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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Get Better Sleep By De-Stressing Your Life

Did you know that stress level has an incredible effect on our sleeping habits? Even in the smallest amounts, it can work to keep us awake at night or lessen the amounts of rest we’re able to achieve. Even when we’re at our most tired. Not sleeping, however, then leads to even more stress, only perpetuating the process. 

But de-stressing is a process in and of itself, and almost never as easy as it sounds. 

Once they achieve it, folks can get more and deeper sleep while saving their waking hours for clearly planned out tasks. Not worrying about what and when something is slated to take place (whether or not that ever happens), or whatever other type of stress weighs heavily on one’s mind. With such incredible perks, however, folks aren’t likely to give up on de-stressing so easily. 

They look to tactics such as exercise, massages, eating healthier (or eating a comfort food), scented candles, and more. De-stressing might just be as easy as finishing off your to-do list for the day. Some have been shown to work in various degrees –sometimes in tandem with one another, and sometimes, not at all. 

The tricky part is that no two people deal with stress the same way. Meaning they aren’t able to eliminate it the same way, either. Over time, you’ll learn better as to how to remove stress from your life. And how to keep it from not letting you sleep. Only by truly relaxing – not only the body, but the mind, will you be able to better handle the day’s tasks without letting them spill into your nighttime routine. 

To work on improving your rest levels, especially when the body is most stressed, work on a tactic that lets your mind relax. It’s a proven way to drift into deeper and more restful bouts of sleep. 

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Tips for Enhancing that Wonderful Thing Called Sleep

 

A warm glass of milk before bed is always a calming means to close the end of a busy day. The soothing, warm beverage helps to ease the mind and body for rest. Even if not a milk fan, the notion of something warm before bedtime is certainly worth the effort in order to promote optimal rest. According to the national Sleep Foundation, as much as 64 percent of American adults experience sleep difficulties. That warm glass is sounding more and more appealing.

 

Judith Fertig, contributing author for Natural Awakenings Magazine mentions a concept called “sleep hygiene” in her article, Sleep Aides versus Sleep Sappers. The room temperature, amount of light in the bedroom, fluffiness of the mattress or bed pillow to what dinner consisted of all factor into the quality or lack of quality rest we will receive that night. 

 

Neuropathic physician with Seattle’s Bastyr University, Jamie Corroon suggests staying away from spicy foods, nightcaps (alcoholic beverages) and caffeine. 

 

“Caffeine’s stimulant effect peaks in about one hour and then declines as the liver breaks it down. So, if you go to bed by 11 p.m., you’ll have to stop your caffeine intake by 2 or 3 p.m. to avoid insomnia,” advises registered dietician, Joy Bauer.

 

What are recommended by physicians and neuropaths are nuts and juices, an assemblance of herbs, in tea form or supplement form, a complex carbohydrate of 200 calories or less as a bedtime snack  and of course a warm glass of milk. 

 

Janet Stone, a Registered Nurse working with patients receiving colonoscopy/endoscopy care agrees that a warm, milky beverage is certainly a great sleep aide for the patients she cares for. “We always ensure our patients are calm and relaxed prior to any scheduled procedure. The warm liquid resonates with sleep as most patients drank milk as infants before bed, so that fond memory is reintroduced.”

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