Good news! Daylight Savings Time brings us an extra hour of sleep this Sunday! This unheard gift of time comes around just once a year. And this year in particular with the stress of the fires, it is worth asking - What do I want to do with this opportunity coming my way? If you are like most people I know, you will dream about relaxing, letting go of that sense of time speeding forward, maybe even sleeping???
If I only had more time...sometimes known as, If I could only get a good nights sleep I would get so much more accomplished in my day. I might even be less irritable, not to mention release from that strange sense of foggy memory.
Many, many, many people talk to me about this. “What does it take to get a good nights sleep? I've tried everything!” There is even a scientific name for addressing this dilemma, “sleep hygiene” - so clinical. I myself prefer the cozy, soft image of a warm embrace - embracing yourself just the way you are, just the way every inch of your body feels, as you drop down to a deep slumber. This may take some acceptance, (more about this to follow….)
I know this may seem much easier said than done on certain restless nights. Full disclosure- I have trouble getting to sleep many nights and sometimes wake in the middle of the night, both from the inflammation and joint pain that is now a fact of life for me. This is what I have learned;
Earlier bed timecan take the time crunch off and help relax the mind
Try a warm bath if you run cold, lavender oil of essence helps relax your muscles
Open your bedroom windows if you run hot(city dwellers you can air out, cool off your bedroom just before shutting the urban noise out for the night)
simple breathing meditationwhile lying in bed, or sitting meditation just before bed
Slow luxurious stretchingto work out the days accumulated tension
Dark, as in very. Black out curtains or blinds are really helpful.
Cotton sheets, very soft, helps to find the "embrace" state of mind mentioned above. And loose cottonnight clothes that breath like you do
Blue Light blocking glassesif you insist on reading your iPad/phone in bed – guilty !
An early dinnerhelps, if you get hungry try a small night time banana snack (full of potassium)
Still not sleeping after 30 minutes? Get up and read - though not on your tablet or computer, have a good bookor magazine ready at hand, remember those?
Permission toset the days’ anxiety aside, even the anxiety of not being able to fix or control this!
Methodically explorethe various homeopathic and CBD options at your health food store.Whether if it’s for hormonal change, chronic pain, anxiety – there is something for everyone !
And last if you have a medical issue or think that poor sleep is effecting your health (it is). Please have an open minded talk with your doctor. Science is learning more all of the time about how a deep sleep is your key to rejuvenating muscles and tissue, strengthening your immune system, even doing nightly maintenance to keep your brain healthy. These all are very important! Not only for your future health but also so you can be your most vibrant, fully present self starting tomorrow. Talk to your doctor - did I already say this???
My physical therapist, the gifted Sarah Potoczny, believes if your body is not well rested it will not be able to hold the physical corrections, or accommodate her ergonomic suggestions. The more effective questions might be “Where can I make room in my busy schedule to care for myself?” “Is my diet effecting also the quality of my sleep?” “If my body confessed, where would it want my full attention?”
So Daylight Savings Time is here. The seasons are changing and that good nights sleep you've been craving is a real possibility. If you would like to explore further and really get to the bottom of the mystery, or perhaps the impact an anxious, sleepless night is having on your life, Let’s talk !
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” ~ Mary Oliver