Do you have trouble falling asleep sometimes? Do you wish you get better quality sleep consistently?
For overall health, wellness, and functional ability, sleep is essential. As you know, good quality sleep is important for our beauty (or handsomeness), as well as helps us focus and perform better next day and keeps us in a better mood.
In summer time with longer daylight, we tend to go to bed later but still have to get up at the same time to go to work, resulting in less sleeping period.
Regardless of the season, it’s nice to know that when our mind and body can be relaxed, we sleep better.
Tips for Better Sleep
- Regulate your sleep schedule. Sleeping when it’s dark outside is a smart idea.
- Deep breathing with your eyes closed for 1-2 minutes helps. Just focus on your breath, try not to think about anything. Inhale deeply starting from your tummy all the way through the chest, hold for 1-3 seconds, and then breath out slowly through your mouth (or nose) all the way.
- Avoid caffeine, especially after noon and on.
- Eat dinner about 3-4 hours before you go to bed and also avoid heavy meals at dinner time. If you eat heavy meals late at night, the body will spend its energy to digest foods while you sleep. This results in less quality in both sleep and rejuvenation of cells.
- Apply Lavender essential oil (high quality therapeutic essential oil like Young Living’s) on the bottom of your feet, chest, behind your neck, and/or your hair. Lavender has been clinically evaluated for its relaxing effects. Its fragrance is calming, relaxing and balancing – physically and emotionally. You may inhale lavender oil as well.
- Magnesium, which is good for our muscles and nerve function, can help us relax and fall asleep faster. Liquid form of magnesium is easier to absorb in the body. Try it when you just cannot fall asleep. Magnesium also helps when you have restless leg syndrome.
- If worrying and anticipation prevents you from a good night sleep, then write these down on a paper. You may use an Emotional Freedom Technique (a.k.a. tapping) to relax and take your anxiety away.
- Don’t look at the clock during the sleep period, since worrying about how late it is, how much time is left before you have to get up in the morning, or how long you have been trying to fall asleep can only contribute to anxiety.
- Do not spend too much time in bed trying to fall asleep; If you cannot fall asleep in a comfortable period of time, get out of the bedroom, engage in some quiet, relaxing activity (such as swinging your body slowly, from side to side, with your eyes closed) until you feel sleepy.
- Do silent affirmation repetitively to yourself with your eyes closed. You can use an affirmative statement such as “I am relaxed and falling asleep deeply.” Breathe in and out deeply while you are repeating this affirmation.
Happy sleep!
Mimi Shekoski, PhD, Natural Health & Holistic Nutrition Doctor | Natural Vision Teacher
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