I don’t sleep well many nights. There are many reasons for this but often for me, it’s due to pain or anxiety about all the stuff I didn’t get done or need to do before I can go to bed. I had to stop this cycle of non-sleep because I find that if I don’t get enough sleep, over time, my body starts to let me know in not so subtle ways such as giving me an extra dose of pain, having memory and concentration problems and even falling asleep at the computer. What makes it hard for me to sleep is often the fact that my body is sending relentless pain signals and I can’t shut my mind off.
In the past, I tried sleep medications, but I found that they stopped working after a while or gave me a medication hangover in the morning and since I try to live as naturally as possible when it comes to medications I put in my body among other things, I gave them up. I now have certain nightly rituals that help me get to sleep and stay asleep. Here are some natural ways to get a better night’s sleep that I hope will help you.
Natural Ways to Get a Better Night’s Sleep
Create a ritual before you go to bed. I found that much like kids need a wind-down period before bed, so do adults. This can be anything that helps you relax from a glass of warm milk to a meditation session or even reading.
Consistency in time you go to bed is important. It doesn’t matter really when you choose to go to bed, as long as you are getting enough sleep, but try to go to bed around the same time every night. This will put your mind and body into a routine and allow you to fall asleep faster.
Use a biomat. I have a Richway BioMat that I use for pain management, but I also find that it helps me sleep better and more soundly. A BioMat is a mat that warms up for you depending on the setting you put it on and also releases negative ions as you lay on it. It is filled with real amethyst crystals. In fact, I did an experiment with it when I first got it from Healing Arts Garden. I have an app on my phone that records sleep and records how deeply I am sleeping based on the sounds I make (or don’t make). On average, without the biomat, I was only getting short bursts of deep sleep and lots of interruptions. With the biomat, I found that I was sleeping deeper for much longer and fewer interruptions. I was actually pretty floored that just one session on the biomat gave me these results and even more intrigued when it continued to happen. I lay on my BioMat for 20 minutes right before bed (I found sleeping on it was not comfortable for me personally) and my pain is reduced and I sleep better.
Take a detox Bath. A detox bath is easy to do and it is a great way to lull your aches, pains and anxieties away.
Think about what you are eating before bed and in the evening. Cut out caffeine by mid afternoon and skip spicy foods before bed. It’s also a good idea to not eat heavy foods right before bedtime, either.
Turn off the electronics. We have so many screens to look at these days from TVs to Tablets and even our phones. It is very tempting to read that latest book on your tablet in bed or catch up on Facebook on your phone, but it can actually trick your brain into thinking its still daytime and make it harder for it to shut off and get into sleep mode. Try to withhold these devices for 20 minutes or so before you plan on falling asleep and definitely don’t look at them in the dark.
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Thanks for these tips. The biomat looks neat, but I like my room cold not warm, so warming I don’t believe is an option for me. I have heard to use biotin, as it is natural. I also heard to keep paper and pen by your bed, that way when something pops in your head, you can write it down and not worry about trying to remember it. I have heard of caffeine, I know that is hard for most of us to cut out. Same with electronics, as they are not appendages on us as many of us cannot get unplugged. Have a great day.
Steve Patterson recently posted..Not Afraid To Get Hit
Hi Steve, thanks for sharing your thoughts. I don’t personally sleep on my biomat, so it doesn’t heat me up while I sleep. It doesn’t put off enough heat to make a room hot, either. It works with far inferred rays so it doesn’t really heat things the way other electronics would. I just find that the biomat relaxes me enough to be able to sleep well through the night if I use it before I go to bed. I do agree with you on keeping pen and paper near you to write things down that might be causing anxiety. That’s always a good habit!