The better we sleep, the more awake we can be during the days. Most people remember sleepless nights. They are nightmares. There are these nights where we toss and turn because we chew on an issue. But also if life runs smoothly, sleep might vary.
There are circumstances we cannot change, some we can.
To go to bed every night at the same time helps a lot to fall asleep easily. Just wait. Don’t get impatient. Trust: sleep will come. Focus on the breathe. Imagine how your body gets heavier and heavier. To get up every morning at the same time is recommended as well. The body gets used to this rhythm and starts loving it. My experience is that when I established this habit, I got tired every night at the same time and I woke up at the same time even without an alarm clock.
Create an evening and a morning ritual. A few days back I was so busy all day, I sweated a lot. Before going to bed, I took a shower, a quick one, under 2 minutes. This made a difference. I felt clean and ready for the night. I slept very good. It felt so relaxing, that I want to get into this habit again. If someone has serious sleep issues a bath can be even better. Warm water is relaxing.
It’s better if the bedroom is dark. Once I read in one fo the novels by Charles Bukowski that he had a bedroom with dark blue walls. I understood at once why. Darkness creates a womb. We can feel safe. The walls of our bedroom are white. A lot of light can come in through the window. Any darkness could gulp the brightness. I consider to buy black bed linen. A few month back we were in a hotel in the countryside. The room was very dark. Outside was no light. If the mattress weren’t so bad, I would have had a most excellent night.
A mistake many people with a lousy sleep is that when they wake up, they look at the alarm clock to check how late or early it is. This makes the body and mind even more awake. Stay and keep breathing. When you wake up, find a relaxing body posture and pretend to sleep. Do nothing.
Don’t eat late at night. Don’t drink alcohol. I know countries where people eat even at 11pm. It’s OK for some time, if someone has sleeping issues, I recommend to have the last meal about 3 or 4 hours before going to bed.
Go out for a walk before going to bed. Exhaust your body.
Don't watch thrillers at night. Your subconscious might still fear to get killed. Create your own mental ‘falling asleep movie’. Imagine your ideal room and bed, imagine yourself feeling safe and tired. Let go. Sleep.
How is the body position? Is the cushion too high or too hard? How is the room temperature? Do you feel good in your pajamas? Improve what you can improve regarding your environment.
Falling asleep, sleeping and getting up on time is a skill that we can learn. To sleep is a need, but how we sleep is a skill. Trust that to sleep well is something everybody can learn or improve.
Don’t omit savasana after your yoga practice. I often do. Yet this asana is very important. Sometimes I think this is my most difficult asana. To set a timer for 5 or 10 minutes helps. One can learn to stop being busy, to stop worrying. It helps to stay relaxed no matter what. Feel the joy that arises when focusing on the breath. Learn to breathe deeply.
When we sleep well, we are more relaxed during the days. I’d say we’re even more optimistic. We can handle stress much better.
I write this post in the early morning, but I wish you a good night tonight and the nights that will come.
Sleep well.
It’s essential for a good live.