It is time to be more mindful about what you are sleeping with so that you wake up with a clear mind.

“A well-spent day brings happy sleep” – Leonardo da Vinci

Do you have a hard time falling asleep? Are you sleep deprived? After a night of sleep do you still wake up feeling tired?  If your answer is yes to any of these questions, a change in your evening routine is a must!

What do you do right before you go to bed?  Does it involve any of these things: checking your phone, emailing, playing on the internet, working on your computer, or watching television? Exposing ourselves to any of these devices stimulates our brain during a time when our mind needs to be winding down so we can rest.   With increased stimulation and exposure to the electromagnetic waves our gadgets emit, it is harder for our body to enter the deep sleep that is most nourishing and reinvigorating.

I know many of you sleep with your phone next to your bed and I’m highly encouraging you to keep it in a separate room.  It along with your computer and TV are unwelcome visitors in your bedroom. Not only is it bad feng shui, it’s bad for your health!  Need additional reasons to kick those gadgets out? Read this article.

And if you do avoid the electronics, many of you are drifting off with worrisome visions dancing in your head.  Or you are taking judgments of yourself or others with you to bed. Or perhaps negative emotions like sadness, anger, or fear are keeping you awake at night.  You don’t have to sleep with any of these things either!  If you are anxious or experiencing emotion, use a tool called “Free Form Writing.” Grab some black paper and just begin mind-dumping. Make sure to write stream-of-conscious; don’t worry about making sense or being able to read your handwriting. Keep writing until you experience a shift in state and feel more peaceful. Rip up the paper or burn it when you are done.  And if your mind is full of criticism of yourself and/or others, make sure to engage in forgiveness before you hit the hay. You don’t want those judgments lurking around when you are trying to rest.

Today I encourage you to UPdate your nightly routine so that you have at least one hour before you drift off to sleep to rid yourself of all of these rest risk factors.  Listen to music, read a calming book, take a bath, journal, and do anything that feels soothing to you.  Your sleep should take up a third of your day and is a KEY factor for waking up to a productive day and a healthy you. Don’t go another night without some good sleep!

Sweet dreams,

Christine

“Don’t fight with the pillow, but lay down your head
And kick every worriment out of the bed.” – Edmund Vance Cook

“A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow.”– Charlotte Brontë