Every so often, my sleep starts to get disturbed because I have gone into overdrive in an insane attempt to get everything done so that "I can relax". Why I feel the need to do a massive 'spring clean' of the garage, the attic, the shed, and the 'bits-and-bobs-drawer' as well as everything else, before I can warrant any downtime is beyond me. But it seems to be de rigueur that everything must be perfect order first.
With this in mind, I recorded a "Yoga Nidra for sleep". I am not going to claim that it will send you to sleep, but my hope is that it might help set you up to sleep. It is 'open ended', meaning that I don't guide you back into wakefulness at the end. I just stop talking and hope that the Zs have taken over. You can download it for free.
While we are on the subject of sleep; I thought it might be useful to share a few 'Sleep hygiene tips'. One thing I will say is that sleeping well, isn't always about just sleeping well. It's not just about lavender sprays and dim lights. Our bodies need to earn the rest. We need to expend the energy during the day. The flip side of sleep is wakefulness, and what we do during our wakeful hours is just as important.
Perhaps consider balancing out that Yoga Nidra for sleep with some movement during the day. That might be an invigorating yoga practice in the morning to expend some energy, or a walk/run outside or whatever form of exercise works for you. As with everything it is all about balance. (And yoga ;)
Sleep Hygiene
Stick to a sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. Sleeping later on weekends will not fully make up for a lack of sleep during the week and will make it harder to wake up early on Monday morning. The internal mechanisms involving adenosine and your circadian clock are always operating, so you need to provide them consistent, powerful anchors. This helps regulate the timing of cortisol, and melatonin, as well as everything that cascades down from them, including your metabolism, ability to learn, sense of alertness, dopamine and serotonin.
Exercise is great, but not too late in the day. Try to exercise at least 30 minutes on most days, but no later than two or three hours before your bedtime. Consider what type of workout you do. Perhaps an invigorating session in the morning and a more calming stretchy session in the evening.
Avoid caffeine and nicotine before bed. Coffee, cola, tea and chocolate contain caffeine and its effects can take as long as eight hours to wear off fully. A cup late in the afternoon can make it hard for you to fall asleep at night. Nicotine is also a stimulant. Often smokers only sleep lightly and wake up too early in the morning because of nicotine withdrawal.
Avoid alcoholic drinks before bed. Having a nightcap may help you relax but it robs you of deep sleep and REM sleep, keeping you in the lighter stages of sleep. Heavy alcohol may also contribute to breathing impairment at night, and you also tend to wake up in the middle of the night when the alcohol effects have of worn off.
Avoid large meals and beverages late at night. A snack is okay, but a large meal can cause indigestion which interferes with sleep. Too many fluids make you go to the loo.
Consider whether any medicines may be disrupting your sleep. Some commonly prescribed heart blood pressure or asthma medications as well as over the counter and herbal remedies for coughs, colds or allergies can disrupt sleep patterns. If you're having trouble sleeping, consider whether the timing of your medication could be contributing. Obviously, read the leaflet and speak to a doctor before changing anything.
Don't take naps after 3:00pm. Naps can make up for lost sleep, but late afternoon naps can make it hard for you to fall asleep at night you're reducing your ‘sleep pressure’. (Sleep pressure builds up throughout the day so by the time evening comes you are ready for bed).
Relax before bed. Don't over schedule your day so that no time is left for unwinding. Relaxing activities such as reading, listening to music or similar activities should be a part of your bedtime ritual.
Take a hot bath before bed. Temperature plays an important role in our waking and sleeping states. The drop in body temperature after getting out of the bath may help you feel sleepy and the bath can help you relax and slow down, so you're more ready to sleep.
Have a good sleeping environment. Get rid of anything that might distract you from sleeping, such as noises (snoring partners?), bright lights, an uncomfortable bed, or warm temperatures. Also, turn the clock so you don't watch it if you can't sleep at night. Obviously, it's better not to have a TV or cell phone or computer in the bedroom to distract you and stimulate you.
Have the right sunlight exposure. Daylight is key to regulating sleep patterns try to get outside in natural sunlight for at least 10-30 minutes each day, 30 mins of waking up. Keep your circadian rhythm happy by also having some sunlight exposure in the afternoon. Turn your lights lower around bedtime, avoid bright lights between 10pm - 4am
Don't lie in bed awake. If you find yourself still awake after staying in bed for more than 30 minutes, or you're starting to feel anxious or worried. Get up and do some relaxing activity until you feel sleepy. The anxiety of not being able to sleep can make it harder to fall asleep.
Learn to de-stress. Try different things that can help you: consider breathing protocols, hypnosis, yoga Nidra, morning pages, journalling, Restorative yoga....
See a health professional if you continue to have trouble sleeping. Sleep problems are not always solved by better habits alone, and persistent insomnia can be treated - cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I, is one of the recommended approaches.
It is also worth seeking advice if you or someone else notices loud snoring, gasping, choking or pauses in your breathing while you sleep, or if you are persistently exhausted during the day. These can be signs of sleep apnoea, a condition in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, and treatment is available.
A version of this was sent in my newsletter- subscribe here
