A Q&A on How Mindfulness Helps Insomnia
Question: Can you recommend evening routines or practices that could lead to better sleep? I often have insomnia. It seems that as soon as I get into bed my mind gets active and anxious and continues into the night.
Answer: Adequate rest is an important component of a successful and active life. Sleep is the time our body/mind regenerate. To benefit, we need to drop into a deep sleep for several hours each night.
If you struggle to sleep well, let me help you sort out why. There are many things to rule out as we begin to untangle the problem and find the appropriate solution to this situation. Because you and your situation is unique, scheduling a few sessions to explore and work through the problem may be beneficial.
Before we meet, please consider:
* How much time do you devote to rest and rejuvenation each day?
* Do you maintain a regular sleeping & waking schedule most days?
* How soon before bed do you have dinner?
* Are you taking any medications that might interfere with sleep?
* Have you had hormone levels checked?
Eating well, balancing the energies in the body, and taking time out from the demands of the day are valuable ways to calm the nervous system. As a result, it doesn’t become revved up as soon as you have nothing to do (which the mind thinks is the case when we lie down to rest at night).
On a biological basis, ones hormones may be changing and can lead to illusive or restless sleep. Are you going through peri menopause or menopause? The influence of this transition may linger for 10+ years…
Factors such as the darkness and/or the temperature of your room at night, the temperature of your body before you go to bed, as well as how long before bed you eat or drink and ones diet all play a role in supporting effective sleep.
Steps that can help you prepare for sound sleep include:
- Finishing dinner at least two hours before bedtime to give the body adequate time to digest.
- Being in bed before 10 pm, when the liver begins to rev up.
- Prepping for sleep an hour before you get into bed. This would include turning off all electronics (including phone, tv, computer) and participating in a soothing, quiet activity such as taking a bath, reading a calm book or meditating.
- Establishing a regular routine of simple activities that signal it is time for bed. This could include getting things you’ll need tomorrow ready to go, then brushing your teeth, washing your face and hands, and practicing some alternate nostril breathing.
- Once you crawl into bed, you can begin to let go of your day by reviewing it. Mentally move backwards through your day, releasing each activity by starting with when you got into bed and traveling backwards through the day to when you woke up. This strengthens the memory as well as calms the mind.
- Cultivating a gratitude practice is also nice. Taking time out to offer thanks to the day, as it comes to a close can be part of signaling that it is time to let things go, if only temporarily.
Please know that I sell a Yoga Nidra CD designed to support you in dropping off into a deep sleep. It is just $12 (plus shipping).
Many have commented how listening to it as they drift off to sleep has helped addressing their struggles with sleep.
Hope this helps!
I invite you to schedule a private session if you'd like to explore this more deeply with me.
Namaste, and good night!
From a first time client: "Thank you for an enjoyable, transformative yoga therapy session this past Monday. I slept well the ensuing nights with less medication, and I feel I have tools to support good sleep in the future. I won't hesitate to send clients your way in need of yoga therapy." JD, acupuncturist
Question: Can you recommend evening routines or practices that could lead to better sleep? I often have insomnia. It seems that as soon as I get into bed my mind gets active and anxious and continues into the night.
Answer: Adequate rest is an important component of a successful and active life. Sleep is the time our body/mind regenerate. To benefit, we need to drop into a deep sleep for several hours each night.
If you struggle to sleep well, let me help you sort out why. There are many things to rule out as we begin to untangle the problem and find the appropriate solution to this situation. Because you and your situation is unique, scheduling a few sessions to explore and work through the problem may be beneficial.
Before we meet, please consider:
* How much time do you devote to rest and rejuvenation each day?
* Do you maintain a regular sleeping & waking schedule most days?
* How soon before bed do you have dinner?
* Are you taking any medications that might interfere with sleep?
* Have you had hormone levels checked?
Eating well, balancing the energies in the body, and taking time out from the demands of the day are valuable ways to calm the nervous system. As a result, it doesn’t become revved up as soon as you have nothing to do (which the mind thinks is the case when we lie down to rest at night).
On a biological basis, ones hormones may be changing and can lead to illusive or restless sleep. Are you going through peri menopause or menopause? The influence of this transition may linger for 10+ years…
Factors such as the darkness and/or the temperature of your room at night, the temperature of your body before you go to bed, as well as how long before bed you eat or drink and ones diet all play a role in supporting effective sleep.
Steps that can help you prepare for sound sleep include:
- Finishing dinner at least two hours before bedtime to give the body adequate time to digest.
- Being in bed before 10 pm, when the liver begins to rev up.
- Prepping for sleep an hour before you get into bed. This would include turning off all electronics (including phone, tv, computer) and participating in a soothing, quiet activity such as taking a bath, reading a calm book or meditating.
- Establishing a regular routine of simple activities that signal it is time for bed. This could include getting things you’ll need tomorrow ready to go, then brushing your teeth, washing your face and hands, and practicing some alternate nostril breathing.
- Once you crawl into bed, you can begin to let go of your day by reviewing it. Mentally move backwards through your day, releasing each activity by starting with when you got into bed and traveling backwards through the day to when you woke up. This strengthens the memory as well as calms the mind.
- Cultivating a gratitude practice is also nice. Taking time out to offer thanks to the day, as it comes to a close can be part of signaling that it is time to let things go, if only temporarily.
Please know that I sell a Yoga Nidra CD designed to support you in dropping off into a deep sleep. It is just $12 (plus shipping).
Many have commented how listening to it as they drift off to sleep has helped addressing their struggles with sleep.
Hope this helps!
I invite you to schedule a private session if you'd like to explore this more deeply with me.
Namaste, and good night!
From a first time client: "Thank you for an enjoyable, transformative yoga therapy session this past Monday. I slept well the ensuing nights with less medication, and I feel I have tools to support good sleep in the future. I won't hesitate to send clients your way in need of yoga therapy." JD, acupuncturist