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Without sleep, you are not at your best. You might struggle to recall words and complete routine tasks after a restless night. With chronic sleep deprivation, the effects can be dangerous.
When you're sleep-deprived, your cognition slows down. It's harder to focus, remember details, and find motivation. Meanwhile, it's easier to get into accidents due to reduced response rates. Chronic sleep issues can even lead to physical and psychological ailments, including depression and anxiety.
The Cleveland Clinic states that the amount of sleep adults need is variable, but it is a good rule to get 7-9 hours every night. Meanwhile, according to the NIH, 50 to 70 million Americans have sleep disorders.
An inability to fall asleep at bedtime is often caused by stressors that feed a feeling of restlessness or cycling thoughts about past or future events. Some find relief in herbal remedies such as melatonin and valerian root, but they do not work for everyone and may cause mild side effects.
"Sleep is the best meditation." - Dalai Lama
The good news is that sleep can be medicinal when it is restorative. In rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, we give our body an opportunity to reset after dealing with everyday stressors. We strengthen our immunity, allow our body to repair cells, and support injury repair. We also give our busy brains a chance to process information.
So how do we eliminate restless nights and find deep, restorative sleep?
Mindfulness Can Help
Mindfulness, which means a state of mind that is present and compassionate, can aid not only sleep but also sleep quality by releasing the grip of this stress. According to multiple research studies, practicing mindfulness improves sleep quality in adults and reduces impairments caused by lack of sleep.
So instead of fearing all that could happen when lacking sleep, let's look forward to feeling our best after getting a good night's sleep.
When establishing deeper and more sustained sleep, you have to find a realistic routine to set yourself up for success into stick with it. And the more you practice mindfulness, the more it becomes a part of your life.
Starting Your Mindful Sleep Routine
A mindful sleep routine is a ritual that will help unwind at the end of the day. The foundation of creating the right routine for you means a clear assessment of your lifestyle and environment. Let's face it: if you live in a house with 20 people, your mindfulness bedtime routine will not look the same as someone living alone.
Transitioning from a busy day full of to-do lists, worries, or work routines into calming nighttime rituals means carving out space and time with intention. The first step is an honest assessment of your current bedtime routine.
Set Yourself Up for Success
How much time do you have to unwind at the end of the day? It could be five minutes just before you drift off, 20 minutes after dinner, an hour, or more. Once you know how much time you are working with, you can set realistic goals.
For me, nighttime yoga or qigong practices followed by guided sleep meditation = the ultimate routine, but I do not always have time for that. So a few gentle movements or yogic breathing with focused attention allows me to bring myself into a mindful state.
If you are feeling less inclined to a physical or breathing practice at the end of the day, winding down with mindful journaling might be the perfect solution. It's also important that you experiment to determine what practices you are most receptive to.
Adapt Your Environment
Sleep is always enhanced when you are able to unplug from the day. This can be metaphorical and also literal. A digital detox each evening, meaning turning off your phone or keeping it in another room, can do wonders for helping you to get in a more relaxed frame of mind.
If you do have your phone on, put it on DND and cue up soothing music or meditations that will support calm, rather than notifications that might keep you up at night.
The importance of a serene and clutter-free sleep environment can help you with your mindful sleep habits as well. Blackout curtains or a mask can help block light that might keep you awake, and an optimized temperature in your home can do wonders. Herbal essences, such as lavender work for many people as well.
Maintaining Your Mindful Sleep Routine
To summarize all that is offered here, mindfulness is supported by many potential routines and rituals, including:
- Shutting down electronic devices or placing them on DND
- Getting the temperature in you bedroom optimized
- Ensuring your bedroom or sleep area is dark
- Taking a few mindful breaths to settle the mind
- Writing in your journal to release worries from the day and set an intention for calm
- Practicing guided sleep meditations
As you begin a new sleep routine, set yourself up for success. Track what works, and rather than trying to take all the advice at once, experiment with one thing at a time.
The more mindfully you approach your night-time routine, with compassion and presence, the easier it will be to make peace with sleep and wake up feeling more restored.
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