All of us at one time or another have had trouble getting a
good night’s sleep. There are times,
e.g., the loss of a loved one, going through a divorce, losing your job, when
insomnia simply can’t be avoided.
Life’s serious crises require that we give them time to heal,
and we must try not to fall apart in the process. Some of the solutions below will help cure insomnia,
but they will not heal grief.
If you are continually staying awake over trivial matters,
however, these solutions will help you
get a good night’s rest. Remember, not
every solution will work for everyone, so try the easiest ideas and make them
fit into your lifestyle.
Do you have one or more problems on your mind that are
troubling you at bedtime? If so, write
it down and leave it on the kitchen table where you sit in the morning. This is a form of compartmentalization, where
your subconscious mind works on a solution, and you and your conscious mind get
some needed rest.
You will be surprised what happens the following
morning. The problem is much less
important, or your subconscious found the solution. This technique is so powerful that many
successful people use it, even when they don’t really have a problem. This keeps you organized on a daily basis,
and you will get more accomplished in life.
That leads into the next idea, which is establishing a daily
routine. Your body has a natural cycle,
and most of us ignore it. Modern humans
are more out of tune with their bodies than ever, so we have to get back to
basics and design a schedule for all tasks, including sleep.
You should exercise every day, but your exercise routine
should end two hours before bedtime, at the latest. This allows your body and mind “cool down”
time. If you can exercise earlier in the
day, feel free to do so.
Exercise will give you extra energy during the day, and help
you get a good night’s sleep, when you need it.
If you don’t exercise, don’t feel alone, but do take action. Gentle Yoga postures are a great way to
start.
If you find the right yoga teacher, you will learn
controlled breathing (pranayama), stage-by-stage relaxation, and
meditation. Each is a powerful technique
for winding down before bedtime. You
always practice controlled breathing with either, stage-by-stage relaxation, or
meditation. Some people practice stage-by-stage relaxation in bed and fall
asleep in the process. This is not a bad
thing, if your ultimate goal is to fall asleep.
Now let’s look at a few other ideas, such as alcohol and
hidden caffeine. Alcohol has a way of
getting you to sleep, but sleep is often interrupted during the night. One suggestion, if you are going to drink: have
one small drink; preferably wine, with your evening meal.
Caffeine is in coffee, many teas, many sodas, and a variety
of other drinks. Drink water later in
the day and give your body a rest from caffeine.
Here are a few actions to take before bedtime: Eat very light, read a book about something
peaceful, and take a shower or a bath.
You don’t have to do everything, but one of the above-mentioned ideas
will work for you.
Sweet dreams.
YOGABODY
NATURALS
