Happy Wellness Wednesday, friends! I have always been in love with sleeping. I honestly can’t imagine anything more enjoyable than curling up in my big bed, wrapping myself in the coziest blanket, and drifting off into the peaceful night. The thing is, however, it takes me forever to get there, and counting sheep just doesn’t work. I’ve tried taking medicine, but hate how drowsy I feel when I wake up. I’ve tried drinking chamomile tea and coloring in my stress-reducing coloring books, but can’t seem to keep that up (which might be another problem in and of itself). It wasn’t until recently that I made three intentional changes that did the trick and granted me the most peaceful night’s sleep I’ve had in a while.
Yoga for Bedtime. Roll out your mat and hit the floor. This seven minute yoga video is perfectly designed to calm you down and relieve the stress and tension that’s accumulated throughout the day. If you’re into yoga videos, definitely check out Adriene’s other ones.
Stop, Breathe, & Think. This is an app I’ve referenced in a previous post on breathing techniques and mindfulness, but you can also use it to check in with yourself before bed. There’s a section of the app called “how are you?” and once you click begin, it has you close your eyes, take a deep breath, and think about how your mind and body feel for ten seconds. You’ll go through the process by selecting from a list of adjectives that describe how you’re feeling mentally and physically and then you’ll go into more detail.
Calm. The final step in this sleep process is using an app called Calm. If you click the scene icon in the right-hand corner of the screen, there are tons of sounds from which you can choose, but my favorites are thunderstorm, rain on the leaves, and pouring rain. Can you sense a pattern? I usually have the deepest and most relaxing sleep when it’s raining outside, so I typically go for those sounds. Once I’ve established the perfect setting, I turn the volume down low, turn my Do Not Disturb option on (thanks, Apple), and hit the hay!
*Granted, this is a lot of screen time, but one way to mitigate this is by placing your phone where you can’t easily reach it directly after you complete those steps.
What do you do to have a restful sleep? Comment below!
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