4 Things to Help you Sleep!
As a Yoga Therapist one of the most common complaints, I hear from clients is that they have trouble with sleep.
Last week I spent two days in Berkeley, CA teaching yoga to the Berkeley Police Department with O2X. Their sleep specialist, Kelly Bennion, Ph.D. Did an incredible presentation on sleep hygiene.
The most shocking thing I learned was that there is a direct correlation between sleep deprivation and chronic diseases, especially Alzheimer's and Dementia.
Any time we get less than 7 hours of sleep our risk of disease increases.
As someone who personally has a family history of both Alzheimers and Dementia this really struck me as something that, though a bit scary, empowers me to start to do what I can to mitigate my risk.
The cool thing about our bodies is that they are always regenerating and developing new cells. Even if we've slept like crap for years it's never too late to turn things around.
HERE ARE 4 THINGS THAT WILL HELP WITH SLEEP HYGIENE:
1 - LIGHT
Turn on “night mode” to give your phone a warmer glow and dim the lights in your house as the sun sets. This helps your body know to produce melatonin.
Once in bed, use an eye mask (like this one) to block out all light.
The darker the room the better.
2 - BEDTIME ROUTINE
Find one that works for you! Turn off electronics at least 30 minutes before bed. Whether It's a quick stretch or meditation or even just simply washing your face and brushing your teeth. Give your body signals that your are preparing for rest and stick to a consistent routine.
Red light glasses can be a helpful tool as you prepare for bed. If you like to watch TV or play video games at night these are a must. If you do shift work and need to sleep during the day you can use these on your way home from work to trick your brain into thinking it's sunset before you get into bed.
I love to do a meditation or iRest practice before bed. If I wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble falling back asleep I often use iRest then too.
Here's a relaxation practice I've recorded that might be helpful: https://insighttimer.com/kendallanneyoga/guided-meditations/deep-relaxation-practice
3 - SOUND
Are you a light sleeper? Using a white noise machine or earplugs can block out unnecessary noise. You'll still be able to hear sounds like an alarm or your child crying but these things take the edge off so the little sounds won't wake you.
I love my Loop earplugs because they're comfortable and flat to lay on. I also love to use them on airplanes or in loud pubic places or concerts.Here's a link to the one's I have!
4 - COMFORT
Find what helps you get as comfortable as possible. Invest in a good mattress, pillow and bedding that you love. We spent 1/3 of our lives in bed so our beds matter!
Weighted blankets can be helpful too. I haven't personally invested in one yet but this is something I would love to get soon! (Click Here for one I've been thinking about buying…)
I could geek out about this forever but these are the quickest simple things to do:
Turn down the lights, signal to your body that it's time to rest with a bedtime routine, block out unwanted sound and get cozy. These physical things are important but also mental things like a guided meditation to calm your thoughts or a quick journaling exercise to let go of any worries can be great tools too!
Good luck with your sleep and reach out to me if you want to do a yoga therapy session to assess your sleep hygiene and learn meditation or breath work techniques that help with sleep.
This week someone who struggles with insomnia took my class and was asleep within 10 minutes of me teaching iRest!! These practices really work! 🧡
