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| Sleeping Goddess |
You´re
lying awake in bed. Sleep is just around the corner. It must be – you want it
so very much and have been lying there for what seems like an eternity waiting
patiently for your eyes to get heavy and the world of dreams to take over. So
why is it that your sought after slumber seems so far away?
Finding it
difficult to drift off to sleep at night or anything from restlessness to chronic
insomnia is a frustration shared by many. Of course, those of us who have ever
been confronted with this particular challenge will most likely know a whole
stream of things we´re meant to be doing, as well as things we´re not meant to
be doing in order to induce sleep. Your sleep schedule, bedtime habits, and
day-to-day lifestyle choices can make an enormous difference to the quality of
your nightly rest. Below is a list of 12 tried and tested sleep tips that will
help you get on that fast track path to sleep nirvana, meaning you´ll be
productive, mentally sharp, emotionally balanced and full of energy all day
long.
1.
Exercise.
Studies suggest that exercise is best done at least 3 hours before bedtime.
Doesn´t need to be anything too fancy - walk, swim, climb, surf, jog, ride,
jump… whatever it is that floats your boat and gets your heart rate up will
help to keep your whole body system balanced and easeful.
2.
Eat
well to sleep well. We´re talking about a healthy balanced diet. We all know
what we “should” and “shouldn´t” be feeding our bodies, and we need to be
looking at our body system as a whole – it´s got to be in balance if we´re to
get restful, uninterrupted sleep. This means cutting back on stimulants like caffeine,
sugary drinks and foods that contain E-numbers and artificial rubbish.
3.
Develop
a bed time routine. Aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day to
re-calibrate your body clock.
4.
Switch
off your screens. Neurologists have been telling us for years that staring at
screens late in the evening can disrupt sleep - be they television screens,
computer screens or mobile phone screens. Switch them off an hour before you
plan on going to sleep. Your Facebook buddies and that super challenging level
on your PS3 will still be there tomorrow.
5.
Add
a few drops of lavender oil to your pillow before you get your head down.
Lavender is said to slow your heart rate reduce your blood pressure, ignite
your para sympathetic nervous system and put you in a relaxed state.
6.
Fresh
clean sheets – make bed time inviting!
7.
Make
a playlist of sleep inducing sounds. I love natural sounds of the ocean,
birdsong and rainfall. Try “Celestial Glow” or “Eternal Wave” – Natural Sleep
Inducement by Dan Gibson and set your ipod to turn itself off after an hour of
sweet melodies.
8.
Treat
yourself to a soothing, warm bath, filled with bubbles and nice smelling salts.
Candles are an optional extra that help to relax our vision and put us in the
mood for some shut eye. A full on soak obviously may not be practical for every
night, but the occasional bit of simple self-indulgence goes a long way…
9.
Make
your bedroom a “sleep and sex only” zone. That means, no TV, no laptop, no
smartphone, no work-related discussions with your spouse… This way you´re keeping
the bedroom vibe more conducive for sleep. An orgasm is scientifically proven to act as a
natural tranquilizer. That wonderful release of endorphins is very
calming. So get touchy feely with your
bed buddy, or get down and personal with yourself and drift into a state of
satisfied bliss...
10.
Meditate.
You don´t need to be a Zen master to engage in this activity. Nor do you need
to have received any specialist training or spent time in an Indian ashram. All
you need is a place you can sit comfortably, preferably on the floor, but a
chair also works, particularly if your hips are a bit stiff. It helps to have
your knees in line with or lower than your pelvis, so sit up on a cushion or
blanket if necessary. The trick is to be comfortable, whilst keeping a nice
lengthening in your spine. Rest your hands palms down on your thighs. Close
your eyes. Find your breath. Notice how your breath feels in your body. If it
helps, take a few really deep breaths, letting out the exhale slowly. Notice if
the exhale helps your body to feel relaxed and more grounded. Then focus on
your breath – the inhale and the exhale – for a few minutes. If the mind starts
wandering, as it so often does, observe your thoughts without letting yourself
get carried away with the dramas and implications of each one, and gently bring
your focus back to your breath. This simple practice, when done regularly will
help ground and centre you. The perfect pre-courser for deep, uninterrupted
sleep.
11.
Keep
a notebook by your bed. So often for us busy bees we go to sleep thinking about
“all those things we should have done today and didn´t”. No biggie. Jot those
“super important” things down in your notebook, thus clearing your mind of
annoying niggles. They´ll be there for you to address tomorrow. Right now,
nothing is so important that it interrupts your rest.
12.
The
Tense and Relax and Auto-Suggestion Strategy. I´ve put that in capitals ´cause
I think it deserves it. This is a super helpful practice that many practising
yogis will be familiar with. In order to relax enough to induce sleep, we want
to activate our para sympathetic nervous system. It´s that part of our body
system that tells our bodies to “rest and digest.” So often we are stuck in
“fight or flight” mode, controlled by the sympathetic nervous system. So, in
order to ignite the bliss of “rest and digest” try this: You´re lying in bed.
Close your eyes. Bring your awareness to your feet. Inhale and scrunch up your
toes as much as you can, then gently release as you exhale. Mentally repeat the
phrase, ”my feet are relaxed”. Next, lift your legs an inch from the bed and
extend through your legs bones. Tense the leg muscles as much as you can,
hugging muscles to bones, then as you exhale, gently release your legs onto the
bed, repeating silently to yourself, “my legs are relaxed”. Continue working up
your body – hips (lift them from the bed a little), spine (stretch through the
length, from top to bottom), shoulders (shrug them) arms (extend them), hands
and fingers (make fists), face (make an ugly face by drawing all your features
into a tight little ball, then slowly releasing on the exhale as you open your
mouth and let out a sigh). We´re using the contrast between tension and
relaxation to show the body how we want it to feel when we´re relaxed.
Sometimes all our body needs is a little gentle coaxing into what we want it to
do. Perhaps you are more in control of the way you can relax your body, than
you thought.
Millie
Brereton is a certified yoga teacher, nutrition coach and general lover of
life, currently living and working in Navarra, northern Spain. She is the
director of The Kula Centre of Learning and Personal Development and delights
in Tantric philosophy and seeing the best in everyone who crosses her path. She
can often be found in her kitchen blending juices and cooking up tasty treats
from her organic farm, or bounding ecstatically through the mountains with her
two dogs, Bonnie and Kin. For more information on any of the above, or to simply
connect, contact her at thekulacentre@live.com or visit her webpage,
www.thekulacentre.com
nutritional advisor and general lover of life. She is the founder of The Kula Centre of Learning and Personal Development and co-founder of Project Huerta. She lives in rural Northern Spain and delights in nature, Tantric philosophy and seeing the good in everyone who crosses her path. She can often be found in her kitchen blending juices and cooking up tasty treats from her organic farm, or bounding through the mountains with her two dogs, Bonnie and Kin. You can connect with her by visiting her webpage,www.thekulacentre.com or connect with her on facebook.
