Sleep…Who Needs It??

Sleep.  It is a fascinating thing, essential to our well-being, yet beyond our reach sometimes when we need it most.   I don’t know about you but as a kid I would fight not to nap, as an adult there are some days, I’d kill for one.   There have been periods when sleep has escaped me and all day long I would struggle to get through the day just so that I could come home and sleep.  Ironically, when I would get home, my body would not do me any favors and I’d often stay awake until “normal” bedtime and beyond.   In the worst times, I would sleep every other night exhausted from what felt like no sleep the night before.  It got to the point where every single night started to become a challenge.

We fill our lives with so much today  as we live in the popular status of “busy”, our minds cannot slow down enough to sleep.  We are always chasing deadlines, working or doing until the last-minute as we rush around to get to where we need to go next.   When it is time to pause, I hear so many complain about the inability to sleep at night.  Maybe this is why I gravitate toward Yoga and Meditation.  It is the polar opposite of what we are living every day.

For me, I could always knock off easily but restful sleep would escape me and I would often awake at 2;00 am with the remainder of night either fully awake or in a half state of sleep.  Looking at all this, I realized that I needed to find a way to change things.  I have tried several different methods to find slumber in these times including yoga, meditation, essential oils, eating sleep inducing foods such as bananas, and once when I was really struggling, melatonin supplements, which had the opposite effect and were quickly crossed off the list of sleep aids.   It took time to find what worked best for me.  Happily, my sleep issues have improved dramatically.

While I certainly don’t have all the answers, if you are struggling with sleep, here are some things that have helped me.

• Essential Oils – If you have not been introduced to essential, this is a good place for you to start.  Sleep!  There are tons of options that will induce a relaxed state.  My favorite is lavender.   Each night I fill my diffuser with water and put in about three drops of lavender oil.  It smells amazing and feels peaceful.  I am certain it plays a part in my ability to fall asleep so easily.  I would recommend if you plan to invest in oils you try DoTerra which is the only oil I know of that is 100% pure grade.
• Yoga before bed – Yoga is more than just a workout for your body, it can benefit various aspects of your personal health and peace of mind.   Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a contortionists to do it!   Spend 10-15 minutes before bed with a few relaxing poses.  Bonus, you can often do these in your bed.  Check out Youtube and search “yoga for sleep.”  Some of my favorite yogis are The Journey Junkie, Yoga with Adrienne, and Boho Beautiful.
• Reducing stress –  Okay everybody has stress.  It’s very hard to avoid it.  What we can do is look at our lives, and figure out whatever it is waking us up at 2:00 am and find small ways to address it.  If you have a lot on your plate to manage, make lists.  If you have relationships that are difficult, find a way to communicate.  If you  are not sure how to address it, take time to meditate on it.  It will help you make space and put you in a calmer state to cope better with any stress.

While I wish I could offer you a cure to sleepless nights, there are no truly simple answers.   Everyone is different and what works for one, may not be the solution for another, as noted in my experience with melatonin.   My biggest suggestion is to keep trying different option until you find what is right for you.   If you continue to have issues, it might be a good idea to seek outside help.  While no one likes to be tired, excessive sleeplessness cannot only impair your waking judgement, it can lead to serious health problems.

What do you do to get to sleep?   Please share any suggestions in the comments below!