How have you been sleeping?
Nobody needs to be reminded how valuable a great night’s sleep is, however insomnia can so often go ignored and underrated as the key cause of much of our physical and mental health issues. In fact it’s gotta be Step 1 for a great day to follow right?!
It’s not just that it feels amazing after a peaceful night’s sleep, any ongoing lack of restful sleep impacts our health on many levels including our digestion, hormonal balances, cognitive function and can literally be the difference between an awesome day and a poorly one. The stress that insomnia can place on our relationships, our productivity, our emotional, mental and physical health is nothing short of life depleting.
It’s not always possible to remove the stress from our life that’s causing the lack of sleep, but it is possible to manage how we respond to stress and gift ourselves with the most valuable daily function (requirement) we all deserve!
Below I share with you my tips for improving sleep, plus online practices which help induce a deep restorative sleep. Try just ONE to start with;
Have an evening ritual - winding down at least 2hrs before bed with no food, dim/reduce the lights, no bluelight ~ phones, computer, tv.
Have a shower to intentionally wash the day off down the drain, even better soak it off in a bath use calming oils (rose, jasmine, lavender).
Hydrate with water, then tuck in with a chamomile tea OR a warm milk/mylk with nutmeg or Ayurveda's sleep and hormone balancing herb Ashwagandha (my fave Lunar Latte). Avoid caffeine after midday.
According to the Ayurvedic clock, between 6 to 10pm is the best time to start winding down and the best time to sleep is between 10pm and 6am. 10pm is when our body secretes melatonin, however only when we are in a regular routine, also effected by diet as mentioned below.
Bedside journal - mind dump into your journal your thoughts, worries, concerns, fears, to-do lists, crazy ideas and plans. Always finish off with what you are most grateful for today. Hand it all over as you close the journal. If you wake up in the night thinking, write again, close the journal knowing it's all there safe for you to let it go and sleep - use your Viloma breathwork practice below to fall back to sleep.
Bedside Yoga - try these online practices in your Monthly Membership;
MindBodyFully Present Meditation is a full body self-massage, deeply calming + relaxing to the whole body and nervous system (especially if you have physical tension) and WILL GUARANTEE you a good night's sleep!
Restorative Yoga - Evening Release using breath to wind down
Yin - Whole Body Release & Nidra a lot of 'letting go'‘
Rest’n Restore Body + Mind with mind focus and breathwork
Breath work practice - My all time favourite breathing practice for inducing (and falling back to) sleep is Viloma on exhale - pausing small sips of breath as you exhale. Eg inhale smooth and long, exhale a little bit # 1…..pause another little bit #2…….pause then exhale the rest # 3………….pause. Repeat 11 rounds (or until you don’t remember a thing!). Try it with me online Calming Breath - Viloma II or perhaps a Sweet Savasana guided meditation into deep rest.
Know your diet - having excess sugars, spicy foods, garlic, onion, caffeine, alchohol, or any foods we have even a slight intolerance to will impact sleep. Our gut health plays a major role in sleep. If you need support with your diet my Naturopath Karen Ansell is amazing and does online consults! This would also be useful during menopause to maintain hormonal balance to improve sleep. A Naturopath may also prescribe high quality melatonin, magnesium and other appropriate herbs suitable to your needs.
Create a safe and peaceful space - temperature 18.3 degrees Celsius is the ideal sleeping conditions. Check your pillow, mattress and even sheet quality and textures. One of the most common reasons for insomnia is fear, another is disorganisation. Spend some time ensuring your space is comforting and secure. Tidy up, put away excess/distractive items and work, use calming colours and patterns. Use ear plugs if you have a noisy household, neighbours or possums. Speak up if there’s a snorer this is a health concern they need to tend to!
Enjoy your week Yogis and may it be with the sweetest of dreams!
Namaste, Nic Whiteman
