Did you sleep well? Try this tonight...
Ronald Reagan & Maggie Thatcher didn't. Cited as living on 4 hours sleep a night they both suffered from alzhemiers. Albert Einstein claimed he needed 10 hours sleep a night plus micro-naps.
How does this relate to you?
Are you happy with the amount of sleep you get?
Do you wake feeling refreshed?
Are you an insomniac?
Are you struggling with your weight loss? Unfortunately poor sleep equals poor willpower. Lack of sleep increases grhelin & decreases leptin, thus the next day you actually feel hungrier, plus your less able to resist those tempting snacks!!
Sleepless nights happen to almost everyone at some time, but ongoing insomnia can indicate a deeper issue and could lead to further health concerns. Unfortunately, a common approach to treating insomnia includes prescription sleeping medications, which can cause nasty side effects or even dependence. That’s one of the many reasons to consider an all-natural approach to treating your sleep problems. Acupuncture & Yoga can be a very effective ways to improve your sleep quality without side effects, but here are some tips for healthy sleep that you can try tonight:
Have a regular routine: Plan to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day and night. Even though you might be tempted to stay up late or sleep in on the weekend, doing so will throw out your natural body clock and make it harder to get back to a healthy sleep routine. Set a 'go to bed' alarm as well as a 'wake up' alarm if you have to! (I rarely set a morning alarm, but I definately set a get ready for bed alarm!!)
Create a relaxation ritual: Make some time in your schedule for a pre-sleep relaxation ritual. Taking a hot bath just before bed has been shown to promote a deep, restful sleep. If you don't feel like the full deal, you can just soak your feet in a footbath, which is also wonderfully relaxing. You can also add a handful of hops to the bathwater or place a small amount of dried hops wrapped in a cloth inside your pillow case. Hops are used to reduce restlessness during sleep. Meditate: Set aside at least 10-15 minutes to meditate as part of your winding-down ritual in the evening. There are many, many ways to meditate, and if you haven't found one that resonates with you, never fear. I am a big fan of Yoga Nidra. Please, et me know the most effecctive one for you. Ask me about a specific insomnia yoga practice: One aspect I love about Iyengar yoga is the therapeutic practices. Please let me know if you would like a practice to help you sleep deeper & awake refreshed.
Use aromatherapy: Put a few drops of chamomile or lavender essential oil on your pillow just before bed. You can also put a few drops in your bathwater, use an aromatherapy diffuser or add a few drops to water in a spray bottle to disperse the scent around your bedroom. You can even massage a little lavender or chamomile into the soles of your feet before bed.
Relax your soles: Tap the soles and both sides of the feet gently with a hairbrush for five minutes, paying special attention to the point Kidney-1, located below the ball of the foot in the center, about one-third the distance between the toes and heel. You can also massage your feet (or get someone else to do it for you!) focusing extra attention on this point. See photo below - doesn't that look like it would feel good? The point is just below the woman's thumbs in this picture. Stimulation of this point helps you to sleep by to bringing excess energy from the head to the feet, therefore calming the Qi. You can also apply a drop of lavender oil to this point for extra calming energy!
