It may seem like a paradox, but the best way to approach
relaxation and quality sleep is to be proactive about winding down at night.
Lying on the couch and staring at the TV is for those who want to toss and
turn. Real relaxation takes planning, and a wind-down routine is an essential
part of that.
If you don’t already incorporate 30 minutes to an hour each
night for decompressing and relaxation before sleep, you may be missing out on
some much-needed, deep, restorative sleep that can decrease your risk of disease and improve cognitive function.
With a wind-down routine, you can reap these positive
results and more - with a simple practice that is natural and free. It’s worth
it for your mental and physical well-being to add a sleep-conducive wind-down
routine to your evenings, staring with these 5 essentials.
Set the Tone with
Lighting
At least an hour before bedtime, dim the lights in your
home. This will calm your brain and trigger relaxation. To take your commitment
to relaxation even further before bed, the Neurosurgery Center of Colorado recommends dimming the lights at dusk.
Although we have the ability through technology to block out
night altogether, this is not how we were wired to operate. A slow decrease in
light at dusk helps your brain prepare for sleep with the secretion of melatonin. The same effect is not achieved when you suddenly go from
bright light to total darkness.
Utilize Aromatherapy
and White Noise
One excellent way to foster a relaxing environment during
wind-down time and through the wee hours of the night is to keep an essential
oil diffuser running with a relaxing oil, such as lavendar or sweet orange.
Another way to keep yourself from waking during the night is
to provide some type of white
noise while you sleep.
White noise, such as from a ceiling fan or nature sound machine, will help mask
sleep-stealing noises.
Add a Dose of Mindfulness
and Meditation
A consistently practiced wind-down routine is your panacea
for quality sleep, but only if you add a little dose of mindfulness and meditation
This part of your quiet time only needs to fill about 10
minutes, but can be as long as you want and can be done wherever you feel the
most comfortable, but avoid the bedroom until it’s lights out!
Related article: Yoga and meditation
Take Inventory
A common element in addiction recovery programs is to take a
brief daily
inventory
of situations and events that occurred during your day and how you responded to
them, but this is a great practice for anyone looking to grow in
self-awareness.
If a situation didn’t go as well as it could have or an
ongoing issue wasn’t addressed, think of ways that similar situations can be
avoided in the future. However, don’t focus solely on what didn’t go as
planned. Remember to pat yourself on the back during your daily inventory for
the things that went well, equipped with your newly found well-rested,
self-aware approach to life.
Fall Asleep Focusing
on Your Breath
For many people, trying to fall asleep can involve tossing
and turning, as well as a mind that won’t seem to stop running at full speed.
As you evolve in your wind-down practice, your ability to fall asleep will
improve, as well as the quality of your sleep.
However, a great way to keep your mind calm once you’ve
turned out the lights is to focus on your breath as you drift into la-la land.
This gives your mind a distraction to keep it from wandering into the past or
future.
Related article: Sleep Deprivation Effects
Health Benefits of Quality Sleep
Related article: Sleep Deprivation Effects
Health Benefits of Quality Sleep
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