My tips for sleeping through the night, for life!

I spoke with a client recently who told me she had insomnia really bad. I offered to send her my tips for sleeping well at night. She said that she had tried everything but was open to hearing my tips.  I sent her my list and she wrote back and said she loved this list and had dappled with some but committed to none. That is the key as I wrote in my message to her, you have to commit for life really,  and you will sleep again. We are supposed to sleep, we are not born bad sleepers or good sleepers, there are real reasons why we each may not sleep.  I have a feeling that if you are loosing sleep day after day and commit to the list below, you will find rest again.

As I emailed this client, I realized how much of an issue it is for many people to sleep through the night and so I made my email to her into this blog you are reading.

I have to say, I have always slept very well and long hours every night most of my life, but…I have had multiple events in my life that altered my sleep for a time. By long hours I mean 9-10 sometimes 11 hours per night.  Over time, I have put the following into practice everyday, not just trying them out for a brief time but committing, and I believe doing this is what keeps me sleeping well.

Mediation is my #1 – many tell me they can’t meditate, their mind is too busy, they tired it already. My mind was a monkey mind before I started meditating too and now more than 16 years later, it is no longer AND meditation has been the most invaluable daily commitment I have ever made to myself. When you meditate and keep doing it everyday, you gradually release excess mental energy that keeps you awake, it calms your nervous system, expands your awareness and it absolutely will help you sleep again, maybe not right away but it will if you commit. If you don’t know how to start, just wake up and start with a cup of tea and go sit quietly somewhere undisturbed and put the timer on your phone for 5 minutes, close your eyes and watch your breath and or feel your stomach relax in and out as you breathe, this is Zen meditation. If you loose focus, just keep coming back to the breath – that is when you begin to train your mind (with repetition of noticing when your mind wonders and then choosing to come back to your breath or a point of focus).

I would start with 5 minutes for a week then add 2 minutes each week until you reach 20-30 minutes and then keep going forever. I have had many older people tell me “I used to sleep as well and long as you but not anymore” ~ there is a reason for that – the mind gets busier as we get older (with unresolved thoughts and feelings) not quieter so personally, there is NO WAY I would ever give up my meditation practice. There are also a trillion other benefit to meditating daily.

My #2 is daily breath work. It is super powerful and has endless wonderful benefits for your health, like clearing the mind, easing anxiety and promoting a good nights rest, oxygenating the blood, lung support etc. I start my practices with 5 minutes (sometimes 10) timed of alternate nostril breath work and then move into my meditation.  Again, if you commit, you will for sure start sleeping again. Google alternate nostril breath and how to do it.

My #3 is daily exercise. I get out and move everyday for 1-2 hours, I schedule it into my day. Exercising has so many benefits and for some it helps release excess stress and mental clutter, it keeps our blood and energy flowing and doing that alone will promote a good nights rest, especially when combined with breath and meditation.

My #4 – every night before bed or early evening I get a large piece of paper and write out what I will be doing the next day, including anyone I need to call or get back to about something as well as any items I want to shop for.  Even though I have a schedule book with all my clients appointments and other commitments, I just write it out anyways, I have been doing this for years. If I am in bed and think of something I have to do that I forgot write down,  I do one of 2 things, I mentally ask my angels to remind me the next day that I need to do this thing (they always do) OR I get up and write it down. I have been doing this for years – it’s a simple and effective way to clear the mind.

My #5 – I go to bed at the same time each night, specially Monday – Friday. For me it’s 10pm lights out during the week…on the weekends I may stay up till 11:30 give or take but after years of committing to this habit I am never thrown off by going to be a bit later 1-2 nights per week.

My #6 – I never open or read texts/emails in the evening that I  know/suspect may be emotionally challenging. I rarely go on my phone or computer within 2 hours of bedtime.  And no devices are allowed in my bedroom!!!

My #7 – Have the conversation with that person that you may have been avoiding. If you can’t talk to them you can write them a letter and send it or not. Usually just writing it all out and saying what you really need will be enough to release the energy that is keeping you up and causing stress. Sometimes a conversation isn’t the best, it depends who you are dealing with. Know what you need and keep healthy boundaries in place.

My #8 – I do not drink wine before bed.  If I want a glass which is rare because I stopped drinking wine a few years ago, I have a glass very early evening.  Also I do not drink during the week, unless it’s a special occasion.

My #9  – Upon waking and my brushing teeth, I squeeze half a lemon or lime juice in a full glass of water and drink it before anything else, this becomes alkaline in the body and the mineral salts grab onto toxins in the blood that the liver has processed to be released… it’s like a mini cleanse of your liver, kidneys and blood. I have been doing this for about 2 years now almost without fail. When there is an overload of toxins in the body, over time they can stimulate our bodies on all levels and interrupt our sleep.  After lemon water you can have a green or herbal tea before coffee, if you drink it.

My #10 – I don’t consume fruit in the evening.  Example: I can eat an orange or grapefruit before bed but if I have red grapes or an apple, I am up for hours.  Fruit sugars effect us all differently.

My #11 – I don’t have any conversations in the evening surrounding any house hold things/taxes for example: paying bills online, online banking, dividing up food bills or anything like that.

Lastly, here are a few things I do quite often in the evening or morning that I believe set me up really well for a good nights sleep.

#1 – I often listen to relaxing vibrational music before bed while I do some yoga poses and I do this practice for 30-60 minutes usually with the lights off and just a candle.

#2 – I will take a bath with 1/2 a box of baking soda in it which cleanses the energy/auric body of excess stagnation.

#3 – a few days a week I do a Yoga Nidra practice during the day which is wonderful to help you get the deep rest you need if you are not getting it.  Additionally this practice promotes a good nights sleep because in this practice you release so much excess past mental and emotional energy that is stored in your body, so the natural result is better sleep. You can find many free Yoga Nidra practices on Youtube. It has been scientifically proven that 15 minutes of Yoga Nidra = 60 minutes of deep rest.

#4 – Read before sleep

#5 – this is my favourite. After turning out the lights, I say thank you for this day, for my healthy and abundant body and for all the wonderful experiences I had that day.  I wake up and before I open my eyes, repeat the same practice.       

Doing any practice or healing modality that will help you release the past that is lingering and taking up residence in your body is always going to help you elevate to a healthier place in your life.

Like I said, you have to build a set of practices that you like and are willing to make time for and then commit to them, that is when you will see the results…for life.

Sleep tight.

Lara