Friday, March 6, 2015

How to Benefit From a “Sleep Ritual”

Sleep is an everyday norm. It’s something we need to rest and regain energy for the following day. And it’s something that, after a hard or long day, we crave. But aside from necessity – or rather an inevitability – there can be much more to it. Sleep, as a practice, can be good or bad. It can be deep or restless. The more we focus on those facts, and what affects them, the better we can create sleep success. Or as one writer puts it, a “sleep ritual.”

A sleep ritual is the routine that you follow before bed. The time you usually lay down, habits you develop when getting under the covers, and so on. It’s also what mentally and physically prepares you for sleep every day, no matter what took place earlier. While they might vary (slightly), each night, over time, your body understands what’s taking place, and it helps ready itself for sleep. Without a relaxing ritual, however, you could be greatly reducing your chance at sleep. Especially restful versions of it. 

By disengaging from work, or any other stressful event from the day, the inventor of “sleep rituals” agrees that sleep will come more naturally. Failing to do so, in contrast, will make it more difficult to relax, and therefore, obtain actual rest. If that’s difficult to do at first, however, use it as a goal to work toward. The smaller and gentler each step, the easier it is to master the art of your sleeping routine. And because everyone is different, a ritual will be personalized; no two people will have the exact same go-to-sleep list. 


To learn more about the art of a sleep ritual, or what you can do in order to get yours started, check out the original article here

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