Sleeping Well

For our overall well-being – Sleep Hygiene is as important as physical hygiene and emotional hygiene. Good Sleep hygiene means that we are regularly getting a few hours a night of quality deep sleep and feel rested when we wake up.

How many of us feel otherwise?

Here are some important ways in which we can take care of sleep hygiene

1. Regular sleeping hours – train the mind to prepare for sleep time automatically
2. Eat at least 3-4 hours before sleeping
3. Exercise! Nothing promotes healthy sleep more than a tired physical body.
4. If you are light sensitive wear eye masks, if you are noise sensitive wear ear plugs (immediate shift in quality of sleep)
5. Get into the mood – start winding down an hour or so before sleeping, don’t do anything that excites your mind like reading work emails or watching tv. Indulge in some sleep rituals instead.
6. Make your sleep space as comfortable and clean as possible. Let the bed be inviting and the room be dark if you’re sleeping.
7. Avoid alcohol – it is very tempting to drink to sleep. Alcohol puts you to sleep but does not keep you sleeping and impacts quality of sleep.
8. If you sleep with someone, tell them to be mindful of your sleep needs – especially first 30 minutes of sleeping should not be interrupted
9. If you can’t sleep – let go of desperately trying to sleep! Just know that you will be fine even if you do not get very good sleep and you can make up for it another time. Wanting to sleep pushes it away. Just relax and enjoy the bed instead.
10. And last, we don’t need to add to our daily stress by worrying about how much you did or did not sleep. Trust your body to let you know how much sleep is needed.

Sleep aids / tools / Rituals

1. Bach’s rescue remedy for sleep – works like magic!
2. A bit of oil on the souls of your feet – so nurturing and self-loving too!
3. Yoga Nidra sleep meditation
4. Warm bath before sleeping
5. Nice comfy pair of pajamas (my favorite 😊)

Picture Credit to Logan Nolin from Unsplash