Aaahhh…blessed sleep. Are you sleeping? There are many sayings attributed to a good night’s sleep – “sleep on it” or “you’ll feel better after a good night’s sleep”. Sleep is often taken for granted, but it is as necessary to our well-being as water, air and food. If you aren’t getting optimal sleep, consider some of these tips for this second week of our Lenten series.
First, some facts. Not getting enough sleep, and good, quality sleep:
- Puts you at risk for obesity
- Prevents the release of hormones that regulate body processes
- Keeps your body from doing the repair work it needs to do each night
- Can increase your blood pressure, and your tendency to develop diabetes and depression
- Decreases memory function – the brain cannot rebuild and strengthen its circuits.
If you struggle with falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting a good night’s sleep, try some of these tips. Make these your Lenten priority this week!
- Turn off your electronic devices AT LEAST a half hour before bedtime. There are a multitude of reasons for this, but two important ones are the hormone-disrupting light emitted from your device and the brain engagement that prevents winding down.
- Lower your thermostat to a more cooling environment. Our body cools down during sleep, so help it out by sleeping in a cool room. I can attest to this. I love warmth, but really respond to a cooler sleeping temperature.
- Take a warm, relaxing bath at night. Toss some Epsom Salts in your tub, and maybe some lavender essential oil. Your bath should be warm, but not hot. You only need about 15 minutes, so “no time” shouldn’t be a viable excuse. Many of my clients – both male and female - do this regularly and have found it to be terrific!
- Prepare for sleep! Create a bedtime ritual. Your body is smart if you tell it what you want. Wind down by reading a good book (not a pad or a Kindle, but a hold-in-your-hands book), do some journaling about your day, or take a few minutes for quiet meditation. Your body will sense it’s time to shut down, and you’ll fall asleep a little easier, and perhaps stay asleep.
And to all a good night…
To Your Vitality!
