The Guide to Better Sleep
I don't think there is anyone who hasn't, at some point, hoped to sleep a little deeper or get to sleep a little faster. Enough research has been shared on the importance of getting proper sleep. Good sleep has been associated with better moods, better skin — simply put, better health.
I'm always looking for ways to optimize my rest experience. It's my time to go offline and exist in a space between life and death, to see weird things in my mind's eye, and enjoy the pleasures of the coziest of blankets. In my few years on this planet, I’ve acquired some strategies that make less sleep less elusive. Below I will share with you some of these methods that can lead you to greater rest tonight.
Get to Sleep by 10pm
In Ayurveda, it is believed that the hours of 10pm-2am and 10am-2pm are Pitta time, a time during which we are granted higher levels of energy. 10am-2pm is a good time to work on projects and cross tasks off of your to-do list, and 10pm-2am is your body’s prime time to cleanse itself. If you’re awake at this second Pitta time, from 10pm-2am, you aren’t giving your body its time to regenerate. My Ayurveda teacher compared it to a janitor working inside of your body: he’s waiting for the building to close to do his job, and if it’s open and running, he can’t show up and do the deep clean. If the janitor is unable to come into work multiple days in a row, you may find the dust and debris of life accumulating in your organs.
But Pitta time can be deceiving — if you stay awake, you may get that “second wind,” and feel increased energy to open too many tabs in your internet browser, finish the book you’re obsessing over, or eat that beloved midnight snack. I try to wind down by 9pm so that by 10pm, I’m ready to go. I start with this point so you can consider employing some of the following techniques around 9pm, so you’re ready to go before the janitor is scheduled to clock in.
Warm Milk
Using the milk of your choice, warm your milk (ideally on the stove, but a microwave for the lazier of us). Put a teaspoon of ghee in after it has been heated and stir. Sometimes I put a pinch of ground cardamom, nutmeg, clove, and/or cinnamon in to give it an even more pleasing, grounding taste. Warm milk is soothing, and contains L-tryptophan which is an amino acid that serves as a helpful sleep aid.
This tea can give you more vivid or even lucid dreams. It is also a mild sedative, and can help you get to bed more easily. Whenever I drink some of this, I have dreams that feel more real, even if they are incredibly bizarre, like when I dreamt I was a baby in an incubator and two of my favorite English professors from undergrad were the doctors checking in on me.
The left nostril corresponds to the Ida nadi, the more feminine, calm, receptive, and cooling major energy channel in your subtle body. Breathing only through your left nostril can help calm you in a stressful situation, help you fall asleep, and even help lessen the pain of a migraine. Do ten of these breaths, slowly, gently, and completely – filling your entire diaphragm with air, and exhaling until you are emptied. You might be shocked at how effective this simple act is.
If you found your way to this blog, it’s probably no secret to you that lavender is good for sleep. Sometimes when I do left nostril breathing, I hold my lavender essential oil up to my nostril so I can inhale it deeply. You can always use an aroma diffuser if you want your space to be bathed in the scent. Having this essential oil is good to have on hand during the day, too, in case you feel any stress, you can always take a few deep breaths while holding the bottle below your nostrils.
Give yourself a full body massage. One of my favorite aspects of having a partner is to demand a massage several times per week. But when I'm not so blessed to have another human to do it, a foam roller grants me a similar sensation. Roll your back (avoid the lower back unless using a tennis ball or you could injure yourself), your legs (front and back), your hips, and your glutes. I find that when I remove this tension from my muscles, I feel much more ease in my body, which allows me to sink even further into my foam mattress.
If you really want to feel the stress of the day be obliterated, use this mat. It looks a bit like a torture device, and if you try to steel your body against it, it will indeed feel like one. The key is to relax and let the plastic needles do their job, which is to release tension from your muscles and lessen anxiety. Even just lying on this mat for 5 minutes will make a difference. There is the you before the mat, and the you after. Sometimes I feel so calmed by this mat that I don't feel the need for the rest of my bedtime routine.
Unrefined Sesame Oil Foot Massage
Sesame oil is a useful oil for grounding, so it's a great choice for a foot massage prior to bed to quiet any thoughts still lingering in your mind. Squeeze some of the oil into your hand, and rub it between your hands to warm it up (if you feel like adding a step, you can always heat it up properly.) Intuitively massage your feet with the oil in any way that feels g o o d — you really can’t go wrong here — and put on a pair of cozy socks to keep your sheets from getting oily. I bought a few pairs of socks just for this purpose so I don't mind them get ruined by the oil. Get into bed, put your head on your pillow, and say goodbye.
These are some of the methods I use to prepare myself for bed and I hope you can find something useful in there. Is there anything you do to get good rest that you'd like to share? Have you tried any of these? What was your experience?
