Your ultimate sleep routine
The biggest reason why we, as a society, are sleep deprived is because of stress. We go to bed carrying all the stress of our days and expect our bodies and mind to switch off.
Well, it cannot happen that easily. I, myself spent years struggling to fall asleep and never really waking up feeling I had enough sleep. Then I understood that the way I was spending my days would impact my sleep so I had to infuse daily habits to protect my sleep. Diving into the mind-body connection, I have now developed a strong sleep routine which helps me every day to go to bed and fall asleep in less than 3 minutes (I am not joking!).
Here are four tools accessible to anyone with a body, a mind, and willing to reclaim their sleep. It’s not about using all of them but finding the ones that work for you and infusing them slowly into your life so it becomes effortless and automatic.
DURING THE DAY
Get enough light
We are the indoor generation and this is messing up with our circadian rhythm. When we are exposed to enough light, the body naturally wants to rest. And note that daytime light is enough, it does not mean it has to be sunny (important disclaimer when you live in London like me !)
IN THE EVENING
Gentle stretches
Our bodies were not made for stillness yet we live very sedentary lives and do not move as much as we should, which creates tension. Stretching helps us to alleviate that tension and also by stretching the fascia we can release blocked emotions so it’s a full mind-body workout/work “in”.
JUST BEFORE BEDTIME
Viparita Karani
My favourite discovery of the past 10 years has probably been this one. Viparita Karani also known as “leg up the wall”. This position has done magic to my sleep and helps so many clients to. There is a myriad of benefits to this posture including stretching the backs of the legs, torso and neck, relieving lower back pain, improving digestion, alleviating headache. Soothing menstrual cramps, helping with anxiety and depression.
WHEN GOING TO BED
Gratitude
Lying in your bed, closing your eye, thinking of 3 things you are grateful for today, Be very specific. Our brain is wired with a negative bias and going into the habit of bringing positive things to the surface will make you more inclined to cultivate an abundance mindset rather than a scarcity one. And you probably also heard that we attract what you are so we need tools to cultivate a positive mindset and attract more of this good energy into our lives.
Remember that sleep is the bedrock of everything you do and prioritizing it will only make everything else so much easier.