Not sleeping well is a detriment to healthy living and healing. Now that you have considered the concept of sleep hygiene from Part 1 of this 2-Part series, consider the following list of habits to develop in order to improve your quality of sleep, allowing you body to heal, recover, and reenergize:
Exercise daily - but not too close too bedtime. It varies, but exercising too late at night can disrupt sleep, if performed 1-2 hours before trying to sleep.
Limit screen use (TV and social media) before bed - Neither allows you to focus and declutter your mind nor control the imagery and messages you let in. Being on the screen is also often about productivity and on social media easily brings us to envy and comparison, both of which do not promote rest. The blue light from the screen is not good for you. You can have your phone dim and switch to orange or black/white light later in the evening to assist you in this regard.
Prepare things for the next day ahead of time, so that your mind does not need to focus on them - e.g. set a reminder in your calendar so you remember to email that person and don't have to worry about keeping it in your mind. As you do this, move more slowly, so your body gets the cue to slow down.
Meditate or contemplate 10-20 minutes - in contemplation you have an affirming mantra/phrase that you keep repeating bringing your mind towards as it wanders.
Limit talking - decreasing your motor output will help you slow down and unwind both physically and mentally.
Read with low light:
Something engaging, but not upsetting
Consider something about positive human potential
Try not to read something so light that your mind doesn't have to focus
Stop being productive - don't work or study right up until sleeping, instead create a buffer zone.
Practice being in the present moment - pay attention to your body, your breath, enjoy physical being with your family/partner/roommate. This is a perfect time for cuddles and getting cozy with pillows and blankets!
Breathe - work on slow breaths from your abdomen to ensure your diaphragm is properly facilitating your breathing and thus promoting the parasympathetic system to be active (which is your "rest and digest" system).
Turn lights low as you prepare for sleep and then fully dark to optimize deeper sleep states
Rest in bed before attempting to sleep
Sleep in a cool room. Too much heat can be disruptive to sleep.
Create quiet environment: Use ear plugs or head phones to limit outside distractions & silence your phone
Listen to calming, quiet music; podcasts, talks, or books that are quiet as well as affirming and positive about the human potential. Use a timer to have this turn off after 15, 30, 45, or 60 minutes, depending how long it typically takes you to drift into a dream state. I bookmark my starting point in books so that I can easily come back to where I started from - some days it takes a whole 30 minutes for me to fall asleep, sometimes I am no longer listening within 5 minutes!
Journal to process thoughts and concerns from the day to limit them from looping in your mind
Do you have other things you practice and find helpful? Comment below.
Oh! FYI - You shouldn't have pain with waking up from sleep. This may indicate you need help from a physical therapist, but it may also mean that you need to sleep with different pillows or mattress to obtain more healthy and restful sleep.
Happy sleeping!
Elle