5 Before Bed Rituals To Help You Sleep

Catching a good night of Zzzzzz’s sets you up for a good day of Zzzzzzen! Our hormones, immune system, weight maintenance and other body functions rely on adequate sleep to maintain optimal levels of wellness. The Better Sleep Council discovered that 65% of people surveyed are losing sleep due to stress.

Here are 5 steps you can take tonight to get some decent sshut-eye.

Meditation

Meditation and breathing techniques are proven to reduce stress as they reduce the production of stress hormones, lower blood pressure and balance out the fight and flight response that shallower breathing can trigger.

You can chose to simply connect in with your breath by focusing on each stage of breath: the inhalation, holding, exhalation and emptiness. Focus on how your body interacts with each step - what parts of you expand or what part of you relaxes? Try to allow each exhalation to be a little deeper and drawn out. Really let go. It’s not just about counting sheep but if that helps you then go for it!

Calming Tea

We have all heard that chamomile tea is beneficial to aid in rest due to it’s calming attributes, but it’s not necessarily about the tea itself that offers us greater relief. The simple act of taking a moment to re-centre and being consistent with this ritual creates an association. Making a tea (preferably caffeine free) every night = taking a moment to recentre = getting ready for bed.

This act creates a ‘memory map’ and supports us with getting mentally ready to let go of the day. When we see our joggers, we associate them with fitness. When we see a wine glass, we can associate it with laughter. When we see a cup of tea we can associate that with disconnecting to connect within.

Keep a Gratitude Journal

What we thank about, comes about. Focusing on what we are appreciating and what we feel went well supports streams of beneficial thought to feed and nurture us into thriving beings, not surviving beings.

Dr Emoto carried out experiments on water where they exposed water molecules to specific words such as ‘thank you’ or ‘love’. They proved that the vibrational frequencies of ‘feel good words’ and intent created symmetrical and clear structures in the water when frozen and placed under a microscope. The highest vibration measured was gratitude. If we are 70%+ made up of water, imagine the impact that gratitude has on our being. The perfect reset before going nigh nigh’s!

Hold an Acupressure Point

When we lie in bed and our thoughts create havoc this is usually because we are stuck in irrational and past thinking. We go over the day in our mind of what we perceived could have gone better or go over tomorrow’s agenda with what we perceive could go wrong. We’re preparing from a space of fear, not from excitement and compassion for self. Sleep is a time for rest and repair, not an opportunity to beat ourselves up.

In a space of stress, blood rushes to the back of the brain, which is responsible for irrational and past thinking. We want to balance out the blood to the front of the brain (which is responsible for rational and present thinking) by simply placing our hand over our forehead and taking in some deep breaths. We are not always in control of a situation, but we are in control of our participation, interaction and reaction. #facepalm has a purpose!

Get in to a Made Bed

How would you feel spending 7-9 hours in yesterday’s unwashed gym clothes? If our bed is unmade when we hop in, it has memory residue of last night’s sleeping venture. It feels ‘undone’. It takes only 15 seconds to throw the doona over the bed - a wise investment.

The act of pulling back the doona signifies to you that a fresh chapter of sleep is about to begin - irrelevant of last night’s sleep journey. It signifies a change in the environment which supports the mind seeing that the day is complete and sleep is to now commence. At times this is the act that closes the chapter on the day to prevent our minds from still being attached to desired outcomes and then raising questions for closure that start with: “I should have said this….what did she mean when she said that…I could have done that better…what will happen if…..?”

We all know sleep is one of the most important factors for total health and wellness, so apply these tips tonight to rest up and sparkle again tomorrow!

Blog lovingly created by Alicia Vella from Inner Trekker to support you in conquering your inner mountains.