.png)
This topic has been coming up a lot with clients lately, so I thought I would share some tips for you guys here to have more restful sleeps!
Ahh, sleep. Nothing, absolutely nothing, helps me to feel my best as much as sleep does.
I think a lot of your have heard of a morning routine. The next hot thing? Night time routine! I'm telling you, it's gold.
Sleep, or lack there of, impacts all areas of our lives: our emotional, mental, and physical well-being. Irritability comes up, the body isn't able to recover as quickly from that cold, and our minds just aren't as sharp when we're not getting enough.
So here are my favourite tips for getting the sleep of your dreams!
Choose a time: Decide on your bed time, and stick to it. Consistency is key for your body to get on board with a solid sleep cycle.
Setting the stage: (At least) 1 hour before your chosen sleep time, dim those lights (candles are nice!) & put away those screens (yes, that means the TV, computer, AND your phone).
Tea time: One of my favourite things to help me wind down at the end of the day is a pot of tea. Depending on what you like, you can opt for a classic chamomile, which has natural relaxation properties, or even go for something like Traditional Medicinals Night Night Tea, which has herbs such as passionflower which is sure the knock you out.
Relax the body: I recommend some light stretching, perhaps some yin yoga poses if you are familiar. Basically, you want to loosen up the body, let go of any stress you may be carrying from your day.
Journaling: Get out those last pestering thoughts so you can rest your noggin with a clear mind. Bonus: write down 3 things that you are grateful for.
Read: Yes, a book. A real book! Imagine. This calming activity relaxes the mind and has you focus on something other than your thoughts.
Lights out!: Be strict with yourself. Bed time is bed time. Lights out, no questions. The more consistent you can be the more this will pay off, trust me. Your body & mind will thank you!
You may also like... meditation to further calm the mind, a bath or shower to wash off the day, essential oils such as lavender to induce relaxation. My advice? Try out a few different things and create a structure that works for you. Let me know how your sleep improves with these tips! Sweet dreams!