Did you know a lack of sleep can play a major role in managing stress, tension, pain, and most importantly, healing? Some people may need less, but most people require 7-8 hours a night to sleep to adequately rest and recharge their minds and bodies.
Here are some tips to help you get a good night's sleep:
- Exercise daily. Even a 10 minute brisk walk is better than nothing.
- Practice going to bed and getting up at the same time everyday
- Set bedroom temperature between 60-70 degrees when sleeping
- Keep a note pad next to your bed to write down thoughts that may be racing through your mind
- Try a silk sleep mask or black out curtains to shut out all ambient light
- Take a warm bath before bed
- Stop eating and drinking 2 hours before bedtime and no caffeine after 2pm
- Practice a relaxing ritual like meditation/prayer
- Listen to white noise/ music like rain or ocean waves
- Listen to progressive relaxation/meditation audio on youtube
- Try an essential oil diffuser with lavender (but avoid certain essential oils if you have cats)
- Read a few pages from a book
- Remove electronics like TV’s and computers from your room
- And my favorite:
- Practice breathing: Inhale 4 seconds, hold in 4 seconds, exhale 8 seconds