Sleep, being one of the three main pillars of health, is no small matter. My cats have no problem sleeping, but sometimes I do.
So join me in working on this issue with good sleep habits.
I get up at the same time every morning, unless I have a special adventure for the day that requires an earlier time. Bodies like routine. Hormones like routine.
Preparing for sleep starts earlier then you might think. I like to exercise 8 hours before I go to bed. The dose of sunlight I get with my daily walk gives my body a cue for when sleep should come, a good dose of light 8 hours before lights out. That means my daily walk is best at about 2 pm. It's another routine that can be change, but another routine my body likes.
When it is close to being bedtime, I begin to slow down and quiet my mind. The brighter lights are turned off. This signals my body to think about bedtime. I want my body to produce melatonin at the right time.
Melatonin is the hormone we produce that signals the brain to turn off the histamines needed for alertness. Then our GABA hormone, our sleep hormone, can take over.
Melatonin has the effect of cooling our bodies. That means that cooling our bodies before bed can also signal melatonin to do its job. A shower before bed is my favorite way to cool down and washes away tension. If I had a bigger work out than usual, a bath with epsom salts is my choice.
Epsom salts contain magnesium sulfate. Magnesium can also be taken as a supplement just before bed. It relaxes muscles so is also helpful for sleep.
Epsom salts may contain an essential oil that is relaxing as well. The best known one is lavender, but if you investigate essential oils and their uses, there are other scents that promote sleep, like jasmine and geranium. There are others if those don't appeal to you. I give a more detailed list in my book, Blissfully Single.
Melatonin has one weakness; it is sensitive to light. The darker you can make your room the better. Some people use a sleep mask.
I am one of those people that have to get up in the middle of the night to pee, so I have a little night light in the bathroom so I don't turn on any other lights. Safety is important and being half awake I suppose a person could head the wrong direction and bump into things or fall down the stairs.
A cooler room is also better for sleep, so I often have my window open for fresh air and coolness.
To quiet my mind, I like a good book to take me into a different world where i can stay briefly and stop thinking about what I'm doing tomorrow. A real book is best because the devices that e-books are downloaded onto usually put out a blue light that is not helpful for sleep.
I also have a pen and paper near my bed so if there is something I think of that I don't want to forget, I can get it out of my mind and onto the paper.
These are all researched based alternative remedies for sleep, my first choice rather than a sleeping pill.
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