Do You Want The Best Night’s Sleep?
Read on, as I’ve stumbled upon the holy grail of blissful sleep. This one will not cost you anything and there’s very little effort involved.
Our modern lifestyles have cost most of us one precious thing- our sleep. Till a few years ago I could lay my head on the pillow and fall asleep in 2–3 minutes. No problem. And I would awake only when I had to get up, refreshed and fairly awake.
But recently I find that I am wired up, not particularly anxious but unable to do what was previously so automatic. I tried having chamomile tea around thirty minutes prior, and that helped to some extent. I tried some valerian( a herbal root that is known to help with anxiety and insomnia)tablets, those helped too and gave me deep sleep( almost knocked out) but I didn’t want to create a dependency. And so the search continued.
I’m sure we have all read about the effect of electronic devices on the quality of our sleep. I must admit I am guilty of looking at my phone almost half an hour before bed. The new rule is to shut off all electronic devices at least 1.5 hours before bed.
Does that include TV? I tried arguing this one with my husband but apparently, even older LCD TVs ( the one that we have) have a blue light. The newer LED ones are really high in them. This habit is definitely worth following as it’s like priming yourself to sleep. It allows for melatonin to be released instead of suppressing it.
“I want to sleep but my brain won’t stop talking to itself.” — Anonymous
So what is this genius trick that I came across?
Unsurprisingly, it’s a practice that’s been around for many centuries. It’s called “Yoga Nidra” which means yogic sleep. It’s a deep relaxation technique bordering on meditating whilst lying down. The one that I use is by Lizzy Hill on YouTube. It’s called Yoga Nidra 20 Minute Guided Meditation.
I just play it on my iPad mini whilst lying down in bed with the lights off. I must admit it’s a little hard at first to keep your mind focused on her voice. But she guides you through it and at around the 18-minute mark I feel quite drowsy and usually turn it off then. The deep level of relaxation allows your body to heal and restore balance to itself. Conscious breathing allows your mind to calm itself down and shut off all the mindless chatter.
The sleep that follows is deep and restful. I get up only when I have to, feeling thoroughly refreshed and calm. On the nights that I don’t follow this practice, I find that I am awake in 2 hours’ time.
The affirmations that you repeat are part of awakening the subconscious mind. It is a very powerful practice and hence the feeling of calm and peace the following morning.
Isn’t it strange that the solutions to our burning problems can sometimes be fairly simple and inexpensive?
Much is written these days on the power of quality sleep on our health and immune system. Many are chronically sleep-deprived. It doesn’t have to be that way. Try it and see if it makes a difference. There are many video’s on YouTube so you can find one that soothes you to sleep.
Here’s to your sleep, health, and wellness.
