We all know what it feels like trying to make it through the day without a good night's sleep. Even thinking about our day ahead is a struggle and to hell with good habits; we will do, eat and survive in any way we can. Staring blankly at messages or emails as our mental capacity to handle each one diminishes.
Then the fear begins to build at the back of our minds as the night draws in...
What if I can't fall asleep tonight again?
A good night's sleep becomes something so precious and so worth having, more than anything else in the world. But the harder we try, the more we worry and the less relaxed and sleepy we will be. We try anything, everything but this struggle, this fear and anxiety is what prevents us from naturally falling into the restful state we so desire.
We cannot will ourselves towards a good night's sleep! Just like we can't will ourselves into falling in love or to enjoy hard rock music or cats or skiing. However if we don't like hard rock music or cats or skiing, we can choose to avoid them.
None of us, no matter who we are, can avoid the most fundamental requirements of a healthy mind and body - food, water and a good night's sleep!
If sleeping has become an issue and you still find yourself tossing and turning every night then it's important to remember that it will eventually resolve itself. The way we reestablish a blissful sleep cycle is also a totally unique journey, with everyone finding their own best recipes for bedtime success.
However there are common obstacles with many tried and tested solutions which can make all the difference. A few of them have transformed my own difficulties with sleep and I now look forward to bedtime more than ever before.
Night Time Affirmations
Positive Affirmations allow us to create more positive feelings and outcomes in any aspect of our lives. Night time affirmations prepare the mind for sleep by altering our perception of sleep and creating a positively sleepy state deep within the subconscious.
Any tension in the mind creates tension the body and vice versa. The negative bias of our minds becomes stronger while we are stressed or exhausted too. These night time affirmations will seep in, slowly releasing tension from the body as well as the mind. The worries we are filled with will be soothed by reassurance, love and comfort.
We did not create the negative bias of the mind but we all know how much it tries to interfere. This is why techniques to overcome or out shine the negative bias are worth integrating into our daily lives. This article elaborates upon the neuroscience and Power of Positive Affirmations.
Night time affirmations are worth delving into if you're struggling to relax at night. Spotify and Youtube have a wide selection. Try Affirmations of Sleep and Relaxation by Chakra Affirmations or do some exploring on your own.
Night time Stretches
I don't always feel like stretching after I get into bed but some of the guided night time stretches seem to have such a deep and healing effect on my body. They also force me to breathe more deeply, rather than the short, sharp anxious breaths we can experience while stressed. I particularly like hugging my knees in to my chest and holding myself there - it feels so protective and soothing.
The Insight Timer App has an abundance of meditation, sleep and stretching based audio's from creators all over the world. These evening bed time stretches by Karling Dallyn are all done while lying in bed and are suitable for everyone.
Insight Timer is free to download and worth tapping into at any time of day. Some of the contributors offer courses but you can also tune into talks about 'releasing self doubt' or 'inner child healing' as well as music, visualisations and meditations. Whatever you discover the benefits will far outweigh more time spent on social media.
The Balance App (Which won Google's App of the year) is another handy relaxation resource and is free for the first year! I cannot get enough of the voice, exactly what we need to help us unwind at bed time. It's a very, very cute, no nonsense app and the sleep stretches track definitely delivers.
Getting Ready For Bed
Adding or removing things from our bed time environment as well as creating our special bedtime routine is a way of telling ourselves that our sleep matters, that we matter. As we follow our own comforting rituals our mind drops a gear, letting go and preparing for rest.
The sleeping environment itself might also benefit from a little TLC. I invested in a super thick and luxurious mattress protector and I love my Bamboo Silk bedding. There's nothing like Silk or Bamboo Silk on your skin and they both have exceptional breathability with bamboo silk being more environmentally friendly and cost effective.
Lighting a candle while we are getting ready for bed is another good ritual. Even better if we can turn the lamp off and let ourselves settle, before we actually plan to go to sleep. By reducing the stress around our eyes gradually the idea of closing them completely comes more naturally.
Maybe sip a hot chocolate in the candle light, while listening to night time affirmations under a super soft duvet after applying natural body or facial oil.
Go completely over the top with your bed time routine! Although eating late at night can lead to digestive issues so be careful with that.
I also invested in a few more house plants for the bedroom. House plants release negative ions, triggering the release of Serotonin which reduces stress and anxiety - ideal for a good night's sleep. House plants also help to remove toxins from the air and therefore cleanse our bedtime environment as we sleep. Ahhhhh!
It doesn't matter what your bed time routine involves so long as you make a conscious effort to create one that feels perfect for you. Doing it consistently also means our minds link the rituals with the good night's sleep we are about to enjoy.
Limiting screen time before bed
One thing we are all sure to suffer from these days is over stimulation - mobile phones, tv's, tablets, laptops. We run a lot of our lives on these devices so there's really no point labeling them as bad. However if our social life and down time and hobby's also revolve around these things then there is simply too much interference - and it's our sleep which suffers first.
It might seem like the mind is drawn to these devices, as if it wants more stimulation, more social media, more music, more TV but the mind is not always working in our own best interests. The mind can, if we allow it to, distract us from ourselves. It will lead us away from how we feel, away from our own thoughts, away from our problems - enter Netflix, Facebook, Loud Music.
Limiting screen time before bed is about saying I matter more than anything in the world, even Facebook or whatever true crime drama or comedy is currently grabbing the world's attention. Watching the news before bed is an absolute no no!!
Check out this article from Boom Boom with 75 alternatives to watching TV if you're stuck! 🙌
Creative pursuits, exercise, time in nature, baking, crafts, journaling, meditation, DIY or just lying in the bath are all way better for you. By allowing our minds to unwind naturally we massively improve our chances of having a good night's sleep.
I know a lot of people love to read in bed so I'll finish with this book recommendation.
The Zen Monkey And The Lotus Flower includes 52 short stories designed to reduce negative thoughts, find happiness and live your best life. Readers say how each story helps them feel calm and happy before bed while being very easy to digest.
Sounds like a winner!
I hope you grabbed some useful night time tricks in this post and wishing you a very, very good night's sleep 🥱 ✨😴 🙏
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