Sleep is one of those things where people often say they should have gone to bed earlier, they experience regret of poor quality or shortened sleep. That’s why developing a routine is a necessity, it can eventually become a habit and evolve into a positive lifestyle change.
Bedrooms are for sleeping and life creating. This is where unconscious magic happens. Just how important is sleep? Well, we are supposed to spend 1/3 of our lives sleeping. Unfortunately, we are no longer sleeping that long as we have begun to push boundaries by staying up later. Sleeping is nature’s mechanism used to allow us to heal.
Getting optimal sleep is essential for a healthy brain, detoxification, mood, hormone and blood sugar balance and many other biological functions. Sleep times vary with age as well as seasons. In the summer we sleep for shorter times and in the winter for longer times. Life creating is self-explanatory.
Eat a couple of hours prior to bedtime - As nighttime hormones start to rise, the last thing we want to do is digest foods that may not be stored properly. This can lead to increased blood sugar and other health concerns.
Remove all electronic devices from your bedroom - If you need your phone for the alarm, place it accross the room and turn off the wifi - EMF’s has been reported to be harmful to our health by affecting our nervous system as well as causing a vast number of negative health conditions including infertility and low sex drive. As always, we want to keep our systems in balance by removing any electrical devices in our sleeping quarters.
As the sun starts it decent, try dimming household lights - Darkness is our evolutionary cue to sleep so the body can heal, perform memory filing, and detoxify. This is especially important for our brain, as this is the only time that waste removal can occur.
Decrease household/ bedroom temperature -Lower the household temperature a few degrees cooler in the evening, this will coincide with our body temperatures decreasing naturally. If you need to be warm, place a hot water bottle by your feet or snuggle up to your partner. Then again, initial sleep may be interrupted 😉
Easing into bed is preferential - Unwinding just before bed is ideal. All media/devices should be turned off 1-2 hours before bed due to the signals our brains receive from blue light. If you must use a computer, laptop, tablet, or phone make sure to use blue-blocking glasses. Read your favourite book, chat with your partner or children, maybe take some magnesium, drink camomile tea or practice breath-work to help ease into a calming sleep. This can be especially helpful after a long and challenging day.
Make your room as dark as possible - Darkness and dark spaces increase our production of our predominant nighttime hormone, melatonin. It is one of the most powerful antioxidants produced by our bodies. Use light blocking curtains if necessary.
Sleep in the buck - Clothes can be restricting, so loosen up and get comfortable. This can also ignite passion, as skin-to-skin contact stimulates the release of oxytocin - aka the love hormone. Falling asleep happy is the best nightcap ever.
Sometimes falling asleep and/or staying asleep can be quite challenging - this may depend on our food intake, lifestyle practices and external stressors. It may be helpful to address these concerns with a Holistic Nutritionist to pinpoint the root cause and get you to experience the most remarkable healing mechanisms available for all.
Happy Sleeping 😴.
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