“Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.” — Thomas Dekker
You’ve probably heard often that getting enough sleep is important to your health. But did you know that it’s also fundamental in your happiness and overall quality of life? It’s true, according to a 2018 study.
“A satisfied mindset about life may increase sleep quality, but as our findings imply, a good sleep may also affect how positively one evaluates his/her life,” say the study authors. “As expected, we found that sleep quality predicted the participants’ life satisfaction, even controlling for baseline variables.”
Study authors added that a lot of us don’t put sleep high enough on our priority list because we’re more likely to focus on making more money or building up our social status.
“However,” they add. “Our study suggests that this inconspicuous daily routine not only restores the body, but also elevates the mind’s view of life.”
And that means that it affects the way we vibrate. We feel less positive about our life and therefore attract less positive into our lives. Worse, when we feel bad about life because we aren’t getting enough sleep, we vibrate negative or sick feelings, and we attract MORE of that into our lives.
Bottom Line? Getting a good night’s sleep helps us to be happier, more productive people, so here are some tips to help you get a good night’s sleep:
1. Avoid drinking tea or coffee late at night
2. Stop smoking – nicotine is a stimulant and so can make it difficult to get to sleep and stay asleep
3. Go to bed at the same time each night so that you set a routine
4. Only use the bed for sleeping and sex
5. Use dimmers on your light switches, and dim the lights in the hours before you go to bed to mimic the change from daylight to night time
6. Avoid taking exercise in the evening – exercise early in the day to promote restful sleep
7. Try using affirmations, such as: “I let go of the day, and enjoy restful, peaceful sleep” repeated several times while you prepare for sleep
8. If you can’t get to sleep after a while, get up keeping the lights low and do something boring until you feel sleepy
9. Alcohol may help you get to sleep, but you are more likely to wake during the night feeling thirsty and needing to go to the bathroom
10. Try relaxed breathing: breathe slowly and deeply concentrating on your abdomen rather than your chest
11. Get your allergies checked out, particularly if you wake craving particular food in the middle of the night
12. Avoid paying bills and similar jobs just before sleep
13. Try herbal tea
14. Put the essential oils lavender and clary sage on your pillow and inhale their soothing vapors as you sleep
15. Try some flower remedies – there are lots of different types. In the Bach flower remedies you might like to try ‘vervain’ if you find it difficult to switch off from the
day; ‘holly’ if anger and resentment keep you awake; ‘white chestnut’ for persistent unwanted thoughts; ‘aspen’ if you wake because of nightmares
16. Try holding your frontal eminences (the bumps on your forehead, about halfway between your eyebrows and hairline) if you are awake because of stress
17. Try taking supplements – magnesium and calcium can work well
18. If you suffer from hot flashes, try some natural support for your endocrine system.
19. Many alternative and complementary therapists have success with people with sleep problems. Find a local therapist and ask them if they have experience in this field
20. Sleep problems can be a sign of an underlying medical condition (e.g. thyroid problems or depression), so get this checked out with a suitably qualified health professional
Still struggling? Grab our free Bedtime Routine Power Booster, right here.
