

-eliminate anything distressing from the news, media, etc.
-detach from work
– turn off all devices
-refrain from conversation
-if watching videos – choose nature, before retiring, like waterfalls

-Try a diffuser in your bedroom with relaxing essential oil such as lavender. (If you have a pet cat, avoid those that may be toxic to your animal companion.)

-After you crawl in bed,  gently stretch your whole body three times or more, extending up through your arms and fingers, stretching all the way down through the body in to the legs, feet and toes.

-Read a pleasurable short story — ideally ‘feel good’ fiction or inspiring nonfiction.

-Clear your mind with a self guided visualization such as a waterfall cleansing your thoughts. You might imagine as the thoughts dissipate in to a pool below, they are transformed in to flowers growing up at the edge of the pool.

-Drift off to sleep with relaxing music. You might make a long loop of the sounds of nature.  Some of my favorites include sounds of a bubbling creek, sounds of the ocean or of wind.  Centerpointe Research Institute has Holosync audio recordings specifically designed to alter the brain waves to counteract stress, induce cycles of deep rest, restorative sleep, to enhance overall well being and heighten performance.

-Give thanks for the day and for the rest you are about to receive.

 

Sources and Resources:

Carter, Emma  Essential Oil HavenL  Whic Essential Oils are Toxic to Cats. 2021 June 30 https://www.essentialoilhaven.com/which-essential-oils-are-toxic-to-cats/

Cirino, Erica.  Healthline:  Five Pressure Points for Sleep.  2018 May 24  https://www.healthline.com/health/pressure-points-for-sleep#spirit-gate

Graham, Douglas.  The 80-10-10 Diet: Balancing Your Health, Your Weight, and Your Life One Luscious Bite at a Time.  Douglas N. Graham, 2010.

Holosync audio by Centerpointe Research Institute https://www.centerpointe.com/what-is-holosync/

Wim Hof Method:  You are Stronger than You Think You Are  https://www.wimhofmethod.com/

 

 

Disclaimer: 

These statements have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration.  Information is intended for the purpose of sharing
information only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent
any disease. Before beginning any regime, consult a licensed medical physician.