Sleep with a Smile

Today everyone seems to be living hectic, over scheduled, instantly gratifying, inpatient lives. It's no wonder many complain of insomnia and interrupted sleep which leads to lethargy, irritability and difficulty focusing during the day. Our minds are often racing when our head hits the pillow. Waking up the next morning, our minds are typically immediately full of the day's stressors. 

If you are one of these people, I challenge you to begin practicing some sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene includes:

• Avoid excessive napping during the day and especially late in the day. It can disturb the normal pattern of sleep and wakefulness. 
• Avoid stimulants such as  caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol too close to bedtime. While alcohol is well known to speed the onset of sleep, it disrupts sleep in the second half as the body begins to metabolize the alcohol, causing arousal. 
• Exercise can promote good sleep. Vigorous exercise should be taken in the morning or late afternoon. A relaxing exercise, like yoga, can be done before bed to help initiate a restful night's sleep. 
• Food can be disruptive right before sleep.  Stay away from large meals close to bedtime. Also dietary changes can cause sleep problems, if someone is struggling with a sleep problem, it's not a good time to start experimenting with spicy dishes. And, remember, chocolate has caffeine. 
• Ensure adequate exposure to natural light. This is particularly important for older people who may not venture outside as frequently as children and adults, but also gamers, computer programers, lawyers and anyone who works more than 8 hour days. Light exposure helps maintain a healthy sleep-wake cycle. 
• Associate your bed with sleep. Typically, it's not a good idea to use your bed to watch TV, listen to the radio, or read (unless something dry and boring) as all of those keep the brain stimulated and awake.
• Establish a regular relaxing bedtime routine. Try to avoid emotionally upsetting conversations and activities before trying to go to sleep. Don't dwell on, or bring your problems to bed. If some thing or a to do list item is weighing heavy on your mind and it's not solvable till the next day, write it down!
• Right the wrong. As you lay in bed with the lights and technology off, review your day and identify events and moments you wish had gone differently. Like a movie director, redirect the scene the way you wished it would have gone honing in on your part - your behavior, reactions and communication. This practice aids  in our absorbing the lesson and beginning new tomorrow.

• Review the joyful, grateful, success moments. As you lay in bed with the lights and technology off, review your day focusing on the moments that brought a smile to your face, warmth in your heart and reassurance of your born-into specialness. Focusing on the good in our life can help us to reverse habitual negative self talk. After all, our thoughts create our reality.

• Breathe deeply. Bring one hand to your belly and one to your heart. Take several deep slow breaths into your belly not your chest. Exhale longer out your mouth. Repeat. This practice aims to calm your autonomic nervous system bringing the parasympathetic nervous system (also called rest and digest system) more online versus your sympathetic nervous system (also called fight or flight system)